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Grounding Techniques
If you’re using the MPL 1502 in a fixed location such as a recording studio, you
may want to invest the time and money into creating a star ground network. This
is by far the best technique for avoiding grounding problems. It involves using a
formidable ground source such as a cold water pipe or a copper spike driven into
the earth. A thick grounding cable is connected to that source and then brought
to a central distribution point; from there, individual cables are connected to each
piece of equipment. This setup also requires that you lift the ground plug of all
three-prong AC connectors, so there is the possibility of danger if it is done incor-
rectly. We strongly recommend that you contract with a qualified professional to
carry out this or any kind of electrical work.
Another, less common problem you may encounter is that of oscillation (a ringing
tone), which, apart from being annoying, is potentially dangerous to your
speakers. This is generally caused either by poor outside wiring or by returning
a signal out of phase (most commonly from an outboard signal processor). If
audible oscillation occurs, try isolating each input signal by turning down all other
inputs. If one signal alone is causing the problem, you should be able to elimi-
nate the oscillation by reversing that signal’s phase (many signal processors
have a switch that allows you to do this).
Summary of Contents for MPL 1502
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