How quiet is your setup with the II?

I have to ask a dumb question here. I too get that hum and it varies depending on the guitars. I get none with no guitar plugged in. I have also had the level of the noise/hum chage somewhat with various firmware updates. I know my issue is as you say a combo of environment and the guitars. So I ask, why would all the clean patches have absoultely none? Clear as can be. Simply put, I can have my strat with Fender SCN's just sitting in the stand and have the II on the Shiva clean patch. Silence. Switch it to the Shiva lead and buzzzzzzzzz. No movement of guitar or change in environment. My assumption was that it is normal...

I can clean that buzz up in input noise gate to were there is no hum while just sitting in the stand. Hit the strings and the its back. It really frustrated me. Oddly, I had a little beer fridge in the room and when i removed that it reduced the noise slightly. But again, I would say the level of the noise has reduced by half with the firmware updates. I noticed it improve with 3.0. I do live in a complex that has a lot of flouresent lights etc. Prior to the latter firmware updates I just avoided the higher gain amps as I am not all that into the high gain stuff anyways. Now it seems like its just a normal hum you get with a high gain amp and not so invasive.

Just my 2 cents.

EXACTLY the same of what is happening with my guitar. Did you manage to find the cause and/or a solution?
 
EXACTLY the same of what is happening with my guitar. Did you manage to find the cause and/or a solution?

Other than normal single coil hum I found that all the other noise was due to the environment. I had multiple computers and monitors running as well as crappy wiring in the complex etc. I literally shut everything down one day and then found that I could find a couple spots where I could stand and the noise would either disappear or be greatly reduced. Turning 180 degrees in the same spot would change it. It also obviously varies depending on the guitars chosen.
 
Other than normal single coil hum I found that all the other noise was due to the environment. I had multiple computers and monitors running as well as crappy wiring in the complex etc. I literally shut everything down one day and then found that I could find a couple spots where I could stand and the noise would either disappear or be greatly reduced. Turning 180 degrees in the same spot would change it. It also obviously varies depending on the guitars chosen.

Do you think that shielding the guitars with copper foil may help?
 
#1. Use active pickups and learn that you don't always play with it 100%. Learn to use the volume it will help immensely. This is why so many NOOBs don't like EMG's cause they figure all they need to do is turn it all the way up and then tweak the amp...... /fail
#2. decent mid range power conditioner. People will debate, there is a small bull-headed few that think they don't do anything and are just overpriced powerbars.... these fools couldn't be further from the truth, just look at EVERY MAJOR TOURING ACT IN THE WORLD. You think they would use conditioners if they didn't do anything?
#3. decent mid range shielded cables. If you do have decent cables, check the soldering, check for broken tips. I prefer digital wireless myself.
#4. optimal noise gate settings. This can't be stressed enough. I actually disable the gate on my leads, as nothing is more annoying than defeating your own dynamics with a bad gate setting.

Doing all this will not get rid of the noise 100%, but it will clean it up enough that you won't even know it's there unless you put it on a scope.
 
Do you think that shielding the guitars with copper foil may help?
It'll almost always help—a little or a lot, depending on what's picking up the noise—but you have to ground the foil, or it won't do much at all.
 
Some of my high gain patches have a lot of noise also, but so do the same real amps and pedals. It is naturally worse with my Stratocasters. If you are trying to record into your computer make sure you stay away from the computer screen. On the Axe I use the noise gate sparingly when I need to. I don't like using noise gates if I can get around it. Sometimes I'll just keep my volume pedal turned off until I play something. You don't hear the noise when you are playing, just when you stop.
 
#2. decent mid range power conditioner. People will debate, there is a small bull-headed few that think they don't do anything and are just overpriced powerbars.... these fools couldn't be further from the truth, just look at EVERY MAJOR TOURING ACT IN THE WORLD. You think they would use conditioners if they didn't do anything?
A good power conditioner can help once in a while, but it can't do anything about the noise your guitar is picking up through the air (and that's where most problem noise comes from), any more than a safety net will protect a tight-rope walker who's performing a mile away.


