How To Stop Ground Loop Noise - ifi GND Defender Review

Рет қаралды 16,663

Күн бұрын

Ground loop noise in audio setups is quite common. It's also extremely annoying. Ground loop noise will typically sound like a low frequency hum or buss, or it could sound like electrical noise from your computer. In some cases you can hear GPU noise, noise from your harddrive and so on.
In this video I'll review the ifi GND defender, which is a relatively cheap device which will effectively remove ground loops from your system. It can be plugged directly into your computer, at the back of monitors, electric guitar amplifiers and so on.
Ground loop noise from speakers, monitors etc is a problem that many music producers and musicians struggle with, because gear and devices will usually be interconnected by signal cables, while at the same time being independently powered. This will induce multiple grounding points in the system, creating the perfect condition for ground loop noise to occur.
Unlike those ground lifts, this doesn't try to filter out the noise after it has occurred, which will often result in reduced low-end. Instead, the GND defender prevents the ground loop from occurring in the first place, taking care of the problem at its source instead, which is the ideal thing to do.
It is also perfectly safe to use. In the case of an actual electrical fault in your system, the safety of the ground will be preserved.
Note that if you use this thedive with studio monitors, you'll ned two devices, one for each monitor. In most cases though, plugging it into the back of your computer will take care of the problem.
Buy the ifi GND defender here: geni.us/GND-defender
(Amazon link)
Check out my more extensive video about troubleshooting studio monitor noise here: • How to Fix Ground Loop...
------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOMMENDED STUDIO GEAR:
(Amazon links below)
AUDIO INTERFACE:
☑️ Focusrite Scarlett Solo: geni.us/scarlettsolo-3rd-gen
☑️ Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 (3rd Gen): geni.us/scarlett-4i4
REFERENCE HEADPHONES:
☑️ AKG 612 PRO: geni.us/akg-k612pro
☑️ Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO: geni.us/DT-990-pro
BUDGET MONITORS:
☑️ 5": Yamaha HS5: geni.us/Yamaha-HS5
☑️ 7": ADAM Audio: geni.us/Adam-Audio-T7V
☑️ 8": Yamaha HS8: geni.us/Yamaha-HS8
PROFESSIONAL MONITORS:
☑️ 7": ADAM Audio A7V: geni.us/ADAM-A7V
SUBWOOFER:
☑️ KRK 10S2 V2: geni.us/krk-10s2v2
MICROPHONE:
☑️ Audio-Technica Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone: geni.us/at2020microphone
☑️ Vocal recording booth / stand for microphone: geni.us/microphonebooth
XLR CABLES:
☑️ TISINO 35 ft Balanced XLR cable for mic: geni.us/xlr3ftoxlr3m
☑️ Monoprice 6 ft Balanced XLR Cable for monitors: geni.us/monoprice104761
SHORTCUT KEYBOARD:
☑️ Backlit FL Studio Shortcut Keyboard: geni.us/flstudio-keyboard
☑️Get The Complete Idiot's Guide To Music Theory Here:
geni.us/idiotsguidemusictheory
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
------------------------------------------------------------------
✔️ VST & Effect Plugins:
pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=5d4...
✔️ Premium Loops And Sample Packs:
www.loopmasters.com/?a_aid=5d...
------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00 introduction
00:07 ground loop noise from studio monitors & speakers
00:36 What is ground loop noise?
01:00 What does ground loop noise sound like? (Ground loop noise examples)
01:15 How to fix ground loop noise from audio setups
02:06 Ground loop noise example (firewire audio interface)
04:05 Troubleshooting studio monitor noise
#noise #groundloop #firewalkmusic
Check out my mixing and mastering tutorials:
• Mixing And Mastering E...
FL Studio tutorials: • How To Sync Samples To...
FL Studio quick tips: • How To Replace Samples...
❤️ Support this channel on Patreon:
/ firewalkmusic
❤️ Support us with a one-time PayPal donation:
www.paypal.me/firewalkmusic
🎹 Do you need professional feedback on your music? Or perhaps mastering? Check out my gigs on Fiverr: www.fiverr.com/firewalk
Follow FireWalk on social media:
/ djfirewalk
/ djfirewalk
/ firewalk_music
/ firewalk_music
📧 Business inquiries:
firewalk.official@gmail.com

