Help - Built a sub kick and it's real noisy

[GussyLoveridge]

So - my good pal Jamie gave me a working woofer from his HR824's - He'd replaced a pair and still have a good one. So, I figured I'd give a whirl trying to build a D.I.Y. sub kick.

I read a few things on some message boards and it seems pretty straight forward.

I used this method (although there are conflicting instructions):

Pin 2 (xlr) - 10 K resistor in series - positive (+) terminal on speaker

Pin 3 (xlr) - negative (-) terminal on speaker

Pin 1 (xlr) - not connected at speaker

I've also attached a 1 K resistor between the positive and negative terminals on the speaker.

Like I said - just following someone's directions with no real knowledge of how or why. My understanding being that the resistors are there to essentially create an inline pad.

So - I get it all done and plug it in, do a little test run into protools and it works, but there is a pretty loud hum. If it were a DI I'd lift the ground - that kind of noise. Should I have attached the ground at the speaker end? Should I cut the ground that is connected at Pin 1 (xlr)?

Other than the nasty buzz/hum - it sounds pretty decent and isn't coming into my preamp too hot either.

suggestions?

[The Scum]

That resistor configuration isn't exactly a pad...

What happens if you:

a> take the resistors out entirely?

b> ground the frame of the speaker via pin 1?

[GussyLoveridge]

i've had some much conflicting advice on this, but my plan tonight is to just try all of the different things until one of them works and then report back here.

Thanks for your help!

[Drone]

My only thought is that noise is picked up in the cable length, therefore you'd want the pad at the mixer end, not at the speaker end. You want the signal hot as possible all the way to the XLR, to improve signal to noise ratio

[plurgid]

I too have this problem of a noisy home made sub kick.
I never figured out how to fix it properly, but I did this instead and believe it or not, it actually sounds pretty good.

I downloaded the free guitar rig version from the Native Instruments site, and I put the noise reduction module on it, hit "learn" and BAM, it knocked the buzz right out. But a brutal low pass filter on it, and it fattens up the kick drum right nice.

I'm not saying this is "right", but then it's a home made sub-kick, so ... you know ... there's not a lot "right" about it to start with LOL