I get a hum when I connect my old cassette player to Mbox 2 Pro

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I'm getting a continuous hum when trying to transfer a piece of music (Mancini's version of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring) onto my computer via my new Mbox 2 Pro interface.

I realise there are better forums for this type of question, but I am hoping someone might be able to advise me here, as I'm not so hot on technical matters. I think I've set it up corrrectly, but possibly someone who know about these things can spot where I might be going wrong??

Back of cassette player/CD player (early 90's ghetto-blaster type thang) has a mini-jack putput, and I need to go from this into the L/R phono inputs on back of Mbox. For this purpose I bought a stereo mini-jack to Left and Right phono cable from Studiospares.

In the Pro-tools mix window, I make the inputs Analog 3-4, as suggested in manual, then record enable, and I flick on the Phono switch on Mbox front. Music comes through strongly, but with an underlying hum, which I can't seem to get rid of no matter how I twiddle the levels.

Studiospares sent through another cable today, as they said it sounded like a faulty one had been sent. Alas, no luck, hum's still there!

I talked to someone about the possibility it's because I wasn't using my grounding post on the back of my Mbox, but the someone I talked to said such hums normally happen when connecting DJ turntables. Is this right, or is the grounding post the key? If so, how, considering the cassetter player doesn't have a grounding post of its own, do I go about utilising it?

Any other ideas/suggestions would be very welcome!

Tongham Hobbs, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 12:14 (eighteen years ago)

cassette players shouldn't be going through the phono output as they are line level

perhaps get an RCA to TRS adaptor

electricsound, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks very much electricsound.

Oh, right.. things are beginning to make sense, then.. I think.
I do have 1/4inch inputs on the Mbox, and it has been working (music records without hum) when I go from stereo min-jack on back of portable cassette player to L/R (inputs?) jacks on back of Mbox 2. But I thought, and this will sound so greenhorn probably, that the fidelity of transfer would be better, more professional, if I plugged into the phonos, hence I ordered the cable I did from Studiospares.

So, what exactly is line level, and when is it appropriate to use the phonos inputs (turntables?)?

Tongham Hobbs, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 13:51 (eighteen years ago)

phono inputs are for turntables only as they apply both preamplification and an eq curve. line level = does not need to go through a preamp

electricsound, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

I see. Next thing I'll try then is putting my non-pre-amped turntable through the phonos, although they are currently stored at my parents house.. You've been really helpful, but I have one final question -- You don't think that I could have done some injury to my Mbox by trying to put a (presumably much hotter) line level through the phonos?

Tongham Hobbs, Thursday, 25 October 2007 12:21 (eighteen years ago)


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