Пікірлер: 80

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Amazon links below: iFi GND intelligent ground loop breaker: geni.us/GND-defender iF iDefender+ (for USB audio interfaces): geni.us/idefender Check out my more extensive video about troubleshooting studio monitor noise here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m8-eq6qkztvbo6M.html When all else fails, try the iFi GND defender! It intelligently removes DC ground loops without sacrificing safety. It can be plugged into your computer, studio monitors, guitar amps, and so on. ✔ VST & Effect Plugins: pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=5d496680b59cd ✔ Premium Loops And Sample Packs: www.loopmasters.com/?a_aid=5d496680b59cd ❤ Support this channel on Patreon: www.patreon.com/firewalkmusic ❤ Support us with a one-time PayPal donation: www.paypal.me/firewalkmusic ⚠ Do you need professional feedback on your track? Mixing or mastering? Check out my gigs on Fiverr: www.fiverr.com/firewalk

@LeGrandLife 5 ай бұрын

After struggling with a nasty ground loop issue on my Windows desktop computer for nearly a year, I was at my wit's end. No matter how many times I attempted various fixes, nothing seemed to work. That is, until I discovered the GND Defender. Connecting it to my computer's power supply was the game-changer I desperately needed. Finally, the irritating ground loop problem was resolved, and I could enjoy clear, uninterrupted audio without any interference. The GND Defender truly lives up to its name as a defender against ground loop issues, and I highly recommend it to anyone facing similar challenges.

@LeGrandLife 5 ай бұрын

I WILL BE MAKING ANOTHER PURCHASE NO GROUND LOOP!

@Verze_Records Жыл бұрын

You have no idea how much I needed this advice 💕💕💕🙏🏻

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful! :)

@RichiePittsburghtv Жыл бұрын

Been looking for this for so long. Thank you. Bless

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful! :)

@nevalisofficial Жыл бұрын

Great for someone who doesn't have two separate outlet, but I simply separate monitors from my PC in two different outlet and have no problem at all...But in case you have only one outlet, this is life saving! ❤️

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

It's actually recommended that all gear is connected to the same outlet, because the ideal thing is to have a common grounding point for all devices. However, just like you, I have also experienced that this doesn't always work. In some cases using different outlets does the trick instead. I actually talk about this in my more extensive video about troubleshooting studio monitor noise). Changing outlets won't always work though, and in those cases, devices such as the GND defender are really the best option. But as you say, always try different outlets first. If the monitors and the computer are already in different outlets, then try plugging everything into the same outlet and see if that cures it. If not, then the next natural step will be to look at something like the idefender+ or the GND defender. :) I actually started out with the idefender+, but then moved on to the GND defender because I have both a USB and a FireWire audio interface connected to my computer. :) Oh and by the way, I don't recommend those inline filters that are supposed to filter out the noise. They generally degrade the audio signal and it's much better to fix the problem at the source, by preventing it from occurring in the first place, rather than trying to filter it out afterwards. :)

@nevalisofficial Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic Yes, I agree with you! Great tool, that's for sure!

@vadimmartynyuk Жыл бұрын

Great video. Ground loops and pc noise are the most annoying things for me

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Ground loop noise used to drive me crazy. Fortunately these devices really do work, so it was well worth the cost 🙂

@daaamn001 Жыл бұрын

Firewalk, you did it again! Im gonna get me 3 of the big ones and for my Audio interface the usb device :) I hate noises! Thumps up for this great video 😃😉

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

I'm pretty sure one will suffice. 😉I use the GND defender myself, it doesn't require any extra power cables and will work even if you have multiple things connected (USB AND firewire USB interface for example). The noise used to drive me nuts.. I could even hear it long after leaving the room. Like a tinnitus almost.. That's when I knew I had to do something about it lol 😂

@daaamn001 Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic thx for that :)

@thomasfroland762 Жыл бұрын

This actually works! Thanks!

