Ground Screws

Hello,

Can someone fill me in on the proper use or purpose of the ground screws on certain pieces of audio equipment? Console power supplies, speaker processors etc. Seems like they are more common on older pieces of electronics, for example my apogee processors.

Thanks!
-will
 
Re: Ground Screws

Old school... common on sensitive unbalanced signals like phono turntables. Lots of old studios would drive their own ground rod, to ground chassis to.

Save ti for the museum.

JR
 
Re: Ground Screws

Hello,

Can someone fill me in on the proper use or purpose of the ground screws on certain pieces of audio equipment? Console power supplies, speaker processors etc. Seems like they are more common on older pieces of electronics, for example my apogee processors.

Thanks!
-will
They would provide an easy point for chassis ground. This is really important when a piece of gear has a pin 1 problem (ie pin 1 not connected DIRECTLY to the chassis-but rather goes inside the box to the circuit board-easily producing ground loops.

You would lift the shield at the XLR and run the shield to the screw.

And as John said-it provides a point to tie the ground together to help reduce noise.

In my early days of "the biz" I carried heavy duty alligator clips (with large wire) that I would clip ground together and try to reduce the hum/buzz in the system.

It was A LOT harder in the old days-most gear was unbalanced-even the top of the line pro gear.

Tracing hums and buzzes was just part of every gig-sometimes I would spend an hour to two trying to REDUCE the level of the noise.