Odd static from pedalboard

[RockinProf]

Hi all,

In the past couple days I’ve had a couple incidents where I had my guitar’s Volume completely rolled off but with a different pedals left on. The stand by was off with the amp a little past breakup from the preamp. After a few moments of have the amp idle but on with a pedal left on (first time OD pedal left on, second time tuner left on), again guitar volume on 0, there’s a very loud static until I switch off the pedal. Everything runs off a Fulltone CS12 power supply that is coming off a Furman PL-8.

Any ideas on where this odd noise might be coming from? I’m pretty lost on where to start looking.

Thanks

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

Try to recreate the noise without your pedalboard attached.
Something is telling me it may be tube related (assuming you have a tube amp).
Nevertheless, we need to remove variables.

[RockinProf]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

Good point,

Being that the a pedal was on when the noise started and turning it off stopped it, I got stuck on the pedalboard. Might try another amp (tube as well) and the original amp its self. Could very well be a preamp tube though. This stuff is always a chore to nail down.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

I have found that static is usually a dirty tube socket or bad cables...
That’s where I’d start anyway.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

I had this happening with my Vox wah and old EHX Microsynth. I also would pick up radio.

Turns out it was a combination of bad grounds in our rehearsal room and dirty jacks. I replaced all the jacks in the questionable devices and found an iffy cable. That cleared it up.


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[NegativeEase]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

• First question, does your amp have a 3 prong Nema 5-15P connector?
• Does your Fulltone supply have a 3 prong C13 from the transformer to the Nema 5-15p 3 prong plug?
• Is you amp and Fulltone power supply plugs in the same branch circuit in the room or separate plates on different walls that may be on different branch circuits?
• What kind of lights are on in the rooms or adjacent rooms? LED, Incandescent, Halogen, Florescent etc?
• Is their a washer, dryer, or refrigerator on the same branch circuit?
• Is there anything else in your rig using AC power?
• Are any of your pedals' 1/4" phono jack or nut loose to the touch?
• Are all of you guitar cable's have continuity between all conductors? (unscrew Switchcraft or Neutrik shell and inspect)

[VinceT]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

Great advice already. One other thing - I used to get hellish static build up in my Budda Verbmaster 18W - went on for years, and really broke my heart because that amp IS tone for my ears.

Fast forward, I was in there one day and noticed that the back of the pots didn’t have a ground bus, and were relying on physical contact between pots and chassis to achieve ground. I put a single wire ground bus across the pot casings and grounded to the common ground screw on the base of the chassis and VOILA, all noise gone (I mean silent running!)

My Budda has been rock solid ever since - this was the best 5 minutes with a soldering iron I ever spent.

Bottom line, check whether your pots are grounded to the chassis by soldered connection.


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[RockinProf]

Re: Odd static from pedalboard

Thanks for the comments all,

I figured out the issue and unnecessarily scratched my GAS itch at the same time. It turns out that the issue was that the circuit that feeds my rehearsal/music room also feeds the adjacent cold room where our sump pump is.... turns out that the times I go the odd noise was when we were having heavy rain. I'm not sure I can fix the issue without some serious electrical work on my house, but I have an explanation. the correlation between the sump pump and the noise is 1, so I'm as certain as I can be that that's the issue. Odd that my amp and pedalboard are both plugged in to an older US made Furman PL-8, and the pedalboard has its own power conditioner and the the Truetone power supply and I'm still getting dirty AC effects. Weird!

Anyways, because I needed a new toy, I picked up a Mesa/Boogie Clearlink Send and a Lehle DC-Filter... just because. My board has a Mesa/Boogie Stowaway directly after my fuzz and works very well. Considering I have 12 pedals post buffer (all US made reputable true bypass ones) I figured that an exit buffer to basically create a buffered loop wasn't a bad idea. Turns out it's a pretty good set up. It definitely adds some snap and kills off gain noise. The Lehle is at the very end of the chain. I'll play with it at rehearsal volume tonight, but at practice volume it seems to do very little after the Clearlink. Possibly the Clearlink resolves the unclean DC issues, it's very transparent though. Will report back.