background noise when recording keys?

[rhynoclemmis]

Ok, it's me again. Stop sighing, everybody.

Set-Up:

professional keyboard (some Yamaha, but a really good one)
into Mac #1
into Garageband
into Keyboard
into Toneport
into Mac #2 (mine)
into Gearbox
into Riffworks

I won't talk about the latency here - yes, there is some. Problem was that we also recording bg noise, even though I tuned the Hum Reducer in Gearbox to the keyboard's signal. God, my fingers are fat.
Ok. Please go for some basic tips:
- use just one laptop (we need to do that to decrease latency, anyway)
- process signal on that one laptop
- what else can I do to decrease bg noise?

Thanks in advance, rhyno

[atalwar]

Most likely you got a grounding issue. or loose cable joint.

Why are you using two macs? any specific reason. for using two.

you have to find the source of noise before fixing it.

Is it the mac creating the noise? is there too much amplification goin on the signal?

There are too Many variables in your case and any one could be causing the noise.

Try eliminating the sources one by one and find the culprit.

BTW is there any other external device connected to either of the Macs directly or indirectly (sharing the ground), they could be feeding the noise too.

My SET-TOP box was generating the noise few days back and it was not even connected to the puter. they were just sharing same audio amplifier and there was this humming noise.

~Amit

[tmotech]

I just gotta ask... what the heck kinda setup is that? lol .... i don't get the point of doing that? get a guitar port or a stealth plug or something and just run directly into that......no latency, no noise (unless as pointed out it is a cable or ground issue or something) and you will be up and running clean. If there is some sort of techno bizzaro-world reason that I am not aware of then please do forgive me! good luck though!

[rhynoclemmis]

The reason we did that was because we just wanted to give it a shot, all RW and Gearbox related stuff is one mine and everything for the keyboard on the other mac. Guess we'll just copy all that stuff (don't know exactly what that is, though) on mine and see if that reduces the humming.

Aside from the described set-up I had my wireless-internet card connected to the other USB. Perhaps that also did make some noise.

... well, we just wanted to get going. I installed and updated RW and Gearbox about 5 minutes before the guy came and we only had about two hours time. Therefore two laptops.