Pop noise on start up/shut down

J

Jberg

Member
Hi everyone,

I've been lurking here for a while, but my AX8 arrived last week! I am loving it so far, but definitely feel a little overwhelmed with the sheer number of parameters and editing capabilities. Thank goodness for this forum, and all the tutorials that are available.

Quick question, is it normal for the AX8 to make a loud pop/snap during start up and shut down? Not a big deal as I just have to remember to unplug the XLR everytime, but it definitely seems like something that would've been simple enough for Fractal to address.
 
A lot of gear does this. The golden rule in audio is Speakers/Amps on last, and off first. Or mute the channel if you’re using a mixer. This is not something unique to the AX8.

As far as parameters, stick to what you know at first.
 
Thanks guys. I play mainly at a church and go direct to the PA which is usually on by the time I get there. And using in-ears I definitely want to be extra careful. No big deal, just wanted to make sure.
 
Jberg said:
Thanks guys. I play mainly at a church and go direct to the PA which is usually on by the time I get there. And using in-ears I definitely want to be extra careful. No big deal, just wanted to make sure.
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Have them mute the channel. This is how it works basically everywhere.
 
That would be ideal, but the sound guy isn't always at his post, and rarely there during mid-week rehearsals
 
Jberg said:
That would be ideal, but the sound guy isn't always at his post, and rarely there during mid-week rehearsals
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the mixer is just left on and all the channels up, and no one else can touch the board? that's extremely rare.
 
Don't plug the XLR send to the board into your AX8 until it is powered up. Then after you are done, unplug the XLR before powering the AX8 down.
 
Randall d said:
Don't plug the XLR send to the board into your AX8 until it is powered up. Then after you are done, unplug the XLR before powering the AX8 down.
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this can also cause popping, especially if Phantom Power is enabled on the board. it's advised to always make connections with channels muted and gear powered off.

the solution here is simply to mute the channel on the board. it's similar to closing your car door before you start driving - you just do it.
 
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I use a sequenced power strip by rocknstompin. not cheap, but forever solved a few of my problems, and has a lifetime warranty.
 
chris said:
this can also cause popping, especially if Phantom Power is enabled on the board. it's advised to always make connections with channels muted and gear powered off.

the solution here is simply to mute the channel on the board. it's similar to closing your car door before you start driving - you just do it.
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I should have mentioned that I make sure phantom power is turned off on my channel of the board. So I don't get any popping when plugging/unplugging. But yes, if phantom power is turned on, the resulting pop of unplugging the XLR would likely be worse than the pop of the AX8 powering up or down.
 
PA system is usually turned on when I'm setting up or tearing down, it's not that no one else can touch the sound board, it's just a bit of a hike (church seats 1200 people), and it's a digital console that I'm not familiar with. I've been unplugging the XLR before powering on/off, this works fine. We're all volunteers so we try to do the best with what we've got.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Rockn Stompn power strip, I see pictures with Neutrik(?) connectors, and USB, but there is no mention of these in the specs on the website?
 
Slightly off topic, but in the OP, you mentioned that it is overwhelming when you first get your toe in the water with the AX8 (or really, any other piece of gear like this). It occurred to me the other day, that it is really not much different from this scenario: picture yourself being plopped down in a show room with 70 amps, 80 or 90 cabs/speakers, 17 or 18 reverb units, 15 or so different delays, 25 or so OD / dirt / boost pedals, a slew of modulation effects, tremolos, univibes, pans, other stereo effects, different mics, sonic maximizers and other rackmount effects. The ability to use a couple cabs at the same, almost unlimited cables / routing alternatives. And most of the labels are gone or not recognizable, some seem recognizable but then the knobs are not the exactly the same as the model you're familiar with...so you're really not sure where to start. [I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY COUNTED THE NUMBERS OF VARIOUS MODELS...I JUST THREW OUT THOSE NUMBERS for illustrative purposes. :)]

It would be rather intimidating indeed. And it is. But...if you have the grit and intestinal fortitude and are a somewhat inquisitive person, you'll eke your way up the learning curve. There are some tremendous resources here. Definitely check out Yek's amp model guide...
 
LeonC said:
Slightly off topic, but in the OP, you mentioned that it is overwhelming when you first get your toe in the water with the AX8 (or really, any other piece of gear like this). It occurred to me the other day, that it is really not much different from this scenario: picture yourself being plopped down in a show room with 70 amps, 80 or 90 cabs/speakers, 17 or 18 reverb units, 15 or so different delays, 25 or so OD / dirt / boost pedals, a slew of modulation effects, tremolos, univibes, pans, other stereo effects, different mics, sonic maximizers and other rackmount effects. The ability to use a couple cabs at the same, almost unlimited cables / routing alternatives. And most of the labels are gone or not recognizable, some seem recognizable but then the knobs are not the exactly the same as the model you're familiar with...so you're really not sure where to start. [I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY COUNTED THE NUMBERS OF VARIOUS MODELS...I JUST THREW OUT THOSE NUMBERS for illustrative purposes. :)]

It would be rather intimidating indeed. And it is. But...if you have the grit and intestinal fortitude and are a somewhat inquisitive person, you'll eke your way up the learning curve. There are some tremendous resources here. Definitely check out Yek's amp model guide...
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I make this point often. People see one piece of gear but don’t realize what they’re actually replacing. Generally when new users stick to what they know about real amps, then this is really easy.

Usually the people who don’t know anything about amps and/or have difficulty with computers have the most trouble at first. It’s just things we have to learn to use the gear. That goes for any amp modeler or digital device as well.
 
chris said:
A lot of gear does this. The golden rule in audio is Speakers/Amps on last, and off first. Or mute the channel if you’re using a mixer. This is not something unique to the AX8.
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Sorry but by saying that a lot of gear does this thing doesn't justify the problem, it's just an excusion. A lot of gear have other problems, so should AX8 have them, too? The golden rule applies only to units that do this pop noise. What i am trying to say is this: i had Kemper for 5 years. For the first 2 years it had the same problem (mostly when powering off). And some time they fixed it, so now it is dead silent on powering on/off. So maybe instead of saying "like it or not, that's it, happens to a lot of units", maybe it would be more helpful for AX8 users to say that it would be nice if fractal team could do something about it. Even if it can't be eliminated, maybe the pop noise can be reduced greatly so it wouldn't be so much of a problem anymore.
 
m3talmike said:
Sorry but by saying that a lot of gear does this thing doesn't justify the problem, it's just an excusion. A lot of gear have other problems, so should AX8 have them, too? The golden rule applies only to units that do this pop noise. What i am trying to say is this: i had Kemper for 5 years. For the first 2 years it had the same problem (mostly when powering off). And some time they fixed it, so now it is dead silent on powering on/off. So maybe instead of saying "like it or not, that's it, happens to a lot of units", maybe it would be more helpful for AX8 users to say that it would be nice if fractal team could do something about it. Even if it can't be eliminated, maybe the pop noise can be reduced greatly so it wouldn't be so much of a problem anymore.
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It’s basics of how electronics work. I just did a gig that has house music. The only way to kill the house music is to turn off the rack mixer that plays it. No other controls. When we turn it off, it pops. Turn it back on, it pops.

It’s how electronics work. Can this be remedied? Sure, the Axe-Fx III has some hardware that reduces this phenomenon. But it’s how things work.

The rule in sound is Speakers On last, Off first. It just is.
 
There are solutions to the problem but it comes with a price tag most people wouldn't be willing to pay as long as they can avoid the pop by simply turning off the speakers first.
 
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