Hi Paul
I would like to know if your buzz /hum eliminator gets rid of that zzzzzbuzz or do they call it hum ??
By using unbalanced cables and balanced to the speakers.
The Ebbtech seems to be the jobby as we only want to elliminate the annoyance, not to change the sound from the speakers In any way
I am sorry if I am a little naive with all of this as if you are not electricall minded , it can be a headache sorting out electrical cockroaches in the wires.
All the best
John
Hi John,
I used the following 2 devices in testing hum / buzz elimination between Genos and powered speakers (I used a Zoom H4N recorder instead):
Rolls HE18 Buzz Off hum eliminator, $38 from Amazon (don't buy it, it was horrible in my test):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E4LU0W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Radial ProD2 stereo direct box, $150 from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B85FV0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Input side of these devices:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sTqcqL2aKRdrNtZP2Output side of these devices:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/40OUNkIySlTNrdb93I used the following cables for the testing:
2 x Fender California Series Instrument cable (unbalanced 1/4 inch)
2 x Livewire Advantage balanced cable (balanced 1/4 inch)
2 x Whirlwind MK4 Series XLR microphone cable (balanced XLR)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BZMMOSGG1uXLY7w03I used a Zoom H4N recorder instead of a pair of powered speakers so I can load up the recorded MP3 files on Audacity to show the differences.
The master volume of Genos stayed at 12 o'clock position for all tests. The recording level on the Zoom H4N recorder remained the same during the tests. I used the Genos demo song "Orchestral" as testing source.
The main left output of Genos connects to a green Fender guitar cable, and the main right output connects to a red Fender guitar cable:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aofPxLGCMfHkbYwy1Scene 1:
Genos -> unbalanced 1/4 inch cables (Fender guitar cables) -> Zoom H4N / powered speakers
https://photos.app.goo.gl/066SaeP9ycQrJKXg1The signal was very hot, loud, and clear, with some high frequency hissing noticeable through the monitoring headphones on the Zoom H4N. However, the high pitched hissing is not noticed on actual recording.
The recorded MP3 file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Vq-JtGqw3RFOFkr0bQ-RbGUvp_m27pV/view?usp=sharingScene 2:
Genos -> unbalanced 1/4 inch cables -> Rolls Buzz eliminator -> balanced 1/4 inch cables -> Zoom H4N / powered speakers
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QVCaGt35vTE3B0D43The cheap Rolls Buzz elminator actually introduced loud buzzes, same results with different sets of balanced cables - it is useless, and I will return it. I did not order the Ebtech hum eliminator, which has balanced XLR outputs.
Scene 3:
Genos -> unbalanced 1/4 inch cables -> Radial ProD2 stereo direct box -> balanced XLR microphone cables -> Zoom H4N / powered speakers
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xpyyRFJ325k1tGqs2The signal was very quiet, a tiny bit of high pitched hissing still noticeable through the monitoring headphones on the
Zoom H4N, but a lot quieter than scene 1.
The recorded MP3 file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-pzyAQNDiIcZBFBNm6vuOtSQmzzyGmO2/view?usp=sharingVisual comparison of audio signals between Scene 3 and Scene 1:
Scene 3 on the left (with Radial ProD2 stereo direct box) and Scene1 on the right (Genos with good unbalanced cables only)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2TWSpwhlXbhErFpK2I could not hear any high pitched hissing on the two MP3 files. However, during the recording sessions, through a pair of monitoring headphones I could hear the signals much cleaner through the Radial ProD2 stereo direct box.
I highly recommend the Radial ProD2 stereo direct box as a solution to minimize your speaker hums situation. If you are satisfied with reduced volumes on your powered speakers, you can just stick to your current setup. BTW, the audio quality US$25 Fender unbalanced 1/4 inch California Series Instrument cable is not bad at all. I used 2 of these cables to record stereo tracks directly from Genos with good results.
I am not going to test Ebtech hum eliminator since I prefer the much more versatile Radial ProD2 stereo direct box (with additional individual thru, -15dB pad, and ground lift).
Thanks,
Paul