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Help with Humming

Ok, here's my problem.

I have an Numark TT200 turntable hooked up to a Gemini preamp using moster cables. they are grounded together by a thick wire as instructed by the preamp manual. The preamp is hooked up to my PC using a moster line in cable going into my on board sound card. I'm getting a ton of electrical humm coming from the Monstaer line in cable that's connected to my preamp. I know its the cable because when my PC is on and I pull the right and left jack out of my preamp, you can hear the buzz coming from the ends of the cables. My question is, why is this cable so hot? Mp pc is grounded, is it not? At first I thought the preamp was junk but gemini is an ok brand and noone else is complaining. Now that I know its the line in cable, how can I fix that?

George

thanks in advance.

Reply to
Farmdog
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I had the same problem when I first connected my turntable. I finally got a plug strip and plugged everything related into the same outlet. I then took a "goofy green" ground wire of 14 gauge and attached it to everything. Worked for me.

I took the time to ohm everything out to be that everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Reply to
SQLit

Thats the problem with monster cables. If there was no monster in the cable, it couldn't hum. The least you could do is teach the monster the song, so he wouldn't have to hum it. :-)

Reply to
ehsjr

You might try cutting those nasty sounding ends off the cable.

Personally I've had no luck in cutting the end off a cable. Every time I try it, there's still an end left...

JC the elder

Reply to
jclause

come on guys..i need answers here not sillyness.

snipped-for-privacy@wyan.org

Reply to
Farmdog

You cut off the wrong end!

Reply to
krw

You have what is known as a "ground loop". There is enough current flowing in one or more shields to produce a 60 cycle voltage that's getting into the amplifier circuit. Make sure all "grounds" are to the same point. Sometimes dis-connecting the shield at one end of a cable will help.

Monster cables are no worse than any others. They do eat your money faster. When I worked with broadcast remotes, many years ago, we'd try "reversing the line plug", which often helped. With modern equipment, you can't do that, so it's important that there be no stray voltage on any of the grounds in the system. Put everything on the same circuit, and make sure the socket it's plugged into is wired correctly. Check for a good ground on the round socket hole, and make sure the hot and neutral are not reversed.

Reply to
VWWall

Hadn't thought of that. Cool.

JC the elder

Reply to
jclause

I presume this only works for balanced lines. A turntable is likely to be an unbalanced phono connector and disconnecting the ground would be a disaster. Or am I missing something?

Bud--

Reply to
Bud

you have a ground problem ,the gnds in the units are not compatable , check and see if one of the systems have a raise gnd. a good look at the schematics would make you aware of this. another way you could tell is to put a meter on the low side of the power cable and see if there is any resistance in it ,if so there is probably a raised gnd. and most likely a bad cap.that would account for the heating of the cable.

Reply to
Oh donnie

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