@kevintran9321 Жыл бұрын

Great as always Thanks

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

@brianfromspace 5 ай бұрын

When i connect my macbook to my monitor through Thunderbolt (this also powers the macbook 65w) I get computer noise over my Yamaha HS5 monitors that are connected to the Antelope Thunderbolt sound card. When I unplug the thunderbolt monitor, the computer sound is gone. Should I plug the GND Defender into my monitor power input to make it go away? Extra note: When instead using HDMI instead of thunderbolt between my macbook and monitor the computer noise is not audible.

@Loxidante Жыл бұрын

Hi there. Thanks for the advice. I bought a new pc and before i could only here some noise out my monitors but now with the new one i hear clicks, pops and hum. Will it be solved with the gnd defender alone?

@prateeknaganatham3897 5 ай бұрын

I had been facing issues with electrical noise for the past few months after shifting my setup to a new place. Using a Mac Mini, with a Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 (FireWire). I thought the speakers had some issue at first, but later realised that the noise is audible when connect my mic to record something. After producing music for a few months with this noise, is it normal for the monitors to get spoilt? Cause when I tried powering it separately without looping it with the interface, I can still hear the noise. (Also connected to a different power source).

@swapnokahini Жыл бұрын

I have an ASUS laptop, connecting Yamaha ur22c audio console through USB 3.0 port. Laptop is connected to power conditioner Furman M10Lx E. It worked for first 7 days then the ground loop noise came back and it's annoyingly loud.. unable to record vocals. Please advise

@HellFireno88 Жыл бұрын

Nice!

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Thanks 😀

@rikkistarrett307 Жыл бұрын

I swear I've been freaking out this last 2 weeks thinking I need to replace my monitor as I'm getting constant noise like this... and then this video randomly appears.

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Hi Rikki! Glad you found it helpful! I guess I helped save your sanity just in the nick of time then. I almost went nuts myself from these noises. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to actually get to the bottom of it. I tried all kinds of "solutions" on the internet. Balanced cables, different outlets etc. I even tried some of those noise filters that you put between the audio interface and the monitors, which are supposed to filter out the noise. The problem with those is that they also degrade the audio signal itself, particularly the low-end. Eventually, I stumbled upon these ifi devices, which don't try to filter out the noise but instead prevent it from occurring in the first place. It's the only thing that truly works without any signal degradation or compromised safety. :)

@huberttorzewski 9 ай бұрын

I've just ordered the last GND Defender available in my country lol. Hope it will solve my issues with CLA10a-s. Other studio monitors have like 15-20dB quieter computer noises (you almost can't hear it unless you put an ear directly in front of the woofer or a tweeter )

@huberttorzewski 9 ай бұрын

update - it works like a charm! Incredible product

@BigLouVisuals 9 ай бұрын

@@huberttorzewski thanks for the update mine comes in today

@deuxchevaux5888 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@drkhnd4269 4 ай бұрын

Hi Thank you for your very informativ videos. I'm having problems with my Focusrite Solo. I have terrible ground noise. A constant humming. If I touch the Focusrite it dissappears. Meaning If I want to record my guitar for example I have to place my focusrite on the floor, put my foot on it and it's OK :-). The Focusrite is powered through my MacBook Battery and the issue remains even though my MacBook is not on the mains. I'm at a loss. Do you have a solution ? I'd be most gratefull. Thank You. Dean

@csabakukucska 10 ай бұрын

One of my speaker is buzzing like this even when my audio interface and my computer are completely shot off. My cables are balanced and I got a high quality surge protector but the noise is not going away… Any advice?

