WOW! People got a lot of awesome setups!
What I do not understand is how do you all guys doing it with lots of gear turned on at the same time??
I can connect like my monitors mixer and 3-4 synths and bam there you got the ground loop and stuff going on:
The wikipedia page on ground loops is good if you scroll down to the Solutions section.
Note the dangerous solution at the end of that section, for what not to do!! (How’s that for click bait.)
Anyone know if something like this actually works well in preventing ground loop noise?
I have the problem of being able to “hear” my cpu work, as in when moving my mouse i get a small hiss noise
What cables are connected to your computer? One of the usual suspects would be any USB connections, as USB has no grounding whatsoever… This is why I generally try to avoid using USB MIDI BTW.
Many DI boxes have ground lift switches as well, these can help if you got mic inputs to swap for your line ins…
I have a RME Fireface UC and a iconnectivity midi4+, i think it is from the fireface but i am not totally sure. Right now i have just lowered my speaker volume as much as i can and raised the output from the rme to compensate. Works pretty well but the hissing sound is still there although it’s low
ground loops like that will greatly lower your signalpath’s fidelity as noise always produces a degree of masking effect. Ground is also problematic because of its low frequency content (50Hz or 60Hz depending on your country’s electricity). I recommend disconneting cables to any devices, one device at a time, until the culprit of the ground loop is found. Once you have identified the problem device, its just a matter of isolating what’s left with DI boxes or ground isolators.
One very common cause for ground loops can also be incorrect electricity distribution in your room. It’s always best if a single electrical line / point on the wall can power your entire rig (so get a suitably massive electric socket hub).
Some food for though:
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/planning-your-studio-wiring
Thanks for the link, was about to ask you some questions but will read the article first.
Really appreciate your help!
Yeah alright i read it through and it made a lot of sense. I have now concluded that it is indeed the RME hooked up to the computer causing the noise. From the links further up it seems i need a high speed usb isolator and it will hopefully be quiet. Seems quite hard to find here in Stockholm though. Ordering from China will cost around 100$ which is a bit more than i had hoped for a small adapter. Anyone have any tips of a store in europe which has something in the likes of the one linked further up?
I think these must exist in europe too. You need to consult a DIY electronics store, I am sure they can sort you out.
Just did a quick search, I found one USB isolator from a Finnish retailer for 42€. I am sure you can find a comparable product for sale from Sweden, maybe even for less money than that.
Could you provide a link? I can find a lot of low and full speed isolators but no high speed
Oops, sorry, didn’t realize it needs a special type!
https://www.vekoy.com/product_info.php?products_id=26217
This one is the one I found… no idea if its ”high speed”, only says USB 1.0 / 2.0
No worries man, really appreciate your help. Seems a bit harder to find high speed compared to the other ones. Will keep looking and see if i can find anything useful
That is 12 mb/s i think it needs 480 mb/s to be able to process multitrack recording properly
This is the one Jukka linked further up, it is the best one i have found as of right now. Stumbled across another one for 250$ 
Annoying if it’s only pre-order. Hopefully they’re able to ship them soon.
Ooohhh goddamnit, i totally missed that 
And it seems like there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to this so maybe patience is the only way to go…
How did you come to this conclusion?
And if positive that the RME is part of the problem, how about asking RME for advice? I’ve personally never heard about a USB audio interface needing such isolator.
I have tried disconnecting eveything one at a time and as soon as i disconnect the RME from my computer it stops. I think it is some sort of combination with my newly purchased computer since i did not have this problem with the laptop i used a couple of weeks ago.
I have been searching a lot regarding this issue and apparently some computer motherboards tend to “activate” this type of problem. There is loooaaads of information describing my problem but almost none about how to solve it 
If you are interested just google “noise when moving mouse”
Thank you mod for moving the discussion
Found this. You can see a demonstration of the problem and the solution with a USB isolator. Skip into this video to about 2:55.
You also can see how annoying this can be too!
I think another solution might be to get a PCI sound card and connect through digital cables instead of usb cables. That type cannot carry that type of signal so you get rid of the ground loop. Might even be cheaper than buying that adapter aswell
Just found a RME HDSP 9652 for 100$ which should probably work well with my current fireface UC? Only thing is if it introduces any latency since my sync between hardware and software is unbelievably good right now. Feels a bit more worth the money to buy that one instead of a usb adapter thingie for 80$…
So if anyone is curious i just posted this to the RME forum
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=26611
Another way to deal with ground loops:
I don’t think the interface can be the main culprit here, especially if it’s an RME.
Have unbalanced connections in your setup ? That is one of the biggest causes of ground loops.
Have a look at “pseudo” balanced cables to minimize or eliminate ground loops.
Drawing 13 and 14 near to bottom of the page here ->
http://www.rane.com/note110.html
Pci soundcard is not going to fix anything, having the interface inside the pc case is actually not a great idea since it’s full of interference.