Grounding enclosure

Thread Starter

rehandalal

Joined Sep 3, 2015
1
I'm building a signal routing I/O box for my pedalboard and in addition to the audio ins/outs it will also have AC power in (PowerCon) and two AC power out (C14). It will all be housed in an aluminum Hammond enclosure.

Do I need to connect the ground to the enclosure?
 

pwdixon

Joined Oct 11, 2012
488
With a metal case and mains going in it's always best to ground the case to protect yourself from any possible shorts and resultant electric shocks. You might also gain something in creating a shielded system in terms of hum etc.
 

GLPro

Joined Aug 21, 2014
4
I strongly recommend connecting the AC power source safety ground through the Neutrik chassis connector to the metal box as suggested with the prior post - this can is a serious safety point, not to be over looked (have a qualified tech construct this for you if you're not absolutely sure what you should do); to avoid potential ground loop issues, I would also take all signal commons from the signal source(s) through the box (if you must) and not terminal any of these to the metal box; You would not terminate any signal wires to the metal box as you know; consider the inclusion of isolated jacks (balanced or not) for your audio signal I/O's on you metal box. Proper signal shielding and maximum physical distance between AC voltage wiring and low voltage signal wiring is a must for maximum noise immunity.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
You bring a good point, though not always easy to implement. The usual way (50 years ago) was to connect chassis ground to the outer shell of the 1/4" connectors, and I attended many free concerts because I could synchronize grounds, eliminate hum, and keep the singer from getting shocked by the microphone. The, "low impedance" connectors made that job easier, but still not brainless because there is always somebody that wants to play a Brown Fender amplifier (or some such similar thing from 50 years ago).
So, yeah, use the Bond wire on anything that plugs into the wall, but keep that clear of the signal grounds if you can. If it all goes terribly wrong, get somebody that knows the ins and outs of electricity. You can't do a universal fix for everything you will ever meet, on the internet.
 
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