Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

[PoorMan]

I don't play much these days, let alone plug into an amp. But today I did...

I played my Randall RG1003H and EVH LBX through a Marshall 4x12 cab with various boost pedals in front. There is a very loud hiss when not playing (I'm sure it's there when I play but just can't hear it). I am playing with a ton of gain, and it's much louder with the boost pedal on, but people play like this all the time without all this noise.

* I tried 3 boost pedals (a Tubescreamer, Boss OD and Fortin Grind)
* I tried 2 heads and it happens with both (a sold state Randall and a tube EVH)
* I tried a Noise Gate in front of the boost
* Tried different cables
* Tried different guitar
* Tried pedals with batteries

All to no avail.

I am playing in he "home office" in very close proximity to a PC, computer speakers, remote cordless phone. I turned off the PC, the amps still makes the same racket.

Thoughts? A bunch of stray electrical garbage from the office equipment? Bad outlet/ground? Something else?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Demanic]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Is it there when you're playing or just when you stop and mute the strings?

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[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Is it there when you're playing or just when you stop and mute the strings?

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I'm pretty certain it's constant.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Just wondering because I tend to play with some serious gain and I notice hiss, but only when I'm not playing. And it goes away as soon as I turn the distortion off.
One of my amps has an onboard gate that's quite good. If it's adjusted right it tends to shut the signal off as soon as I mute the strings. That amp actually doesn't have hiss at high gain levels, but without the gate it can go into uncontrolled feedback quite easily.

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[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Tried different cables, put batteries in the pedals, tried a different guitar--same results.

Can't think of anything else to try except moving to a different room and different outlet.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Does the noise go away when you roll back the guitar volume? When you roll back the boost volume?

 

[chadd]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I've never heard anyone use a lot of gain and a boost and not have hiss. The amp and boost will still generate noise after the gate.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Try a noise gate in the effects loop. Most of the time that type of noise is in the preamp and a loop is normally running just before the PI to the power stage. Should help however the gate may wind up running high enough to make slam on and off abruptly but is worth a try.

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

No, it's just as loud. Even with the guitar unplugged.

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I've never heard anyone use a lot of gain and a boost and not have hiss. The amp and boost will still generate noise after the gate.

understood, but it's quite loud. I don't think a band could play a gig like this.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Keep playing.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I don't play much these days, let alone plug into an amp. But today I did...

I played my Randall RG1003H and EVH LBX through a Marshall 4x12 cab with various boost pedals in front. There is a very loud hiss when not playing (I'm sure it's there when I play but just can't hear it). I am playing with a ton of gain, and it's much louder with the boost pedal on, but people play like this all the time without all this noise.

* I tried 3 boost pedals (a Tubescreamer, Boss OD and Fortin Grind) and they all make the same hiss
* I tried 2 heads and it happens with both (a sold state Randall and a tube EVH)
* I tried a Noise Gate in front of the boost, makes no difference

I am playing in "the office" in very close proximity to a PC, computer speakers, remote cordless phone. I turned off the PC, the amps still makes the same racket.

Thoughts? A bunch of stray electrical garbage from the office equipment? Bad outlet/ground? Something else?

Thanks!
Dave

guitar amps aren't optimized for performance in late-90s style home offices.

 

[Wound_Up]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I picked up a cable yesterday that was utter garbage. The buzz was about 10x worse with that cable vs the "cheapie" that came with my Silvertone made by Samick. We're talking major buzz, uncontrolled feedback whwn I got close to the amp, etc...

So I go to return it and the guy plugs it into some super nice $800 amp and a $1000 guitar and says it sounds fine to him...right up until he leaned over to mess with the amp and the feedback started. I then explained to him that I don't have $1800 worth of gear, I have a 10w practice amp and an inexpensive guitar, and all I know is it dont work with my stuff. And the cable I have doesn't have feedback no matter how much gain I use. So he tries to swap it for another one of the same make. I kindly told him no thanks, I'll go get one somewhere else. That's all he had on the wall. Same make, different lengths.

Turns out that the cable he sold me for $14.50 sells for about $2 on Amazon. The thing is trash. Nothing protecting the bare wires and connections from touching the metal housing it was in. The sleeve that was suppose to do that just rattled freely inside the case of the plug. Unshielded wires. My cable made no noise playing clean but that one did. I get no feedback with mine but that one is uncontrollable.

He eventually caved and gave me my money but that just left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand he's a new business and he's gotta make profit to stay open but a 700% increase on something that bad is bs.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I would think that this is some gain staging issue. You might be hitting the input of the amp with a lot of gain, and it is compressing the noise that is there even further. How much gain are you using before you turn the pedal on? What is the noise like then? What is the gain and volume setting on your pedal like?

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I would think that this is some gain staging issue. You might be hitting the input of the amp with a lot of gain, and it is compressing the noise that is there even further. How much gain are you using before you turn the pedal on? What is the noise like then? What is the gain and volume setting on your pedal like?

I am playing with a LOT of gain. I'll use the Randall in this example. The Randall is on the hot channel at 3 o'clock. Preamp volume is about 3 o'clock also, with master volume is low...maybe 8 o'clock.

Noise without the boost is considerably quieter, but still present and too loud IMO. The boost is a Fortin Grind with just one knob at 3 o'clock.

I am using a Boss NS-2 and realized I am not using it optimally, so I am going to get a couple cables and try running it Guitar > Noise Suppressor > Boost > Noise Suppressor > Amp. Hopefully that will help.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

... people play like this all the time without all this noise.

I have heard of the "boost or dirt pedal before the preamp" technique being popular for *tube* amps, but have not necessarily heard of it being done with solid-state amps. Solid-state amps might not be able to handle such a hot input signal. Just a theory.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Any neon signs in the room? Or a dimmer light switch? These are notorious for RF noise.

Bill

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

If you get the same noise with different amps, whether ot not a guitar is plugged in, then I think Boogie Bill and Empty Pockets are on the right track: something in the environment is causing it.

Haul your amp to another room mlm and if that doesn't fix it try someone else's house.

Also, I believe the noise suppressor (do you mean a gate?) right after the guitar is useless there. The guitar is making the noise! After the boost might help, and in the effects loop of the amp will certainly help.

 

[chadd]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

I am playing with a LOT of gain. I'll use the Randall in this example. The Randall is on the hot channel at 3 o'clock. Preamp volume is about 3 o'clock also, with master volume is low...maybe 8 o'clock.

Noise without the boost is considerably quieter, but still present and too loud IMO. The boost is a Fortin Grind with just one knob at 3 o'clock.

I am using a Boss NS-2 and realized I am not using it optimally, so I am going to get a couple cables and try running it Guitar > Noise Suppressor > Boost > Noise Suppressor > Amp. Hopefully that will help.

Holy hell, that explains it. Add in a little dirty AC power or excess RF noise from the electronics and it will get out of hand. I don't see your pickups mentioned, are they high output as well? Best thing I can come up with (given your current environment) is to put it in the loop and set it to kill the noise when everything is turned on but not playing. It will likely not allow much sustain, but it should be usable.

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Loud Hiss Driving me Nuts

Thanks for the good advice and info, gents! I've got some things to try out. Much appreciated.