Recording on Mac Book Pro creates humming noise.

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-

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.

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-

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

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.

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