Sound Card Noise

I am trying to record sermons on our computer through its soundcard from our mixer board. The distance from board to computer is about 20 feet. When hooking the two together, I am getting a lot of noise or hum. How do I get rid of the noise? I also have heard of using an Olympus Digital Voice Recorder from recording from the soundboard...does this work? Someone please help!

[essentricaudio]

How do you have the soundboard conected to the computer - what kind of output to what kind of input? is it one straight cable or a bunch of adapters?

Often a computer input from a sound system needs an isolation / impedence matching device to avoid ground loops and match the proper signal types and levels for both devices. This can be as simple as a passive DI box or a device specificly set up for this interface such as Whirlwind PCDI (~$120)

Your audio cord isn't running next to any power cables...is it?? That would add some noise too.

[nelsen@dwpi.com]

Many times it can be the monitor causing the hum. Try turning of the monitor while you are recording a see if it is causing the noise.

Nelsen

[soulcast]

Let's talk about the sound card. What kind is in there? Many times a generic or consumer card is fine for everyday sound using PC speakers. But when you get serious about tonal quality it won't hold up. Usually the sound is "dirty" or aliased a bit.

There are a bunch of great audio cards out there to take care of that.

Could you post some audio from that hardware so we can listen?

[wjkroul5]

I am trying to connect the soundboard to a computer to record sermons also and I get a humm. I am connecting from a monitor output into the computer sound card. I really cold use some help. I also have a sterieo to mono adapter in the circuit. even if I try for just onechannel I get the humm. It is a little bit higher than 60 hz.

[ttyR2]

Is the recording signal coming out of the board stereo? You need to be careful with stereo-to-mono adapters. They can easily short out one side of the circuit path.

[extol!]

what type of mixer are you using? what type of cables? what is the input of the computer? is the computer a laptop or desktop?

[kerwin kanago]

99% of the time these kinds probaoblems are caused by grounding issues. Go to Radio Shack and ask for a "Ground Loop Isolator". Less than $20.

[Brad Weber]

As Extol noted, it really helps in situations like these to be as specific as possible. If you are getting the signal from a mixer then what is the mixer itself and what outputs are you using? What connectors, cabling and adapters are you using and be specific, there can be a big difference between a 1/4" TS unbalanced connector, a 1/4" TRS unbalanced stereo connector and a 1/4" TRS balanced mono connector? What are you connecting to? If it is a computer, is it a laptop or a desktop? If a laptop, are you running off the external power supply and if so, is it three prong or two prong? Is the computer running off the same power as the mixer or audio source? Is the computer also connected to the mixer as a source? Have you tried adjusting the levels for both the related mixer output and the computer sound card input(s)?

All of these details can have a major bearing on what might be the cause and appropriate solution.

[wjkroul5]

Originally Posted by wjkroul5

I am trying to connect the soundboard to a computer to record sermons also and I get a humm. I am connecting from a monitor output into the computer sound card. I really cold use some help. I also have a sterieo to mono adapter in the circuit. even if I try for just onechannel I get the humm. It is a little bit higher than 60 hz.

Originally Posted by Brad Weber

As Extol noted, it really helps in situations like these to be as specific as possible. If you are getting the signal from a mixer then what is the mixer itself

I am useing a Soundcraft Spirit LX7

and what outputs are you using?

I have tried each of the 6 mono monitor outputs

What connectors,

I have a cable that goes from 1/4 mono to Sterio (I am only useing one of the channels but have tried both of them as well

cabling and adapters are you using and be specific, there can be a big difference between a 1/4" TS unbalanced connector, a 1/4" TRS unbalanced stereo connector and a 1/4" TRS balanced mono connector? What are you connecting to?

I am connecting to a SoundBlaster sound board in a hyperthreaded home built computer

If it is a computer, is it a laptop or a desktop?

It is a destop (tower) on the same power leg with a ground lug on the power plug, And the circuit is grounded

If a laptop, are you running off the external power supply and if so, is it three prong or two prong? Is the computer running off the same power as the mixer or audio source? Is the computer also connected to the mixer as a source?

I am only useing it to record

Have you tried adjusting the levels for both the related mixer output and the computer sound card input(s)?

tried that also

All of these details can have a major bearing on what might be the cause and appropriate solution.

It also seems that anything other than a microphone that I plug into an input humms (Roland lr20977 keyboard) and anything I try to record with from either the output channels (1-16) or the monitor output channels (1-6) gives a humm

am I giving you what you need to help? I hope so because I am really trying. I will be glad to send photos of how everything is hooked up. They may help more if you would like.