Ground Loop Isolator question

[dacar92]

Hi,

I embarked on a quest to dub all of my old cassette tapes to mp3's. About 5% into it I started to notice a loud buzzing sound, which is typically a signal of a ground loop problem. I bought an isolator and installed it in line. The problem is that the input sound level is decreased about 25% or 30%. Is this normal with a GLI? My input is maxed and so is the recording software. I have used Audacity and another software I have. I am using the line in jack on the back of my PC. Is there any way to gain the sound level back again?

As a side note, I do have an older sound card but it gave my PC trouble when I installed it last time. If I can get it to work will it help me to solve this issue? It is a Rocketfish 5.1 card. http/www.rocketfishproducts.com/products/computer-accessories/RF-51SDCD.html

Thank in advance.

 

[soundguruman]

Is the noise present when you are playing tapes?
Or when the cassette machine stops? / is stopped?
Or at all times?
Ground loop isolation comes from lifting the third prong of the electrical plug.

You can use an adapter that changes a 3 prong power plug into a 2 prong
you can buy this at the hardware store.
http/www.adorama.com/ZZAC32.html?gclid=CNDO9t70rrICFaaDQgodgQ8AqA

By lifting the ground off the AC plug it will stop a ground
loop.
* If you have several pieces plugged in, TV, Amp, Computer, mixer, etc...etc...
you may need more than one ground lifter.

** a ground loop on your TV causes a faint horizontal line to float in the picture...

A cable TV ground isolator will stop a ground loop coming from the cable company, this causes major hum in subwoofers, etc...
http/www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=CISP&d=Holland-CISP-Coax-Cable-Isolator-With-Spike-Protection-%28CISP%29&utm_campaign=base&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base

***a ground loop from the cable company occurs when any cable co. equipment is hooked to your computer. You may need to ground lift the computer.

Don't use the isolator you are using now. It's obviously useless.