Topic: Microphone Buzz

[Church-Audio]

This is really a performance question, but hoping some TS gurus can help me out. I run a Shure 58 and a Shure Beta 58 for solo gigs, and am getting a low buzz out of them through the PA. It goes away when I touch the microphone, assumedly because I'm grounding the circuit. It's enough electricity that I get shocked when my lips touch the mic. Also, it happens regardless of whether Phantom Power is on on the mixer. Any ideas on how to ground that to eliminate the buzz?

Thanks in advance

Stratton

If your using a acoustic guitar with a DI I assume your mic and your guitar are both plugged into the same mixer?
If your guitar and mic are in the same mixer. Then it can be one of two things your mixer is not grounded.. You could have plunged your mixer in "backwards" into the wall outlet reversing the Neutral and Hot.. This means with respect to ground your mixer is now hot.. So if your sitting on a concrete floor with a bar stool... You are making the connection between the mixer and ground. The voltage from your mixer is "leaking" thru you.. To test this connect a volt meter between a ground source and your mixer you should see 0 volts if you dont then you can assume that the improper grounding of your mixer is to blame. As has been suggested here I would invest in a cheap outlet tester and Never EVER bypass ground on your gear If there is not an outlet with a ground you need to look until you find one. But I would recommend using a outlet tester to make sure its really grounded.

EDIT: Actually I misunderstood what RP was saying.. He was saying if you are going to use a ground lift adaptor please make sure that the ground tab is secured to the outlet screw. I say dont use an outlet where you have to use a ground cheater. The ground "cheater" The screw is not guaranteed on an outlet to be at ground potential and therefore is not recommended as a means of ground. Here in Canada they dont sell them anymore because people were using them and attaching them to the outlet faceplate screw and assuming it was grounded. They were still getting shocked in some cases because on old outlets there is no ground going to the outlet box therefor the screw is not grounded.

Here is what a basic outlet tester looks like.
http://www.globaltestsupply.com/test_equipment/AEMC_OT-1_Outlet_Tester_.cfm

I once worked with a band and the guitar player got electrocuted on stage.. When I was doing sound.. It was not a pretty sight, and it was because the house sound system's power was not wired correctly. From that day on I have always carried an outlet tester and before any band I work with plugs anything in all outlets get tested. This is $7.95 cents that can save your life.. The guitar player was ok he was resuscitated on the scene there was a doctor in the crowd and he was rushed to the hospital he suffers from memory loss and nerve damage to this day.

Chris

please go out to a hardware store and buy one of these things and always use it and never play with out a proper ground for your mixer its there for a reason.

[rokpunk]

The ground "cheater" that was suggested by Rockpunk I would not recommend, Because if the outlet does not have a ground pin on it. the screw is not going to ground your gear since outlet boxes that do not contain a up to date Edison plug with the ground tab are generally not grounded. So relying on a ground cheater with a screw tab to the face plate is not a guarantee of grounding.

I wasn't advocating the use of a ground lift adapter....I was merely suggesting that if one is used, it needs to be used correctly.
I wouldn't even consider using an ungrounded outlet for my PA gear. I tie my power distro right to the breaker panel, bypassing the need to use the bar/club/venues outlets at all.

[Church-Audio]

The ground "cheater" that was suggested by Rockpunk I would not recommend, Because if the outlet does not have a ground pin on it. the screw is not going to ground your gear since outlet boxes that do not contain a up to date Edison plug with the ground tab are generally not grounded. So relying on a ground cheater with a screw tab to the face plate is not a guarantee of grounding.

I wasn't advocating the use of a ground lift adapter....I was merely suggesting that if one is used, it needs to be used correctly.
I wouldn't even consider using an ungrounded outlet for my PA gear. I tie my power distro right to the breaker panel, bypassing the need to use the bar/club/venues outlets at all.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.. I will edit my post.... I should have read it more clearly

Chris

[Krispy D]

that was my point as well.  IF you are using a ground lift PLEASE use it correctly!