#3. decent mid range shielded cables. If you do have decent cables, check the soldering, check for broken tips. I prefer digital wireless myself.
#4. optimal noise gate settings.
Good stuff.
 
I agree that in most cases the culprit is the guitar/cabling, but I have also noticed a difference when using my tube amps with noise gates vs. the Axe Fx. Using the same guitar(s) I have more difficulty getting rid of the noise when I'm playing through the Axe Fx using comparable levels of gain. I use a Decimator gate with my Splawn amp, and the built in noise gate on the YJM100, and with both the noise is nearly inaudible without tone/sustain degredation. This is not meant to say the Axe Fx is less capable, but it is something I have noticed in my particular situation. I've tried all suggested settings of the noise gate, and then some.
 
...I have also noticed a difference when using my tube amps with noise gates vs. the Axe Fx...I use a Decimator gate...
The Decimator is a noise gate plus a variable filter that trims off more highs as the guitar signal decays. You can replicate the same behavior in the Axe with a filter tied to the envelope follower.
 
A good power conditioner can help once in a while, but it can't do anything about the noise your guitar is picking up through the air (and that's where most problem noise comes from), any more than a safety net will protect a tight-rope walker who's performing a mile away.

Simply put, A good quality power conditioner is designed to isolate the individual power outlets which eliminates interference or "cross-talk" between components. Also the added assurance of protection from spikes, and the convenience of a single on/off for all attached components.

At any rate, It's one of many things that can contribute to a low noise signal.
 
Honestly I try not to use a noise gate, if possible. I find that in my setup, the most common cause of noise is the guitar itself. My Strats are especially bad at picking up interference, being not shielded and with single coils. Dialing the volume to 8 or 9 and the tone to 7 or 8 really helps cut down on the noise. Also, dialing down the treble on the AxeFX itself, switching off bright, really helps. A lot of it is because of just where my setup is in the house. There are fluorescent lights, and they can contribute to a lot of the noise. I turn them off.

When worse gets to worse, I can always flip my primary strat (an AVRI 57 with WCR pickups) to positions 2 or 4, which are hum canceling. These kills the hum. On my secondary strat, which has Klein Epic 55s, which are not reverse wound, I'm just stuck with the foibles of being a Strat player.
 
Some of the best recordings ever made had alot of noise in them.
Remember The more you listen for the noise the more you'll find.
When the rest of the band kicks in you won't hear the noise.
As a great musician once said
"Just shut up and play your guitar"
 
Simply put, A good quality power conditioner is designed to isolate the individual power outlets which eliminates interference or "cross-talk" between components. Also the added assurance of protection from spikes, and the convenience of a single on/off for all attached components.

At any rate, It's one of many things that can contribute to a low noise signal.
Agreed. Surge protection and convenience are strong pluses, and isolation can reduce noise. But the big bull in the china shop is almost always radiated interference getting into the guitar or its cable. For that, you have to look to other solutions than power conditioning.
 
btw if you want to tape your cavity (sorry for the double meaning), try that self adhesive aluminium tape that is used to seal Kingspan blocks together, you can buy reels of it from Builders Merchants (Kingspan is the UK name for that thick hard insulation foam covered in aluminium, that you can stand on, modern buildings contain it under concrete floors and in walls, etc)

Good tip! I fould this: CELOTEX / KINGSPAN ALUMINIUM FOIL INSULATION TAPE - MULTIPLE SIZES | eBay

Do you solder the Aluminium foil somehow to ground?
 
I know that it gets mentioned from time to time but its still a valid point.

Gain.

Less = More. Especially with 2 or more guitars using high gain patches. Gain is collective, so a little gain goes a long way.
 
Some amps are noisier than others especially when the gain is cranked up. I use both active and passive pickups and with the last few FW I found myself turning off the gate because it was so quiet. Most of my patches use a TS808 with no gain and I keep the gain on 5 or less on the amp. My fav amp is FAS Modern. I use wireless which cuts a lot of the noise from the cables.
 
The Axe-Fx II is dead silent. Guitars are not. :) Check your grounding/potential RFI sources. The guitar itself might not be properly grounded as well. That's happened to me before.
 
Back
Top Bottom