I have had my omega for quite a few years now and I used to record a lot but now I mainly use it to listen to music or play music through my studio speakers to play guitar along with.
After a while I started getting a bad hum through my speakers and yesterday when I tried to record the hum was in the recording.
Also when I turn the monitor mix and mainly the output level I get horrible cracking through my speakers and then one or the other speaker will quit playing until I find a sweet spot that gets both speakers playing.
I thought about taking the case off and at least spraying everything down with canned air and maybe get dust out and see if that will work. I'm just worried that if I mess it up I won't be able to use it to listen to music. I have a picture that shows that even with everything unplugged the levels are up 2 bars.
Does anyone have any ideas that might help?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

After a while I started getting a bad hum through my speakers and yesterday when I tried to record the hum was in the recording.
Also when I turn the monitor mix and mainly the output level I get horrible cracking through my speakers and then one or the other speaker will quit playing until I find a sweet spot that gets both speakers playing.
I thought about taking the case off and at least spraying everything down with canned air and maybe get dust out and see if that will work. I'm just worried that if I mess it up I won't be able to use it to listen to music. I have a picture that shows that even with everything unplugged the levels are up 2 bars.
Does anyone have any ideas that might help?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Hum in both recording and playback indicates possible power supply issues, Can you obtain a suitable power supply before opening it up?
What do you mean by power supply for it, right. Now its plugged into the same surge protector that it's been plugged into even when it worked fine and I did try a couple other surge protectors just to try something.Hum in both recording and playback indicates possible power supply issues, Can you obtain a suitable power supply before opening it up?
Does the Omega use a wall wart power supply, or does it have its own AC connector on the Omega box?
Also, sounds like you might have more than one problem. Crackling and cutting out when a pot is turned sounds more like it could be a bad pot, and as the other guys have said, hum could be related to its power supply where AC wall power is turned into the lower voltage DC needed by the internal electronics.
Also, sounds like you might have more than one problem. Crackling and cutting out when a pot is turned sounds more like it could be a bad pot, and as the other guys have said, hum could be related to its power supply where AC wall power is turned into the lower voltage DC needed by the internal electronics.
It has an HPro plug, and I figured it was a bad pot but I didn't know if it could be cleaned so that it works better. I don't have the money to replace the interface since I have some high medical bills from double knee surgery and I figured it would give me something to do while I can't really walk around.

I can deal with the pot being bad since I can always find a sweet spot but the hum is driving me nuts.
The little black thing in your pic that plugs in to an AC socket is a 'wall-wart' in common terminology. That one puts out 9VAC according to the printing on it. Since the AC would then apparently be converted into DC inside the Omega box, the source of the hum problem is likely inside. Still, might be worth trying a different 9VAC wall wart rated for the same or greater current than what is printed on the existing wall wart (1.3A).
Otherwise, the Omega box may need some work. Don't know if your electronics skills would be up to that.
Otherwise, the Omega box may need some work. Don't know if your electronics skills would be up to that.
Last edited:
Last edited by a moderator:
All the 9v plugs I have found that will fit in the port in the back of the interface are only 1000 or ma
Probably unwise to use an 18VDC wall wart when the Omega unit is apparently designed for use with a 9VAC wall wart, at least to do so without first looking inside the Omega box to see what it does with the 9VAC. Good way to blow something up, but maybe you got lucky.
It was only a minute at most but then I unplugged it and since it seemed to help I'm searching the house for a 9v that fits the port in the lexicon the only ones I've found are only 1000 or so mA output or the other ones that have the fit the port are only 6v or less output.Probably unwise to use an 18VDC wall wart when the Omega unit is apparently designed for use with a 9VAC wall wart, at least to do so without first looking inside the Omega box to see what it does with the 9VAC. Good way to blow something up, but maybe you got lucky.
But that short test makes me think it is the plug that is causing the problem because when I plugged it back in all the problems came back.
The closest I can find that fits the port in the back of the lexicon is 12v output which is better than the 16v output I tested with but I would still rather it be a 9v, I just can't find one anywhere
You might reuse the one from the old wall wart. Cut off the cable and connector, then splice onto another 9VAC power supply with the same or greater current rating as compared to the original wall wart. If you still get hum then, the problem is probably inside the Omega box. You see, using an 18VDC supply is using a supply with most of the hum causing stuff already removed. If a bad filter capacitor inside the Omega box, then going back to a correct 9VAC wall wart will probably bring back the hum.
