Yep, audible noise is a function of heaters and nearly anything that has a large initial current draw.

You can try a power conditioner, plugging it into another outlet, a ground lift system or just not using it and playing for 10-15 minutes in between getting warm.

In this old house I got the noise from the furnace clicking on. So we did the moving the plug then we also got a power conditioner...it works well for our needs.

I don't know how electrically savvy you are but

most breaker (hopefully you're not on fuses) panels have 2 sides to them.
Check to ensure you outlets breaker is on the opposite side of the panel from your HVAC. If you know enough about AC you can easily move it to the opposite side. If you are the least bit unsure, don't.

I don't know if it will help, but it's a thought.

Appreciate the tips. I live in an apartment, so changes to the breaker or whatever aren't feasible. IIRC, I don't recall the A/C having caused such problems (can't guarantee that's the case, though).

For now, I'll probably just have to turn it off and get a space heater. As one person suggested, I can turn it on between sessions. As for the space heater, I guess I'll just leave it on fan to avoid its switching on and off.

Thanks.

robertpatterson1 wroteI don't know how electrically savvy you are but

most breaker (hopefully you're not on fuses) panels have 2 sides to them.
Check to ensure you outlets breaker is on the opposite side of the panel from your HVAC. If you know enough about AC you can easily move it to the opposite side. If you are the least bit unsure, don't.

I don't know if it will help, but it's a thought.

I looked at the fuse box. The fuse for the HVAC is one the same side as the fuse for the bedroom, one fuse under the fuse for the bedroom. Not that I would try such a thing, but I don't see how you would move the breaker from one side to another. It seems like a serious job even for an electrician. Care to enlighten me? Thanks.

scottyo7 wroteYep, audible noise is a function of heaters and nearly anything that has a large initial current draw.

You can try a power conditioner, plugging it into another outlet, a ground lift system or just not using it and playing for 10-15 minutes in between getting warm.

So, my computer and equipment are plugged into a surge protector. Do you recommend I put someone else on this connection or rework it somehow? I can obviously just turn off the heat. But, as you well know, it's gotten quite cold recently. It'll probably be like this every day soon.

johnsaxon wrote

robertpatterson1 wrote I looked at the fuse box. The fuse for the HVAC is one the same side as the fuse for the bedroom, one fuse under the fuse for the bedroom. Not that I would try such a thing, but I don't see how you would move the breaker from one side to another. It seems like a serious job even for an electrician. Care to enlighten me? Thanks.

We all have two 120VAC lines coming in to our breaker panels (for home use). Part of the reason is, some things take 240VAC to run. Stoves, wall ovens, some dryers, electric heat, AC. That's why those higher amp breakers are double wide, they tap in to both 120VAC lines at once.

If you're HVAC is on the same 120VAC line as the outlet you are using, then it's susceptible to noise. If it's not grounded properly it can happen as well. I thought, I could be wrong, that most HVAC units like in apartments were 240VAC (using both sides), but I could be wrong.

Here's a pic of the inside of a breaker box behind the breakers. I wouldn't touch it for liability reasons in an apartment building.

johnsaxon wrote

scottyo7 wroteYep, audible noise is a function of heaters and nearly anything that has a large initial current draw.

You can try a power conditioner, plugging it into another outlet, a ground lift system or just not using it and playing for 10-15 minutes in between getting warm.

So, my computer and equipment are plugged into a surge protector. Do you recommend I put someone else on this connection or rework it somehow? I can obviously just turn off the heat. But, as you well know, it's gotten quite cold recently. It'll probably be like this every day soon.

A surge protector isn't going to help you. You need a line filter. They are two very different things, and a good line filter is expensive. It is also useless (the surge protector and the line filter both) if your breaker box isn't properly grounded.

At this point I would try a space heater plugged into an outlet who's breaker is on the opposite side of the breaker box from your DAW, and turn your apartment heater off.

