Has Anyone here ever needed to use a Line "Isolator" with their AX8 or XiTone?

BCy2k

Inspired
Such as a Radial IC-1 Icecube?

I recently ran into an odd 1st for me. I purchased an older XiTone active wedge that has the Martix GM50 amp module in it. When I plugged in my AX8 I was greeted with an incredibly loud hum. Indicating a ground loop issue. I tried lifting the ground on the AX8, that made it worse (and it was already a super loud hum/buzz).

I checked all my cables & connections one by one, tried different IEC cables on both devices. No change. Then I put a ground lift on the XiTione and viola, it became dead quiet. Nothing but XiTone + AX8 goodness. So I took the XiTone to a highly regarded & extremely helpful local tech. They went through everything on the XiTone thoroughly and could not replicate my problem. Which I expected would be the case.

So I bring my rig to their shop, set it up and instantly was able to demonstrate my problem for their 2 top techs. They looked at each other and I could tell they were thinking through the possible steps to take next. We did (yet another) cable by cable test of everything connected to my AX8, as well as the XiTone. Same result I had at home. Then we put my ground lift on the XiTone which eliminated the hum and seemed to give them both a eureka moment. They then removed the ground lift, inserted a direct box between the AX8 and the XiTone input and viola, silence. Just pure AX8 & XiTone goodness, once again.

The techs discussed possibly modifying something in the transformer of the XiTone. The tech who was working on my behalf told the other the transformer in the XiTone couldn't be modified the way they were thinking, so I was told the only fix would be any typical DI box to be patched in line between the AX8 & the XiTone. They told me the transformers between the two devices were "incompatible" and were somehow inducing a ground loop between my AX8 and the XiTone. They said the two devices needed (if I understood them correctly) to be isolated from each other, which was something any DI box could do.

I was happy we'd found a solid solution, but I was also left scratching my head wondering why am I the only guy on the planet who has an AX8 and a XiTone that don't seem to be able to get along? I bought the Radial IC-1 and everything has been working perfectly ever since. I gigged it last Thursday and I'll gig it again this Saturday. My AX8 has never had a buzz or hum through any of my other FRFR speakers, nor through any of the many different PA systems I've run it through.


So, I'm just wondering if anyone has ever come across such an odd thing before? It's definitely a first for me. I figured I'd share the experience because it's so odd, and in the (hopefully unlikely) event it ever happens to any one else. I did a search for the Radial IC-1 and didn't come across any instances of it solving a problem for any one as well as it's solved this bizarre problem for me.

All this weirdness aside, I love this XiTone a lot!
 
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