Really, you ought to get someone to look at it who already understands all this sort of stuff. Then unlikely for serious mistakes to be made.
Really, you ought to get someone to look at it who already understands all this sort of stuff. Then unlikely for serious mistakes to be made.
I'm thinking about contacting lexicon and seeing if I can order just the plug since I can't find a 9v around the house, my brother is looking around to see if he has a 9v power supply somewhere from all his computer stuff and he will be here if I open it since he builds computers if it is a solder he is a little better than meYou might reuse the one from the old wall wart. Cut off the cable and connector, then splice onto another 9VAC power supply with the same or greater current rating as compared to the original wall wart. If you still get hum then, the problem is probably inside the Omega box. You see, using an 18VDC supply is using a supply with most of the hum causing stuff already removed. If a bad filter capacitor inside the Omega box, then going back to a correct 9VAC wall wart will probably bring back the hum.
Really, you ought to get someone to look at it who already understands all this sort of stuff. Then unlikely for serious mistakes to be made.
Would it be possible to use a 12v for short periods, and for just listening to music its loud enough I can't hear the hum and I can still play guitar along with the music using the plug that came with it, its just when I want to record anything using other plugs I didn't have the hum in the recording, and I'm waiting to hear back from lexicon about getting a new plugYou might reuse the one from the old wall wart. Cut off the cable and connector, then splice onto another 9VAC power supply with the same or greater current rating as compared to the original wall wart. If you still get hum then, the problem is probably inside the Omega box. You see, using an 18VDC supply is using a supply with most of the hum causing stuff already removed. If a bad filter capacitor inside the Omega box, then going back to a correct 9VAC wall wart will probably bring back the hum.
Really, you ought to get someone to look at it who already understands all this sort of stuff. Then unlikely for serious mistakes to be made.
Over-voltage can cause damage almost instantly, it isn't necessarily a matter of using something for short periods of time.
Given the original wall wart was 9VAC (Alternating Current), if you tried something like a 13.5VDC (Direct Current) wall wart, that might give about the same internal voltage as 9VAC would. Maybe. However, using anything other than the original specified wall wart power supply is taking risk of causing permanent, possibly unrepairable, damage.
Also, it is unlikely Omega will sell you a connector. At best they might sell you a whole new wall wart which may not even be the problem. You don't know that yet. The purpose of trying a different one was to find out if that fixes the problem. The problem may not be in the wall wart at all. The problem may still be inside the Omega box.
Given the original wall wart was 9VAC (Alternating Current), if you tried something like a 13.5VDC (Direct Current) wall wart, that might give about the same internal voltage as 9VAC would. Maybe. However, using anything other than the original specified wall wart power supply is taking risk of causing permanent, possibly unrepairable, damage.
Also, it is unlikely Omega will sell you a connector. At best they might sell you a whole new wall wart which may not even be the problem. You don't know that yet. The purpose of trying a different one was to find out if that fixes the problem. The problem may not be in the wall wart at all. The problem may still be inside the Omega box.
I can't find a wal wart that is 9v and 1.5A or higher the only ones I've found is 1000mA or lower or a 6v that is I think 4A I can't remember off handOver-voltage can cause damage almost instantly, it isn't necessarily a matter of using something for short periods of time.
Given the original wall wart was 9VAC (Alternating Current), if you tried something like a 13.5VDC (Direct Current) wall wart, that might give about the same internal voltage as 9VAC would. Maybe. However, using anything other than the original specified wall wart power supply is taking risk of causing permanent, possibly unrepairable, damage.
Also, it is unlikely Omega will sell you a connector. At best they might sell you a whole new wall wart which may not even be the problem. You don't know that yet. The purpose of trying a different one was to find out if that fixes the problem. The problem may not be in the wall wart at all. The problem may still be inside the Omega box.
Would you recommend opening the lexicon and looking around for any problems, I'm kind of doing that as a last resort
Last edited:
You could try a 1000mA wall wart, if you aren't using the Omega box for much, such as not using it drive headphones at full volume or something. There is a reasonable chance it might work. If anything, it might heat up the wall wart and cause the wall wart output voltage to drop below 9v. At least it should not damage the Omega box so long as the wall wart output is rated for 9VAC.
- Home
- Source & Line
- Digital Line Level
- Lexicon omega problem