Hiya,
I’v recently connected my Octatrack to my audio interface ( Apogee Duet) , resulting in static noise, grounding noise. I only have this with the octatrack, not with the analog four or any other hardware device. Anyone knows how to get rid of the noise?
Thx
Might want to try plugging the OT into a different socket. This might help with the grounding issue.
Thanks, tried that, no result, even when the octatrack is not conneted to a power socket, when I connect it to my audio interface alll wierd noises start to come up, when I connect the audio interface to my analog four is clean. Seems like the octatrack is causing this, anyone had the same thing? When I connect the octatrack straight to my monitors, the noise isn’t there, so it anlu appears when connecte to my audio interface
Thanks
Might as well be a bad cable, are you using the same one you’re connecting A4 with?
Have you tried using balanced cables (TRS)?
If you have, try using mono (TS) instead - sometimes it makes a difference.
Thanks for the advise,
tried all kinds of cables yesterday, balanced, unbalanced, the noise remains the same.
I believe it is some sort of grounding issue, also when I move my mouse on the screen, you hear the noise changing.
Any ideas on how to ground the octa track?
Thanks
even when the octatrack is not conneted to a power socket,
This sounds really weird to me.
Try using the headphone output, for which you’ll need the Y-cable. This is to exclude from the equation a mechanical issue with Main outs. If the noise persists you probably have a grounding issue with the Octa, its PSU or something further down the chain.
Hi,
What is your computer, an iMac, or ?
This is your problem: different earth potential. Your computer is grounding itself thru the Octatrack via the audio cables … An indication is the noise coming from the computer when you move your mouse !
Assuming you have proper ground connection at your home (these will work even if not):
If you connected the Octatrack to your computer with and usb cable, try unplugging it. If it is your problem you can easily solve this by covering the ground pin with some electrical tape on the Octatrack end (on the usb cable, pin 4).
1 USB Vcc (Vbus)
2 USB Data
3 USB Data
4 GND
Also, if you did put your Octatrack in a rack or it is in contact with another device (metal), remove it from there, ground will pass anywhere it can …
If everything is grounded in your system, you have some solutions (you should always ground the units that come with a ground plug):
build custom TRS cables, see here number 14:
http://www.rane.com/note110.html
Buy a hum eliminator if you are in the US:
http://www.amazon.com/Ebtech-Hum-Voltage-Filter/dp/B0002E4YI8
In europe, you should try a DI BOX with a galvanic isolation between your octatrack and the DUET, something like that will do GREAT:
http://www.thomann.de/fr/palmer_pan_04.htm
If this is a laptop, same thing if it is plugged. Try running from its battery: if the noise is gone then you will have to go with one of the solution described above.
I had the same fucking exact problem some years ago, my best solution was the Palmer pan 04 as i am based in europe/france:
I had an iMac, a Duet and a slim phatty. Mouse zip and hum all over the place. I then found out that when plugging the iMac to a normal power socket without a ground, NO MORE NOISE !
But then what did happen ? every time i did touch the slim phatty metal plate, an electrical shock that made me scream hard … that’s where the DI Box helped, the computer could be grounded, so no more shocks and no more noise 
I tried many things to find the problem, audio interfaces, computers, whatever, but it was the ground circuit at home that was shitty.
Don’t remove the ground pin from your computer, even if it solves your problem, it is there for your safety.
Hope it helps.
A quick look at the Apogee’s spec suggests that its TS inputs are unbalanced instrument-level inputs. The Octatrack’s outputs are balanced.
According to Rane’s connection guide, the right way to connect such devices is with a custom cable with a TS connector on one end and a TRS connector on the other. Each connector’s tip should be connected to the other connector’s tip. The ring and sheld of the TRS connector should be connected to the ring and sheld of the cable. The cable’s shield should be unconnected at the TS end, and the inner conductor (only) that goes to the ring and shield of the TRS connector.
If this doesn’t work, a stereo direct box such as the Radial Pro-AV2 should do the trick: connect the Octatrack to the direct box’s inputs and use two XLR mic cables to connect its outputs to the Apogee’s mic inputs.
Thank you all for replying, Shoki and Ark for that amount of detail!!
Shoki, my Octatrack has been connected to computer through USB, as soon as I disonnected the USB cable, the noise was gone. I’m really really happy this is resolved!
Jo
GREAT ! then you have two solutions:
1: an usb galvanic isolator, you can find it there:
https://electronics-shop.dk/usb-isolator
2: Tape the pin 4 inside the usb cable at the octatrack end, it will do the same for free.
Great,
I have put some tape on pin 4, good stuff!
Great Thread. !!
The Hive mind is strong
And a bit of a thread hijack, but also probably has to do with grounding - how to remedy a hum (like buzzing transformator) from the speakers? It only appears at night, and is quite random at its occurence, not all the time. It is present w/o cables. Speakers are Adam A7X. Thanks!
Hi. New here (first post!)
I’m having the hum problem too. With the Octatrack plugged straight in to my Mackie Onyx mixer.
Can the leads mentioned be purchased ready made? Sorry to be so dumb but I’ve tried looking for some but I’m not 100% what it is I’m trying to buy!
Thanks
Simon
Is your OT plugged into any equipment via USB?
I found that my Tempest had a terrible constant hum and after fannying around realised it was the USB cable. Switched it around with a spare and the hum vanished.
Not sure what causes it but a cable change solved it. In fact, my Tempest now uses one of the new Elektron USB cables while my AK is using a “normal” USB cable.
Thanks Jon, but it isn’t a USB hum as I don’t have this plugged in. I’m assuming it is some kind of ground hum as mentioned in previous posts. I don’t really want to have to buy a stereo DI to eliminate the hum but previous posters have mentioned a balanced to unbalanced jack solving the issue. From looking at the diagrams it seems that these probably aren’t standard off the shelf things?? Maybe I’m wrong. I’m just trying to find out if they are the kind of things i can order from Studio Spares or similar.
Thanks
This is a sad situation, not Elektron’s fault of course. I love the post explaining how to put electrical tape over the ground in your USB cable. Now I get no noise unless I ramp the gain on my inputs to maximum…before I got USB noise even with gain at +0db. I had to cover the ground on both ends of my USB cable to get it to work so thank you so much for providing this detail!!!
Oi Oi folks.
I,m aware there is a thread on this subject already but none of the suggestions was helpful.
I get a constant noise/hum from octatracks main outs when connected to RME babyface pro’s analog inputs. I tried both types of cables (trs & Ts).
No issues with RYTM or Dominion 1.
What else can I try
Guess I’ll have to contact elektron support team then. This is an annoying thing and I spend money on cables I don’t really need now.