Help With Sudden Noise/Distortion Problem

hgwy407

Inspired
Good morning, long time Axe Fx owner/user here. Last night I noticed a sudden change in all of my overdriven tones, with and without drive blocks. Marshall, Atomic, Ero Blue, etc. I have what I can only describe as an oscillating distorted overtone in single notes and chords. Additionally, there is a distorted "chirp like" sound a moment after I hit a single note, almost a subtle "thump." I have tried multiple cables, a wireless to move further away from the unit, and multiple guitars. PRS, Fender and Gibson. I updated to 15.01 when it was first made available and have had no issues. I checked my input levels too and the problem is still there when turning down. I am using Yamaha HS8 monitors and regular music sounds fine through them. The problem seems more pronounced in the lower three strings, but is still noticeable on the others.

I don't have any new appliances, lights, phones, modems (my modem is in another room), or any other new addition to my home. I have tried using all inputs and outputs and have checked with headphones. I unplugged my expression pedals and even tried a new preset with amp and cab only. I tried rolling back my firmware, 14.06 wouldn't produce any sound at all, and then re-installed 15.01. No luck with anything I have tried. I also tried plugging into a different outlet. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. The answer is probably obvious, but I'm blanking now. As always, thank you.
 
Try building up a very basic preset. First In -> Out only, then add an amp, then cab etc and see if it is there or not.
 
Can you describe your setup? PC? Any other audio interfaces? Is the problem still there if you unplug the AxeFX from everything else and listen through headphones?
 
I have a Mac. I don't have it plugged into other interfaces, and yes, the problem is there with headphones.
 
From your description, it sounds like some sort of external interference, but it's a bit hard to tell without more info. What happens if you turn the input Noise Gate off? Is it constant background noise rather than the 'chirp like' sound you describe after single notes?
 
From your description, it sounds like the issue is originating at or before the input. Try a different input. For the sake of process of elimination, try running something different into the Axe...A keyboard, MP3 player, something other than your guitars.
 
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