@SirPeekALot_ 11 ай бұрын

hopefully this helps, my gpu ground loop noise is driving me crazy since i use my 2 PC setup and GOXLR audio interface. Its driving me nuts. I can hear my GPU working all the time.

@music_creator_capable Жыл бұрын

Good!

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

@aro7975 Жыл бұрын

This is also caused by Speakers that aren't magnetically shielded. Thomann for example have a list of speakers that are and you can filter them out on their site. I used the HS7 monitors and got awful noise, switched to the focal alpha 65 Evo and which are magnetically shielded and the noise dissappeared.

@pecador805 Жыл бұрын

Hi! I have the HS8, and when I recently added an external monitor to set up it got pretty bad.... I am going to have to troubleshoot when I get home

@callmetarif Жыл бұрын

Stumbled over your comment. I have bad noises since I moved. I have the YAMAHA HS80 but wanted to upgrade my speaker system aswell. Do you might know: Are the Adam A4V magnetically shielded? Thanks for an answer.

@callmetarif Жыл бұрын

Found it out, they're not. Are you recommending the Focal Alpha 65 Evo? They look nice and are not too expensive...

@m4ntra272 9 ай бұрын

I think this is my problem. Currently I'm finding it impossible to play guitar with distortion. I plug it into my scarlett 2i2 and use software amps. The buzz is insane. Really hope this will fix it

@berry3656 6 ай бұрын

did it fix it?

@amin_askarian 10 ай бұрын

i'v a problem. When I change the orientation of my monitor the noise stops . How is it fixed and where is the problem?

@jbp5555 5 ай бұрын

I have this electrical noise issue with my iems (earbuds) is there anything similar to this I could use?

@itstwelf 5 ай бұрын

If they're jack 3.5mm iems, you could buy a jack ground loop isolator, which are usually pretty cheap (around 10€ in Amazon Spain). I bought one so I could send my Nintendo Switch (which had a terrible ground noise) sound output to the in-line connector on my motherboard, so that way I could listen to the Switch through my Focusrite and worked wonders.

@EdBenSan Ай бұрын

Will it work with a turntable?

@timanderson7712 8 ай бұрын

i dont have this humming problem in my monitors unless my computer is on. can i use a GND in the power cord of my computer instead of 2 (1 for eaCH MONITOR)

@dazeja 5 ай бұрын

I had the same issue and I put just one for my computer. Test it first with the cheap ground lifter. If that works then get this. If the cheap ground lifter doesn’t work, then this won’t work either. The GnD defender got rid of about 70 to 80 percent of the noise. I had to do some other weird stuff to get rid of the other 20 percent.

@koniku3y Жыл бұрын

There's some static noise in my monitor whenever I plug my usb/jack speakers into the motherboard. It gets worse when I'm dragging an image back and forth in Photoshop, Is that considered a ground loop?

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Yes, that sounds like a classic ground loop issue. The GND defender should take care of that if you just plug it directly into the power supply of your computer, and then the power cord into the gnd defender.

@zennaonthez Жыл бұрын

Hey I recently started using FL studio and it is behaving weird like the name of the audio clip is showing on the side rather than on the top and I can't really see the audio waves (?) Idk what to call them but do you have any idea on how can I fix it?

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Hi, I haven't heard about any such issue before. It's hard to visualize what's going on without actually seeing it for myself though. Feel free to email me a screenshot or a short video of the problem and I'll have a look at it.

@zennaonthez Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic Hii, My brother just returned and helped me with this issue. Turns out I accidentally switched on performance mode. Thank you for trying to help!

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

@@zennaonthez great, glad you got it sorted 😀

@kleppie11 Жыл бұрын

my ground loop comes from the xlr out/ pass through from my subwoofer, would this device help if I plugged my sub in with it?

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Yes, if you only get the noise when the sub is connected then plugging the ifi gnd defender into the sub should take care of it.

