Random Amp Noises and Solutions

[guitar_player4_2_0]

Hey guys, one of the issues that’s always plagued me most is random noise and interference while playing. The solution was not always the most obvious. I remember once my rig was always humming at band practice and I attributed it to my 1 spot powering 6 pedals. I spent like $180 on a VooDoo labs power supply and guess what? Still noise! Turns out it was just too much gear in a small room and the noise stopped with a simple rearranging.

I’ve noticed pedals making noise on top of amps but not on the floor, which is a bummer because I was trying to run an fx in the loop with a short cable to minimize signal loss.

My most recent problem is I’m using a guitar cable to connect my HX Effects to my head to switch channels for the footswitch jack and it makes a hum when it’s connected. Am I using the wrong kind of cable or is this a grounding issue? The noise stops when I unplug the cable. Any info is appreciated, and feel free to discuss any other common amp noise problems and solutions.

 

[CanserDYI]

Do you have anything USB powered in your chain or have the HX FX plugged in via USB?

 

[Werecow]

Hey guys, one of the issues that’s always plagued me most is random noise and interference while playing. The solution was not always the most obvious. I remember once my rig was always humming at band practice and I attributed it to my 1 spot powering 6 pedals. I spent like $180 on a VooDoo labs power supply and guess what? Still noise! Turns out it was just too much gear in a small room and the noise stopped with a simple rearranging.

I’ve noticed pedals making noise on top of amps but not on the floor, which is a bummer because I was trying to run an fx in the loop with a short cable to minimize signal loss.

My most recent problem is I’m using a guitar cable to connect my HX Effects to my head to switch channels for the footswitch jack and it makes a hum when it’s connected. Am I using the wrong kind of cable or is this a grounding issue? The noise stops when I unplug the cable. Any info is appreciated, and feel free to discuss any other common amp noise problems and solutions.

I'm not saying it's your problem, but some heads/amps use speaker cable to switch channels. Howard Kaplan used to make sure people were using the original cable or a speaker cable in the EVH groups, when people were asking about ground issues. He used to emphasise to not use instrument cables. Again, i have no idea if that is your issue.

 

[Deadpool_25]

What kind of amp is it? With no other info the first thing I’d try is a TRS cable instead of an instrument cable.

 

[laxu]

I’ve noticed pedals making noise on top of amps but not on the floor, which is a bummer because I was trying to run an fx in the loop with a short cable to minimize signal loss.

My most recent problem is I’m using a guitar cable to connect my HX Effects to my head to switch channels for the footswitch jack and it makes a hum when it’s connected. Am I using the wrong kind of cable or is this a grounding issue? The noise stops when I unplug the cable. Any info is appreciated, and feel free to discuss any other common amp noise problems and solutions.

Putting anything near amp transformers is a surefire way to get more noise. Signal loss with longer cables is not really an issue when your pedals are buffered and often the fx loop is buffered as well.

I've heard of issues with Helix amp switching feature causing noise issues. No idea what the solution is or if there is one. You could possibly try using a transformer isolator box like a Lehle P-Split on your audio signals from HX Effects to amp and see if that solves it.

 

[CanserDYI]

My helix never gives me any noise issues unless there is a USB plugged in.

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

I’m using a DSL15h. I did have a cable plugged into the USB port. I’ll try it with it unplugged and report back. Thanks for the tips!

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

So I meant to get to this sooner but had to work all weekend. Even with the usb unplugged it still makes a noise. It’s not super loud or anything but it def sounds like it’s a ground issue or something like that. It’s only when the cable is plugged in to switch amp channels, it goes away as soon as I unplug it. I’m pretty sure I’m using the wrong kind of cable. I know there are speaker and guitar cables but for think the only difference is the gauge of wire. Is there a specific cable I should be using for channel switching on the amp. I was gonna try and steal the cable from my dsl footswitch but it’s hardwired.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

If you're supposed to use a specific kind of cable with your device, that seems like something that should be in the manual, or at least answerable by their customer service.

Personally I'd give them a ring and see if you can't get an easy answer.