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EMG actives too much?

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(@jeffster1)
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So I have EMG active pickups in my Ibanez S series which I had put in custom. The problem is that the sound "breaks up" when I play. Clean channel even breaks up. It's noticeably worse on the neck pickup, but still happens on the bridge one too. I understand the preamp idea behind them, but even when I turn the volume pot down so you can barely hear it, it still breaks up in the amp. It does the same thing when I play through my PC too. What gives?


   
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(@gnease)
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dying battery?

-=tension & release=-


   
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 KR2
(@kr2)
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So I have EMG active pickups in my Ibanez S series which I had put in custom. The problem is that the sound "breaks up" when I play.
That was the symptom I had when the battery was dying.
I thought the used amp I bought was on the fritz.

It gave me an excuse to buy a new amp.
But then when I got the new amp, it too was breaking up.
Replacing the battery fixed the problem . . . and I wound up with a second amp.
I felt so guilty telling my wife I needed a new amp . . . but I got over it.

It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.


   
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(@jeffster1)
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Oh wow, you know, I figured it couldn't possibly be a dead battery seeing as it's not very old at all and I have three guitars I regularly play, although this ibanez has got a lot of use. I will go out and grab a new battery tomorrow and see if that fixes it. Thanks for the help guys.

I always figured a dying battery on active pups would just cause loss of output signal. It's my first guitar with active pups :)


   
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(@gnease)
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I always figured a dying battery on active pups would just cause loss of output signal. It's my first guitar with active pups :)

Maybe, but clipping is not unexpected. The supply rails on the preamp would likely begin to droop below nominal. For noise suppression reasons, the volume adjustments will not be between the pups and the preamp, but after at least one stage of preamplification. So the pups drive the preamp pretty much at the same level for the same strumming force no matter the volume setting. At some point in the battery's life, the supply droop is low enough to cause the pup signal to overdrive the first preamp stage -- which means clip at its output (which in turn feeds the next stage). So there is no way to adjust the volume to prevent this problem -- which is the clue that this may be a dying battery. Some of the newer preamps may have DC-to-DC supply converters to maintain supply voltage through lower battery life. However, these may have a precipitous "die-without-warning" disadvantage. I'd rather have linear supply regulation and the soft failure myself.

Hope it's just the battery. You may want to consider a Lithium replacement.

-=tension & release=-


   
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 KR2
(@kr2)
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Someone told me as long as the guitar cord is plugged into the guitar, the battery is being used (EMG is active?).
If that's true, I guess it's not a matter of how much you have used the guitar, it's how long the cord is plugged in.
You might want to unplug the guitar when not using it . . . to save battery life.

It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.


   
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(@gnease)
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also true of just about every battery-powered EFX pedal, KR2.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@jeffster1)
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Thanks gnease for the detailed explanation. I'm actually not sure of the type of battery in there, as I had the pups professionally installed (The small ibanez S body makes for some difficult DIY projects, especially when it comes to adding electronics) and it may just be the battery that came with the pups.

Kenrogers, yeah I always unplug my guitar when it's not in use, however, it shouldn't drain battery unless the amp or whatever you plug into is on as well.

Thanks for the info guys. As soon as I change batteries, I'll let you know how it turns out. Also, gnease, it definitely does sound like clipping, but I didn't want to use that term unless I was sure that's what it was. It must be clipping early as you said, since if I plug it into my GT10, and then into my M-audio interface, it makes the same clipping sound, however, it doesn't clip at the audio interface. (The audio interface clipping light doesn't come on).


   
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(@gnease)
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the audio interface only can detect clipping of it's own input, which it does by detecting peak signal level going in, but not doing any additional signal analysis (e.g., for harmonic signatures). if it did more than peak detection, it would be indicating almost all electric guitar signals appear clipped/distorted -- even if low levels. (you prob know all of this)

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@jeffster1)
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Topic starter  

the audio interface only can detect clipping of it's own input, which it does by detecting peak signal level going in, but not doing any additional signal analysis (e.g., for harmonic signatures). if it did more than peak detection, it would be indicating almost all electric guitar signals appear clipped/distorted -- even if low levels. (you prob know all of this)

Yeah I was using the clipping light as more of an indication of where the clipping was happening. I knew it couldn't be happening from my GT-10 output or else the audio interface light would light up. Clipping also seems to sound different depending on where it's happening, although I may just be imagining this (I don't think I am).


   
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(@gnease)
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Active pup pre-amps are not usually designed for 'good' clipping. As you've observed, not all clipping is the same. Depends very much on the device and amp/circuit design.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@jeffster1)
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Gnease and kenrogers, I forgot to come back and update this post, but I thought I'd let you know that this was exactly the problem. I swapped out the battery (Some no-name piece of garbage, still had juice left) with a new one and it immediately sounded like a guitar again instead of someone farting through a megaphone.

Thanks so much for your help.


   
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(@gnease)
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glad we could help.

-=tension & release=-


   
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 KR2
(@kr2)
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I like happy endings :mrgreen:

It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.


   
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(@ricochet)
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And a well turned tonally descriptive phrase. :lol:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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