I use an oil filled one. They stay warm quite a while after you turn them off. Got mine at Wal-Mart on clearance quite a few years ago.

Mine is very similar to this one ...



EDIT: There is no fan in an oil based radiant heater, that's why I originally chose it for my old studio. They are silent and cause significantly less line noise. The only time you might get a popping noise is when the heating elements turn on, that's why I suggested plugging it in to an outlet that's on a breaker opposite the breaker your DAW is on.

This has all been very helpful. I'm not going to be playing w/ the circuit breaker. I don't have the skills and this is an apartment so I don't even have the right. Your explanations were nonetheless helpful.

Workaround is to turn off HVAC and plug space heater into an outlet on the other side of the circuit breaker. Will need an extension cord/surge protector for that.

I don't know what I'll do when it gets hot in the summer.

On second thought, they are saying that you should not use a space heater w/ an extension chord or surge protector. I won't press my luck. Probably just plug a small space heater into the wall outlet and see how it goes. Thanks.

If you do try to use an extension cord for your heater, you need to make sure that it is heavy-duty enough to handle the current draw. Quick rule of thumb is that 100 watts = 1 amp, so if your heater is 1500 watts (as many are) then you need to make sure that your cord will handle at least 15 amps (20 would be better) of current draw to be safe.

Also, it shouldn't be longer than you actually need - don't use a 100 ft. cord if you only need 20.

Disclaimer: I'm not recommending doing this, but if you are going to try it then you absolutely need to make sure the wiring is strong enough.

Thanks. Yes, I won't use an extension cord. I actually just got a small ceramic heater. I plugged it into the wall outlet as the manufacturer recommends. I haven't had any problems. I'll run the HVAC between recording sessions. I could also turn on the HVAC and set it to fan. I haven't tried that yet because I don't want heat blowing out nonstop. But if it gets to cold, push may come to shove. Making modifications to the circuit breaker panel is not feasible.

Also, some guy blamed this on S12 via private message, suggesting that it is an issue w/ the DAW. He said that your computer has capcitors that mitigate voltage drops and that I wouldn't be having this problem w/ better DAW. I said that, even if that is the case, I like S12 because it is pretty easy to beginners to get started w/ (at least in terms of recording).

Also, some guy blamed this on S12 via private message, suggesting that it is an issue w/ the DAW. He said that your computer has capcitors that mitigate voltage drops and that I wouldn't be having this problem w/ better DAW.

That's absolute nonsense.

cristofe wrote

Also, some guy blamed this on S12 via private message, suggesting that it is an issue w/ the DAW. He said that your computer has capcitors that mitigate voltage drops and that I wouldn't be having this problem w/ better DAW.

That's absolute nonsense.

Yep, that's why the guy said it via PM and not here.

Have you tried running a heavy duty extension cord to your DAW's power strip from a different room where the breaker is on the opposite side of the hvac breaker? Get one of those thick orange ones, not the lamp cord kind.

I see the thinking behind plugging in to a circuit on the opposite line as the hvac, but if that hvac is 220 like I suspect, it's not going to do any good anyway.

johnsaxon wroteAlso, some guy blamed this on S12 via private message, suggesting that it is an issue w/ the DAW. He said that your computer has capcitors that mitigate voltage drops and that I wouldn't be having this problem w/ better DAW..

I think I have heard it all now....

The oil filled rads that Bub has mentioned are very good, I used one when I I had my studio in the loft/attic. the only time I got any noise from that was when I used the timer function, so I never used the timer, worked great.

cristofe wrote

Also, some guy blamed this on S12 via private message, suggesting that it is an issue w/ the DAW. He said that your computer has capcitors that mitigate voltage drops and that I wouldn't be having this problem w/ better DAW.

That's absolute nonsense.

Sometimes when my foil hat is too tight and I face southeast while playing with a tortoise shell pick held upside down and backwards, I get pops and clicks. But only on bars evenly divisible by 8. I should probably switch daws to correct that.