Recording on Mac Book Pro creates humming noise.

Question

Level 1

8 points

Recording on Mac Book Pro creates humming noise.

I own a Mac Book Pro & an Intel iMac. I'm having a problem recoding audio into my mac book pro. Every time i try to record using my interface I get a bad humming noise. When i plug this same interface with the same setup into my Intel iMac. There's no noise or anything, it is perfect. This leads me to believe that there is a problem with my MBP?
Does anyone have any idea's what's causing the problem and how i can go about fixing it?

Mac Book Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Logic Pro 8, m-audio Firewire 410

Posted on Apr 6, 2009 11:38 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Pancenter

Level 6

14,686 points

Apr 6, 2009 12:37 PM in response to gregal0711

Sounds like a grounding problem which sometimes happens with laptops.

Is the Firewire interface running from an adapter or is it using FW bus power?
If it is using an adapter make sure they're both plugged into the same power outlet. -Also- if you're running an audio cable out to external speakers or a mixer, make sure these units are also running from the same power outlet.
To avoid ground problems, especially with laptops make sure all powered devices plugged into the laptop or audio interface draw current from the same receptacle. If you have any externally powered USB peripherals? Try unplugging
them from the computer, they should be running off the same power source as the rest of the gear.

Does the hum persist when running the laptop on battery power?

Although not generally advised you can try using a ground lift on the laptop's power supply. This option is last resort.

pancenter-

Reply

Answer 2

pjberry

Level 1

20 points

Apr 6, 2009 5:13 PM in response to gregal0711

I have a Mac Book Pro and am running through an Apogee Ensemble or Apogee Duet depending on the situation. I never have had any hum. What kind of interface are you using? Could be a grounding problem but sounds like an interface possibly.

Reply

Answer 3

Pancenter

Level 6

14,686 points

Apr 6, 2009 5:30 PM in response to pjberry

pjberry wrote:
I have a Mac Book Pro and am running through an Apogee Ensemble or Apogee Duet depending on the situation. I never have had any hum. What kind of interface are you using? Could be a grounding problem but sounds like an interface possibly.

It depends, some audio interfaces use external power supplies, a residence can even be wired incorrectly. Remember... they said it doesn't have a problem on the iMac.

pancenter-

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 6, 2009 6:37 PM in response to gregal0711

Hi,
I had a problem recording with my macbook, until it occurred to me that recharging the battery, and supplying power to the interface and separate hard drive, was causing some interior confusion, shall we say. I made sure the macbook battery was fully charged, and the macbook plugged into the wall, and I've had no further problem (granted that it might be said that recording shouldn't be this touchy).

Good luck,

Ray

Reply

Answer 5

Jun 9, 2009 8:54 PM in response to Raymond Nelson

I just started having this problem tonight, using a MBP and an M-Audio Profire 610. It was a hum that would go away when I touched any metal on the computer or on the interface, so I figured it was a ground problem, and searching that brought me to this thread. I've gotten around the issue by using the extension on the power supply which has a ground, rather than the folding two-prong plug that fits right to the power supply without a ground. Hope that helps.

Reply

Answer 6

Jun 18, 2009 2:50 PM in response to gregal0711

I had the same problem with my M-Audio firewire 410 with my windows notebook. The problem was from the soundcard.I pluged the power adapter into the m-audio which was causing the hum. Never had the problem with the desktop because the desktop are grounded and I did not need a power adapter for M-audio because the power was come from the firewire. Now I have an Mac Book and a Duet no problems

Reply