Hi all! I've just started to try to record my old vinyl lps to cd, and thought I was doing pretty well. I've managed to record two tracks to the computer using Nero 6 - but stopped because there is a really bad HUM in the background which is driving me insane. Any ideas on what might be causing this people???? I have a decentish record deck (rega P2) connected to a decentish amp (Rotel RA-931 Mk II) via the phono sockets, and the amp is connected from the tape sockets to the computer line-in socket. It's recorded and played back fine - apart from this hum! Aaaaargh! And I nearly thought I was clever... Oh yes, and there's no hum when the hi-fi is set up by itself in my living room! THANX!!!!

1. Have you moved the Rega and Rotel to the PC in a different room or is it all in situ in your living room?

If you've moved it it could be a mains outlet problem. Try using a different socket. Also make sure you keep your audio leads well away from any mains leads on the back of your PC.

2. Does the hum only appear on the recorded output or can you hear it through the PC speakers when it's playing?

3. Is the hum on both channels, stereo, or just out of one side, mono?

4. Do you have a sound card or is it a chip on the motherboard? If it's a card try using a different PCI slot.

Also, make sure that your connections are solid. Try wobbling the plugs to see if the buzzing is intermittent.

5. Can you adjust the input volume? It might be set too high so it's picking up all the white noise in the signal and amplifying it.

jW will have some more info about this I would imagine. Earthing for example. I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige as he's extremely bored at the moment. He might even jump on a bus to fix it!

Good luck

Might also be worth trying different sources.

If you have a radio in the setup try recording from that or from a CD player to assess which equipment is causing the problem. Turntables can under some circumstances produce hum because of the earthing as MJB suggested.

Then look at the PC end and try recording using other apps, even the lowly built in 'sound recorder' might help eliminate Nero.

You've got an earth loop which is caused by your deck being earthed twice.
The solution is very dangerous as you have to disconnect the earth at the mains lead of your deck. Then re-connect it when you've finished recording. You can buy and fit an earth/ground lift device google around ans see if you can get one locally.
Messing around with Earths is very dangerous as it's the earth which provides the "safety" if anything goes wrong.

Thanx for your prompt replies people, they were really helpful. I think it WAS an earth problem. I have connected a wire from my amplifier case to the radiator in the room I'm using, and the hum (which I could hear on the headphones plugged into the soundcard) has gone!!!! Haven't tried recording yet cos I've only just done it, but here's hoping. Thanks again! PS That's not dangerous is it????

Only if you connect your radiators to the mains

Glad it's sorted.

just don't play any water music

Boom boom!