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We use the term “ground” frequently in the studio, but what does “ground” actually mean?
It can be confusing, because we use the same word to describe many different things. For example, we say that the shields of our audio cables are “grounded.” Or we may think that “grounding” our equipment will eliminate the electrical noise we hear in the audio.
I attempt to clarify some of the misconceptions about “ground” in this short episode. The main point I try to stress that is that a connection to the Earth is not necessary for our equipment, or any electronic or electrical device, to work. The purpose of “grounding” electrical things is for one purpose only, and that is safety.
Consider this an overview of a complex topic. I focus on things that matter in the studio. The true story would take much more explanation, and probably be of minimal interest to most recordists.
One of the topics I mention is the “Pin 1 Problem” that is found in some otherwise excellent professional audio products. Here are links to an excellent explanation by Jim Brown, an electronics engineer who devoted his career to professional audio. He also co-wrote many of the AES standards that make our gear sound as good as it possible can.
http://www.k9yc.com/Pin_1_Revisited.pdf
http://www.k9yc.com/Pin_1_Revisited_Part_2.pdf
http://www.k9yc.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf
You will find many more useful references on Jim’s web site, if you want a deeper understanding of many noise and grounding topics.
This is the last of the 6-part series on Basic Electronics for Recording Engineers. I may add additional episodes later, but I think this helps people understand some of the electronic principles as they relate to our job.
email: dwfearn@dwfearn.com
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