Mac Mini Audio Trouble Options

[lepetitmartien]

If it's a ground loop somewhere, the frequency is 60 or 120 HZ in North america or 60 or 100 Hz elsewhere. [corrected, did quite SOME mistake, and nobody told me!]

If it's a peripheral, moving it will change the buzz.

Is the noise around on headphones too ?

There has been recursive issues of buzz coming from Apple laptops (not to mention some power units in desktop computers). If it's the power unit, Apple will take care of that. I don't remember the solution for laptops… must be somewhere around…

Tell us if the sound chain is up all troughout.

This post has been edited by lepetitmartien: Sun 6 Feb 2005, 05:40

[JBeat]

I had not thought to check if the buzz exists thru the headphones, I hooked up my speakers before I turned the Mini on. It does buzz quite loudly thru the headphones, so I don't think speakers are the issue at all. I'm going to call AppleCare next week and see what they have to say. I really don't want to give up the Mini now that I've become so enamored with it, and I can live with lower volume for awhile. The Mini is so hard to find right now, I might just wait until they are regular stock items in the stores, and return it if I have too.

[lepetitmartien]

Yup, if it's on the headphones, it comes from inside the mac.

Haven't seen a topic on it on specific hardware forums so it seems you've found a nasty little duck… Applecare to the rescue!

I've corrected the frequencies, I mixed up a little

[Vincent Online]

I had not thought to check if the buzz exists thru the headphones, I hooked up my speakers before I turned the Mini on. It does buzz quite loudly thru the headphones, so I don't think speakers are the issue at all. I'm going to call AppleCare next week and see what they have to say. I really don't want to give up the Mini now that I've become so enamored with it, and I can live with lower volume for awhile. The Mini is so hard to find right now, I might just wait until they are regular stock items in the stores, and return it if I have too.

Do you have something plugged into the Audio Input when you're getting the buzz?

[JBeat]

The Mini doesn't have an audio input, just a headphone out jack.

[jannop]

OK, but I think the main reason to the question was do you have anything connected to the Mac? If you hear the buzz in headphones while absolutely nothing is connected to the Mac mini (no audio input device for example) there is unfortunately something wrong with your Mac. If the buzz is present only when something is connected it is most likely a ground loop (in spite of some contradicting opinions...).

I would like to hear if the buzz is still present while nothing is connected since I'm a professional musician considering the purchase of mini...

[editbrain]

you are way off base. if the problem did not exsits before the purchase of the mac. there should not be a ground loop now unless there is a power problem with the mini. i don't know were you keep getting this ground loop theory. it sounds like you read about it on another forum and want to use it to solve this persons problem, when in deed he has noise, but not a ground loop. are you saying that he has a ground loop between his headphones and his computer. since when do you plug headphones into a wall outlet?
it is good that your a pro musician, and probably have had some ground loop problems in your past, but this is a hardware problem with a computer. just because it is in a music forum does not mean that the issue has to be studio related. several other forum users have trouble shot this issue, and this ground loop thing has been ruled out as far as i can tell. do you want to help this guy or not?
i for one have had major issues with apple power supplies so i speak from experience. i have worked for apple fixing 15" and 12" powerbooks. i know the problems that arrise from there power issues.
i have had to have 4 G5's to replaced by apple. not because of ground loops, but because of power distribution problems with there crappy power supplies. ( i thought i mentioned this in another post)

anyway. can anyone please tell me the last time that someone had a ground loop between there headphones and a headphone jack?


thanks,

editbrain

[JBeat]

It sounds like a power supply problem from the research I've done, and the responses here. If so, it is easily resolved since the power supply is external on the Mini, I'm sure AppleCare can ship me out a new one. There is another possibility that I thought of today, though, I realized that the power brick is laying amidst a spider-web of various wiring behind my desk, including a couple of surge-suppressing power strips. I wonder if all of that wiring might be the cause of the buzz? I will try moving the brick tonight, and also try plugging it directly into a wall outlet, instead of a power strip, and see what happens.

JBeat

[Vincent Online]

you are way off base. if the problem did not exsits before the purchase of the mac. there should not be a ground loop now unless there is a power problem with the mini. i don't know were you keep getting this ground loop theory. it sounds like you read about it on another forum and want to use it to solve this persons problem, when in deed he has noise, but not a ground loop. are you saying that he has a ground loop between his headphones and his computer. since when do you plug headphones into a wall outlet?
it is good that your a pro musician, and probably have had some ground loop problems in your past, but this is a hardware problem with a computer. just because it is in a music forum does not mean that the issue has to be studio related. several other forum users have trouble shot this issue, and this ground loop thing has been ruled out as far as i can tell. do you want to help this guy or not?
i for one have had major issues with apple power supplies so i speak from experience. i have worked for apple fixing 15" and 12" powerbooks. i know the problems that arrise from there power issues.
i have had to have 4 G5's to replaced by apple. not because of ground loops, but because of power distribution problems with there crappy power supplies. ( i thought i mentioned this in another post)

anyway. can anyone please tell me the last time that someone had a ground loop between there headphones and a headphone jack?


thanks,

editbrain

While it seems that this may be a hardware problem with the mini, I've seen where something like a monitor, or a printer attached to a computer could be causing a ground loop... LOL

[editbrain]

i agree. sorry did not mean to be so hasty, but i think that most of that came from dealing with apple and now seeing it appear in there new product line. i just don't know if apple gets it.

no offense sorry for the rant