DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

[Petros]

Re: DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

Yeah, I hear it, but I gotta crank it up to hear it. I don't hear it in mine, but I also don't loop decaying chords like that.

That's NOT a looped clip. It's the guitar played THROUGH the pedal. I don't hear the hiss with loops, but because the guitar signal must be fed thru the Solo XT and then out to an amp, it's still a problem for the guitar playing when there's no loop.

Note: Wondering more about some mismatch between the Solo XT and the Boss Katana amp. I tried the pedal with another amp, a Rivera Pubster, which is a 25 watt tube amp so it inherently makes more hiss than the Boss Katana-100. I don't hear the same effect happening when the guitar is run thru the Solo XT into the Rivera amp. There's no additional hiss.

 

[Petros]

Re: DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

Hang on.

I have two Boss Katana-100 amps, and I'm just noticing now that I don't hear the hiss increase (like in the recording) when I use the second amp. And of course, both amps had the same EQ setting, including treble. I may have a noise gate activated on the Boss Katana, and that would make it sound like the hiss is increasing when a chord decays.

I have to check the amp while it's hooked up to a computer.

 

[Petros]

Re: DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

That's what I think it is.

The Katana amps have a built-in noise gate that you can access thru software called the Boss Tone Studio. I just saw now that I had the noise gate on, which of course took all the noise away associated with the guitar input. With no input noise at all as the reference point (gate closed), I could hear the hiss coming thru that's a part of the guitar input that would get masked if you don't use a noise gate. It makes perfect sense that as the chord rings out and the guitar sound itself decays the hiss is more audible until the gate threshold turns off the signal and then it's silent again.

But one question remains then: Why does the hiss decrease if I'm plugging straight into the amp?

Again, the noise (including hiss) that's inherent in guitar amps, both solid state and tubes, is enough so that if the Solo XT is plugged in you can't hear additional hiss. I cranked the Katana amp that had the noise gate turned on and with the guitar plugged straight in I do hear some hiss as the chord decays and then eventually reaches the noise gate threshold and goes silent, unlike my recording in those audio clips above.

So now I'm thinking if you don't use a noise gate, and there's some degree of noise and hiss coming from your guitar amp (the case with just about all guitar amps), you won't notice that the Solo XT introduces some noise into the audio signal. Does that make sense?

 

[Mincer]

Re: DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

Yes, it makes sense, but I've never heard that with my amp, which doesn't have an internal noise gate. Does your amp have an effects loop? Can you use the pedal in there? Is it before or after the gate in the signal chain?

 

[Petros]

Re: DigiTech Solo XT Looper Pedal Introduces Hiss Into the Audio Signal

Yes, there's a Send/Return in the Katana-100. But most people use a looper in the front end of the amp.

The noise gate would be after the looper whether you connect thru the front end of the amp or use the FX loop. Amp specs say the order is:

Guitar input > Preamp > Effects Send/Return > Amp FX > Master Volume/Power amp out




Edit: Just tried the Solo XT looper in the Send/Return.

1. Loops I have stored already sound terrible because FX send/return bypasses the amp EQ section (the preamp).

2. If you record loops thru FX loop, then you have no EQ control on the amp for the loop, at least with my amp.

3. Distinct difference when recording new loops. Thru FX loop, when you create a loop you can't turn the level up on the Solo XT past about 12 o'clock (unity gain) without hearing distortion.

4. When you turn the amp way up, with the guitar plugged in, there's a little less noise when going thru the FX loop. That would be a plus.



At least I got that hiss problem figured out...