Help! High frequency noise/buzz across all presets

What @Greg Ferguson said.

The evidence here points to interference being picked up by your guitar. Changing your monitor cables will make no difference. See post #13 above for your next steps.
 
Since you only hear the noise while playing, is your interface set for 48k? Once in a while mine will revert to 41 and I hear a hairy buzz on the notes.
 
I'll send over a big description later today of everything because I just need to figure this out.

Question, do you guys know if the Axe FX 3 is better for dealing with EMI issues?
 
Oscar Martinez said:
I'll send over a big description later today of everything because I just need to figure this out.

Question, do you guys know if the Axe FX 3 is better for dealing with EMI issues?
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EMI is coming thru your guitar...

You're going to want to identify and resolve the source.

The new generation does have the Noise Reducer type in the Input block Gate which can help with hum/noise a little.

However, I don't think you've posted any audio of the issue and there are multiple types of noise.

Can you record a brief sample and share it?
 
Oscar Martinez said:
Ok so with my EMI issue, what you're saying is that balanced XLR cables can help reduce that feedback while using that XLR ground lift switch on the back of the axe?
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EMI ≠ feedback, they're completely different things and don't sound the same, and the terms can't be used interchangeably.

Balanced cables/XLR don't reduce feedback, they help control noise. "Audio feedback" AKA "feedback" on Wikipedia will help explain.

The ground-lift has nothing to do with EMI or feedback either. It's "lifting the ground" of the cable going to the modeler so 60-cycle hum isn't passed through the cable from one device into the Fractal and from there to the electrical ground. That should stop the low hum (at 60Hz) caused by a ground-loop, which is only happening because whatever the Fractal is connected to can't reach the ground as well as the Fractal can; there are multiple reasons that could happen but the important thing is that the Fractal has the ability to try to reduce the problem. See "Ground lift (audio)" for more information, or search the Internet.
 
Rex said:
That means you still have a gate active somewhere. Maybe the noise gate that's built into the In/Gate section (you'll find it on the far left of the Layout screen on the front panel).

Find the gate and turn it off. Then move your guitar around the room, using it as an interference detector. Find out where the interference is loudest.
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Greg Ferguson said:
EMI ≠ feedback, they're completely different things and don't sound the same, and the terms can't be used interchangeably.

Balanced cables/XLR don't reduce feedback, they help control noise. "Audio feedback" AKA "feedback" on Wikipedia will help explain.

The ground-lift has nothing to do with EMI or feedback either. It's "lifting the ground" of the cable going to the modeler so 60-cycle hum isn't passed through the cable from one device into the Fractal and from there to the electrical ground. That should stop the low hum (at 60Hz) caused by a ground-loop, which is only happening because whatever the Fractal is connected to can't reach the ground as well as the Fractal can; there are multiple reasons that could happen but the important thing is that the Fractal has the ability to try to reduce the problem. See "Ground lift (audio)" for more information, or search the Internet.
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Thats actually really helpful, thank you for that distinction! Since they help with 60-cycle hum, would that also help reduce the noise of my guitar when I use split coil function on the pickups?
 
Oscar Martinez said:
Thats actually really helpful, thank you for that distinction! Since they help with 60-cycle hum, would that also help reduce the noise of my guitar when I use split coil function on the pickups?
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Oscar Martinez said:
Here's the link to a recording of the issue!

Does the link work^?
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Were you able to check out the recording of the issue? I've done something similar to use my guitar as an interference detector and found that its coming from all around - my condo is in a 100 year old house unfortunately with numerous people living here, so I could not find any angles without any interference.
 
Oscar Martinez said:
Thats actually really helpful, thank you for that distinction! Since they help with 60-cycle hum, would that also help reduce the noise of my guitar when I use split coil function on the pickups?
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No.

QSC has a sound clip demonstrating what a ground-loop sounds like. They're totally different things and are dealt with different ways.
 
Oscar Martinez said:
Were you able to check out the recording of the issue?
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It's not clear who you're asking, but if it's me, then yes, I listened to your recording. It's clear that you have some gating going on. You need to remove that gating to do this test.

Oscar Martinez said:
I've done something similar to use my guitar as an interference detector and found that its coming from all around - my condo is in a 100 year old house unfortunately with numerous people living here, so I could not find any angles without any interference.
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What did you do that was similar? You kind of have to do what I wrote to identify the source.
 
Rex said:
It's not clear who you're asking, but if it's me, then yes, I listened to your recording. It's clear that you have some gating going on. You need to remove that gating to do this test.


What did you do that was similar? You kind of have to do what I wrote to identify the source.
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So my question is; hear how at the end of each note, there's a buzz/noise? Thats the big issue. I played quick notes to accentuate the noise. It only happens when I play a note, and no noise gate has managed to solve this/kill the noise. It trails behind every note, and if I sustain a note, it becomes louder and truly kills any recording of leads/mid gain leads. Do you think this may definitely be an EMI issue?
 
Let me put it another way...

The interference is there. When you’re not playing, the gate clamps down on it, and you don’t hear it. The moment you play a note, the gate opens, and the noise comes through. When you stop playing, the gate clamps down again, and the noise goes away.

Turn off the gate so the noise becomes continuous. Then you can hunt it down with your guitar. :)
 
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Rex said:
Let me put it another way...

The interference is there. When you’re not playing, the gate clamps down on it, and you don’t hear it. The moment you play a note, the Gaye opens, and the noise comes through. When you stop playing, the game clamps down again, and the noise goes away.

Turn off the gate so the noise becomes continuous. Then you can hunt it down with your guitar. :)
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Got it! So I have done this and moved the guitar all around my apartment and the noise comes with increasing intensity from many different angles :( a lot of which points to walls that pass into other apartments so I really don't have access to that.

What do I do in this situation? Any good gear recommendations or something for solving EMI issues? The house is 100 years old and so the problems seem to be extending from the house in general. I used this same axe fx at a music shop because I mistakenly thought it was the guitars issue and came to find that the guitars sounded just fine in their shop. My guitars are all really well shielded and such too.
 
Oscar Martinez said:
Got it! So I have done this and moved the guitar all around my apartment and the noise comes with increasing intensity from many different angles :( a lot of which points to walls that pass into other apartments so I really don't have access to that.

What do I do in this situation? Any good gear recommendations or something for solving EMI issues? The house is 100 years old and so the problems seem to be extending from the house in general. I used this same axe fx at a music shop because I mistakenly thought it was the guitars issue and came to find that the guitars sounded just fine in their shop. My guitars are all really well shielded and such too.
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It's more challenging when the source of the noise isn't in a space you control. try to get a general idea of what direction the interference is coming from. Depending on your relationship with the other tenants, you might be able to talk them into helping you find the source in their own apartments.

Side note: a common source of interference is Wi-Fi routers and computers. Depending on the situation, a simple relocation of a box might help.

An idea: Stand in one place, and slowly turn around a full 360°. You'll probably find two directions — 180° apart — where the interference is the strongest. Imagine a line pointing in the same direction as the guitar is facing. Now go to another location in your apartment and do the same thing. Imagine another line pointing in the direction your guitar is now facing. Now imagine the point where those two lines cross each other. That is the likely source of the interference. Maybe that's a clue about who you should talk to.

As for what you can do in the meantime:

- Humbucker pickups are less affected by interference than single-coil pickups are.

- "Noiseless" single coile pickups are also less affected.

- Shielding your guitar's control cavity and pickup cavities can also help. Sometimes a lot.


Good luck! Interference can be a big bear to wrestle.
 
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