@user-ql6es9vl8r Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic I tried this on my sub and it doesn't change anything on AC power. My sub is silent when plugged to grounded outlet without iFi GND. If I plug my Sub to non grounded outlet and use iFi GND I get ground loop hum. So clearly iFi does not ground anything at all.

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

@@user-ql6es9vl8r The IFI GND defender will actually lift the ground, so using it on a grounded outlet will be the same as eliminating the ground. However, unlike taping over the grounding pins themselves, the GND defender is designed to detect problems in the electrical system, and will engage the ground again if a problem is detected. Using it on a non grounded outlet won't make any difference at all. Ground loops can be difficult to diagnose. Simply changing from one outlet to another can cure the problem in many cases. If you have multiple devices powered by grounded outlets, and they are all connected together trough signal cables, they will be grounded through the signal cables, so you can actually get the noise from the sub even if it's not connected to a grounded outlet. If your computer is on a grounded outlet then I would try putting the GND defender into the PSU of the computer instead. That worked for me. It will only work on grounded outlets. In some cases, when multiple devices are connected you might need more than one GND defender to eliminate the loop, because a ground loop can occur any you have more than one single grounding point in the system.

@Coneman3 4 ай бұрын

It can also improve sound quality of components.

@Madkay Жыл бұрын

But what to do if the problem is only on the headphones? After changing the computer to a new one, I have noise, probably from the motherboard or graphics. Madkay

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

Hi, do you have the headphones plugged directly into the motherboard, or are you using an audio interface? If you have it directly on the computer then it's likely noise from the internal components on the motherboard, and there's not much you can do about that. If that's the case then I recommend using an external audio interface instead. Ground loop noise typically isn't a problem when using headphones connected to an external audio interface (USB/FireWire), it only becomes a problem when hooking up studio monitors that are also powered, which introduces multiple grounding point in the system.

@Madkay Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic The thing is, i'm using the audio interface from m - audio AIR. I also understand people who complain about this equipment. It caused me a lot of problems when I switched to a new PC. On the previous one, I didn't have these noises, clicks etc. They appeared on the current computer. I have not noticed these sounds on the monitors, although there is a slight noises since the moment of purchase, so.. Oh i have to mention; Every single speaker has that in that particular model.

@kidhuddymusic 4 ай бұрын

I wonder if I just buy one and plug into my pc if that will solve the issue... I guess there's only one way to find out...

@FireWalkMusic 4 ай бұрын

That's what i did. Worked for me 😊

@Justin-yk3ox Ай бұрын

Only problem with this is its rated for max 10 amps. The bigger your amplifier, the more susceptible it is to noise from a ground loop. Im battling this now, but my amplifier draws 12amps, so this won't work.

@Jalmaan Жыл бұрын

These GND defenders are a €100 a piece. I highly recommend looking into power conditioners, I have a Furman M-10x E and it genuinely does wonders. No more GPU and grounding hums. Only time it still happens is when I feed audio from my screens (when I am playing on my nintendo switch) to my monitor controller. But since I am not producing then anyhow, it's not as big of a deal.

@dazeja 5 ай бұрын

My Furman did nothing to the computer noise I was having. The ground lift option, cleaned it up 100%, The ifi Defender cleaned it up about 70%, Furman M8LX 0%.

@abrahamvazquez5432 Жыл бұрын

I have a receiver I just got that defender but I doesn’t work I can’t no see any difference with it or with out😔

@user-ql6es9vl8r Жыл бұрын

Yea exactly this the GND defender does absolutely nothing on AC power. I put GND defender on my sub power plug and then hook the electric wire to it and it still has ground loop hum. Only way to I could get rid of it was to just plug it on grounded outlet at my home. GND defender is not needed the sub is silent as long as it is plugged in grounded outlet.

@zhaoxicui9240 Жыл бұрын

Any good ways against computer fans noise😁?

@boizymusic1735 Жыл бұрын

Are you plugging them into the monitors or the pc?

