hey everyone. i've been having some problems lately getting ground hum (i think) through my pedalboard. i eliminated the fact that it was the amp by plugging directly into it w/o any effects in front. my setup currently looks like this:
i run it on an SKB pedalboard that is powered by a 9v adaptor. i'm pretty sure it is this adaptor that is causing the problem, but i don't know how to fix it. is there any way to ground the pedalboard so that i don't have the hum? i've adjusted my amp to where it isn't too bad, but it is still noticeable and still very annoying.
thanks for the help.
"Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar
We got vibrations comin' up from the floor
We're just listenin' to the rock
That's givin' too much noise....
Rock and roll ain't noise pollution"
~AC/DC
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
the hum is present even without the wireless. i always am plugged straight into the tuner at practice. pretty sure all my cables are 20 ft. i'm not sure if the pedals are true bypass or not, but i don't think they are. i usually keep the noise gate on all the time to help eliminate unwanted feedback, don't use the compressor much, the wah i use quite a bit, the acoustic sim on 1 or 2 songs. the reverb, chorus, and trem i use a medium amount of time, usually as kind of a "special effect" sort of thing, but keep the effects loop switched off when i'm not using them.
i'm almost positive it is a ground loop hum, because it seems to be coming from the power source on the pedalboard. the noise doesn't get louder when i engage the loop, so that leads me to believe it isnt' a problem with the gain stages in the pedals (correct me if i'm wrong).
i'm thinking of trying something like this... http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHHD400 but want to make sure it is going to help before i spend the $.
"Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar
We got vibrations comin' up from the floor
We're just listenin' to the rock
That's givin' too much noise....
Rock and roll ain't noise pollution"
~AC/DC
i'm almost positive it is a ground loop hum, because it seems to be coming from the power source on the pedalboard. the noise doesn't get louder when i engage the loop, so that leads me to believe it isnt' a problem with the gain stages in the pedals (correct me if i'm wrong).
i'm thinking of trying something like this... http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHHD400 but want to make sure it is going to help before i spend the $.
The cheapest easiest way to break a ground loop is to use an isolation transformer, which is probably what's inside the Behringer box.
Are your effects plugged into the same power bar or outlet as the amp? If so, it may not be a ground loop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_%28electricity%29
Most hum that I have encountered came from external sources being induced into a cheap cable, or pickups, or a poorly shielded device.
External sources are things like electric motors, computers, neon signs, lighting dimmers.
If your hum happens in multiple locations (more than one building), then you may have a bad cable *somewhere* in your rig.
I count at least 11 patch cords in your setup.
Try swapping them out, one at a time, and see if you find anything.
Also, one of the effects might have bad wiring inside it (or a jack with a bad contact). Try removing them from your chain, one at a time, and see what happens.
Have you tried powering the effects from other power supplies? The SKB may not be supplying clean power. Or it may have a bad ground on it's power cord.
Troubleshooting is a slow, methodical (often boring) process. Take your time, and take notes if you have to.
Trying your guitar straight into the amp was a good first step. Now keep breaking the problem down into smaller chunks until you find the culprit.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
thanks for the info kent.
when you say about the power cord for the pedalboard...the board is actually powered by a 9v adaptor, so there isn't a ground pin. i guess i'll try a different adapter and see if that helps.
would something like a furman power conditioner help? i've been thinking about getting one anyway for my DJ equipment, and this would just kind of push me into it if it'd help.
"Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar
We got vibrations comin' up from the floor
We're just listenin' to the rock
That's givin' too much noise....
Rock and roll ain't noise pollution"
~AC/DC
The power conditioner should do the trick. Any sort of power filter should get rid of the hum. The adapter is the one that came with the board? Even the power conditioner may not help.
Personally I would invest in a few rechargeable batteries. It'll probably run you the same as the power conditioner. They last for hours and if you get good ones, you shouldn't need to replace them for years to come.
I would post this over at http://recording.org There are some real smart cookies over there that should get you through this problem with more confident advice.
