# Balanced Power? Online UPS? Dedicated AC?



## owatariryo (Dec 29, 2009)

I have my home studio in a 50-year-old apartment which has only 2 prong outlets that really drives me nuts ... and it hums or buzzes like crazy too.. I already have an isolation transformer but it does little for me... recordings still sound flat with floppy low end and weak attack, really lifeless compared to any half decent raw track i hear on others website, and I'm not using entry level gears like M-audio so it should have little to do with the gears.

After surfing the net for days I've narrowed down to these very 3 things that may do magic for me..
Balanced power(filter out line noises), Online UPS(pure AC power, regulated voltage, surge protection), Dedicated AC line(avoid interference from other outlets in house).. but I really have no clue which to begin with and if they would really solve my problem...

Will any of these options cure the lifelessness of my recording? And more likely eliminate the hum and buzz too? Please anyone help this poor fella before he scratches all his hair off!!! :hsd:


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## wgmontgomery (Jun 9, 2011)

I'm not an electrician, but if the wiring is that old you may have to have it updated. All of the power conditioners/surge protectors that I've seen require a 3 prong outlet to work (they need the ground). 

Someone with more knowledge may very well correct me on this, but I don't think an APC and cheater-plug will do much. You may have to go th re-wire route...at least in that room. A dedicated (high amp) circuit is a good thing anyway.

Good luck!


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## Syd26147 (Jul 4, 2008)

> Dedicated AC line(avoid interference from other outlets in house)...


 That's the route I chose...


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

owatariryo said:


> I have my home studio in a 50-year-old apartment which has only 2 prong outlets that really drives me nuts ... and it hums or buzzes like crazy too.. I already have an isolation transformer but it does little for me... recordings still sound flat with floppy low end and weak attack, really lifeless compared to any half decent raw track i hear on others website, and I'm not using entry level gears like M-audio so it should have little to do with the gears.
> 
> After surfing the net for days I've narrowed down to these very 3 things that may do magic for me..
> Balanced power(filter out line noises), Online UPS(pure AC power, regulated voltage, surge protection), Dedicated AC line(avoid interference from other outlets in house).. but I really have no clue which to begin with and if they would really solve my problem...
> ...


Not having a dedicated ground is a problem if you have anything connected to the system from the outside that has an earth ground like a cable or sat system. This is the case with most systems. The only real solution is to upgrade the wiring to a grounded system and replace the old wiring and connectors. Not only is the lack of ground a problem, but the old wiring and connectors likely have higher resistance than new. This can create a higher noise floor and use system power producing hum, and introducing intermodulation distortion. The sound quality differences that you perceive are likely largely due to these problems along with the distraction of the noise.

Even with a balanced power output, you will not solve the fundamental problem of ground potential difference from a.c. neutral. Upgrade the wiring by adding a new circuit.


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## owatariryo (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks for the input. So if I understand correctly, the problems could be:1) Old wiring and outlets with higher resistance degrading sound. 2) Lack of ground causing hum and noises. Is that right? Unfortunately there seems no real ground spike in the apartment. So if that's the case, can I use online UPS instead, which dual-converts and regenerates AC power? or it's just far from ideal?


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Old wiring and increased resistance does not degrade sound directly. Resistance in the lines increases the probability of noise on the line and noise due to ground reference levels that are different at various points in the system. Line noise itself is usually filtered by most power supplies. Having grounds that do not reference to the same level can cause hum and noise that will use system power or distract from the music. 

Because most systems connect to some external source with earth grounding, if you have an old electrical system with no independent ground line and that has old wiring that likely has increased resistance on the neutral connections to earth, there is no good, safe, and sure way to solve these problems other than to install a dedicated circuit with an earth ground.


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## Jimmysticker (Apr 3, 2012)

To rule out your gear being a problem, would it be too hard to move your gear to another location that has an earthed power supply? I am not disagreeing with the other posts here. There is every chance that they are correct, but it would be nice to know that your problem is definitely with your ungrounded and old power supply.


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## Syd26147 (Jul 4, 2008)

owatariryo said:


> I already have an isolation transformer but it does little for me...


 What brand/model?


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