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

The idefender has to be plugged into the pc, and then the audio interface into the idefender. As for the gnd defender, it is more versatile and can be used both on the pc itself (directly in the psu) or on the monitors themselves. It also works on guitar amps, etc. I'm currently using the gnd defender myself. It's plugged into the back of my computers power supply.

@XcluZiveBeats Жыл бұрын

@@FireWalkMusic So plugging this directly into the power supply should fix the buzzing issue with the studio monitors? I hope so because I just ordered one. Like you I get a buzz when I move my mouse and a consistent buzz while monitors are on. I didn't have this issue with my laptop just started happening with my new custom pc.

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

@@XcluZiveBeats yes, that should do the trick, as long as it's ground loop related, which it probably is based on your description. :)

@canadiancombatwombatthe3rd782 11 ай бұрын

1:14 the hell was that the ground loop eagle?

@matteodenotaris3377 Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the family guys, three years ago I almost graduated in computer science just to figure this out... Assembling and disassembling my fucking computer an infinite amount of time... Took me something like a month to figured out that the problem was actually my damned house... Fucking love my Ifi adapter. At the time I just finished to assemble my baby (my PC) so I blamed myself so much expecially when I realized that my laptop didn't have any issue and I couldn't figure out why...becouse of course it used the FUCKING battery so it's not fucking grounded.... Fucking nightmare. FUCK. I still need therapy till these days becouse of that

@glynnetolar4423 Жыл бұрын

Smart device? Did a marketing persion write this script? And, if so, it's not a review.

@FireWalkMusic Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't call myself a marketing person. :D I suppose It's considered "intelligent" because it can determine if an electrical fault has occurred, and reenable the ground when needed. So it's considered safe, and approved for use. Unlike the old school method where people would just tape over the grounding pin. Could you imagine what the insurance company would say if they found out someone did that, and it caused a fire? I don't think they would be very eager to pay up, so this could be very cheap insurance. I've been troubled with ground loop noise for a long time and I've tried everything, from balanced and shielded cables, trying different outlets, same outlet, various filters to remove the noise etc. I even tried another PSU. But nothing has worked satisfactorily. Especially those filters tend to degrade the audio signal somewhat, especially the low-end. These ifi devices are the best solution I've come across to date when it comes to stopping ground loop noise. It takes care of the problem at the source, preventing it from occurring in the first place, instead of trying to "fix" it afterward. I know it's a very short video and I could probably have included even more information. But it's a relatively simple device and I didn't want to drag it out and waste anyone's time. You just plug it in, and it works, so I figured it's better to quickly explain what a ground loop is and that this actually works. That's what most people want to know anyways. Does it really work? Yes, it does. I'm sure you're right that the review could have been better, but after being plagued for so long myself, I guess I just wanted to make a quick video and spread the word. I know there are lots of people, especially musicians and producers out there who struggle with ground loop issues like this, and I just hope this video can help them finally put a stop to it, just like I did. :)

@Noctxm Жыл бұрын

Hey FireWalk (and other commenters) I've been trying to fix a noise issue and was wondering if maybe you'd be able to help with it? The noise: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gJeTf8d1qp22dps.html For some background: I first discovered this noise in 2013 using a Behringer C1 hooked up to a cheap audio interface via phantom power using a macbook. Fast forward 7 years I get a new PC and a Behringer MIC500USB paired with an AT2020 which produced the same noise. Last week I upgraded again to a GoXLR and SM7B and still I'm having the same issue on another new PC, the only thing that has stayed consistent through all of this is the plug sockets I use so I bought a continuity tester and tested them which all came back fine but still opened the sockets up to check the wiring and it's all fine. I'm losing my mind trying to find the solution. So far I've tried the iDefender+, the DC iPurifier2 and a ground loop isolator as well as trying different plug sockets and removing plugs/USBs and I just can't get a clean signal. Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Also I was considering getting one of these GND Defenders to connect to the IEC connection of my PC but after what I've tried already that hasn't work I'm sceptical at the moment..