Computers - Home Studio help

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the correct forum but I couldn't really find a forum other than computers that fit this description.

I was hoping for some help with my home studio, I'm running Pro Tools and when I record enable a track that has my keyboard (Yamaha Tyros2) as the input, there's a low buzzing in the background. It's not always there and I first noticed it when I turned the volume on my monitors up, any ideas what's causing it?

Thanks in advance.

It's a ground loop. It could ctually be in the pc / monitors, not the recording.

It's not in the recording as I said in my post I realize that, any ideas how to get rid of the feedback?

Record-enable that channel as if you were going to record a track. Record 30 seconds but don't play anything on the keys. If the hum is there on playback, it's not your monitors and it is on the recording.

Is everything plugged into the same AC power receptacle? A ground loop can develop between receps if they take different paths to the service panel.

Have you swapped the input cables from the 'board to PT? This will tell you if you have a bad cable. Also try moving the cables away from the VGA monitor, power supplies, and other noise generators.

If you're using a Mac laptop to run PT, try running it on battery.

While the hum is there, check to see if an HVAC blower, refrigerator, fan, or other motor is on. Those motors can blast all kinds of noise into the AC power system. In that case you'll need a good power conditioner or UPS.

The buzzing was still there without playing anything. I found the source to be any three prong plug, plugged in. The strange thing was that I had tried to get rid of the buzz previously by using a 3-2 prong adapter with no success. However a friend suggested I plug everything into the same surge protector with the 3-2 prong adapter and that seems to have done the trick.

Thank you very much for your help :)

Lifting the power ground with a 3-2 adapter treats the symptom, but it doesn't fix the issue -- and under certain circumstances it can be dangerous.

Get rid of the ground lifter and remove the inputs and outputs one at a time until the hum goes away. You have now identified which device is causing the problem.

Understood and thanks very much.