S.O.S. Axe Fx Ultra hum/buzz under tones. S.O.S.

B

burlapin

Member
Hi I already posted this issue on this forum but had little results. that's why I am posting it again.

I recently bought an Axe Fx Ultra and am going for that djenty modern type of metal sound. The problem is that I have so much unwanted noise. It seems as if it's coming from the unmuted string when I play with palmmutes. So I muted the strings by knotting a sock around the top of he guitarneck and even muting the higher strings by putting some paper over them (I play an 8 sring). I notice a minor difference, it's a bit more quiet but the noise is still there. It's like it's always under my tone. I know of course that gain is also noise, but this is something different. Like static noise or something. I want to be able to record wihout this buzz/humm so what do I do ??

Even with the gates set correctly for a metal tone there is some noise. I always seem to have this (static?) elecric noise that it is almost impossible to record clean (well distorted) guitars. On the clean channels the noise/humm is less noticable, but on high gain tones it's just ridiculous. I have tried so much now that I am lost. I have the same problem with my Line 6 Pod X3 and even with software like EZ Mix Metal Guitar Gods. Is my house doomed ? It's weird because I already tried different cables, a different place, different soundcard, different computer, different guitars, different drivers, different (external) noise gates (wich help but don't resolve the issue). I am at a loss, I am almost getting to the point of giving up recording. PLEASE HELP !!!

The link below contains some soundclips. the first part 0:00-0:34 is without a external tubescreamer, the second part is with a Ibanez TS9 and the third part is with a Protone Dead Horse Deluxe in front. Please turn up your volume to hear te recorded guitarsounds more clearly. The other video is how I should and want to sound (Misha Mansoor)

Noise Axe FX Ultra (turn up volume) - YouTube

Guitar Recording Tips - Misha Mansoor - YouTube
 
Dude I cant believe you posted this. I have almost the exact same thing. When palm muting there is a after taste bzzzzzzz. Driving me fucking nuts. Im probablay gonna sell my Ultra and try out Kemper. Let me know if you find any solution. Im pissed , I thought I had the holy grail for a while cuz there so much cooooll shit with Fractal. but for what I do I cant have this fucking bzzzzz.

Dialing down on gain helps a little on amp and drive blocks. But when you recognize shit you will always seem to notice it even when you try not to.
 
Im in the same boat guys. Cant get any real sounding high gain tones. Pissed also. Prob going back to tube amps. My bogner uber never did me wrong I miss it dearly . also miss my 5150
 
I just posted the same thing "What's this fizz?" a couple days ago. No real solution yet, I can the turn the noise gate way up but then the note has zero sustain. There's no noise what so ever when no string is vibrating, with or without my hands on the guitar or when I turn off and on the dimmer switch in the room, absolutely no noise when the volume knob is turned down. There just that damn fizz after a note is played. I can switch between amp models and the noise goes up and down, some pretty distorted amps have actually less fizz than supposedly cleaner ones.
 
burlapin said:
Hi I already posted this issue on this forum but had little results. that's why I am posting it again.

I recently bought an Axe Fx Ultra and am going for that djenty modern type of metal sound. The problem is that I have so much unwanted noise. It seems as if it's coming from the unmuted string when I play with palmmutes. So I muted the strings by knotting a sock around the top of he guitarneck and even muting the higher strings by putting some paper over them (I play an 8 sring). I notice a minor difference, it's a bit more quiet but the noise is still there. It's like it's always under my tone. I know of course that gain is also noise, but this is something different. Like static noise or something. I want to be able to record wihout this buzz/humm so what do I do ??

Even with the gates set correctly for a metal tone there is some noise. I always seem to have this (static?) elecric noise that it is almost impossible to record clean (well distorted) guitars. On the clean channels the noise/humm is less noticable, but on high gain tones it's just ridiculous. I have tried so much now that I am lost. I have the same problem with my Line 6 Pod X3 and even with software like EZ Mix Metal Guitar Gods. Is my house doomed ? It's weird because I already tried different cables, a different place, different soundcard, different computer, different guitars, different drivers, different (external) noise gates (wich help but don't resolve the issue). I am at a loss, I am almost getting to the point of giving up recording. PLEASE HELP !!!

The link below contains some soundclips. the first part 0:00-0:34 is without a external tubescreamer, the second part is with a Ibanez TS9 and the third part is with a Protone Dead Horse Deluxe in front. Please turn up your volume to hear te recorded guitarsounds more clearly. The other video is how I should and want to sound (Misha Mansoor)

Noise Axe FX Ultra (turn up volume) - YouTube

Guitar Recording Tips - Misha Mansoor - YouTube
Click to expand...

The open strings are a question of technique or not? Not being an expert on this genre I'd still think you need to be able to mute them while playing?

You also have a very long release on your gate and/or a to high threshold. It might help to cut a bit of low to make the gate close faster since the boomy part of the sound lasts the longest.

As for static: is it the same when you play through a powered monitor or is it only when you record? the fact that you get this all the time and also with the Pod etc might suggest that you need to figure out where it is. For example I use really cheap cables to connect to my PC so recordings are a noisy because of that. Live I don't have that problem. Since you anyway make YouTube videos you could make a video running through the signal line from guitar to PC, maybe somebody will spot something?

Jens
 
Just another one having the exact same problem.
Sometimes it goes away, but when it's there, you can forget using the ultra properly.
Had it once during a gig: no fun :)

Thinking about sending it to G66 for repairs as I can't find a solution on the forum.
Several band rehearsals down the drain , oh well ... Still have some tubes laying around somewhere.
 
flageolet said:
Just another one having the exact same problem.
Sometimes it goes away, but when it's there, you can forget using the ultra properly.
Had it once during a gig: no fun :)

Thinking about sending it to G66 for repairs as I can't find a solution on the forum.
Several band rehearsals down the drain , oh well ... Still have some tubes laying around somewhere.
Click to expand...

I think that if you really want to find a solution you should do this:

1. Post a patch that has the problem
2. Post a recording of how it sounds
3. Describe your setup (guitar, pedals?, amp/powered speaker etc)

And a screen shot from Axe-Edit with your signal chain might prompt something in Axe II users and they will also chip in.

I honestly believe that almost everybody here wants to help you, but you have to give them something to work with.

I am by the way not saying I am sure I can solve it, Djent stuff is pretty far from what I do, but there are lots of people on the forum...

Jens
 
burlapin said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHD89GMNS0c
Click to expand...

I duplicated (roughly) your effects chain and settings on my ultra and didn't have any problems. However, the noise you're getting struck me as interference from an electronic source. So I turned on my cell phone, put it in my lap while I played, and there was a similar noise to the one you're getting in the video. If I cut the bright switch off on the amp the noise pretty much goes away. In fact, I had to put my cell phone over my pickup to get any interference at that point. Turning off the PEQ and GEQ helped but that bright switch is the main factor. I would cut off cell phones and wifi (if you live in an apartment this may not be possible unless you have understanding neighbors) to see if that solves the problem. If not, try cutting off some of your other electronic devices that you don't need at that moment.

If you still can't get rid of the noise and you don't want to change the sound, I'd suggest using the gate that's included in the Layout page. I was able to cut the interference down considerably by raising the threshold to around the mid-point.
 
nccarg said:
I duplicated (roughly) your effects chain and settings on my ultra and didn't have any problems. However, the noise you're getting struck me as interference from an electronic source. So I turned on my cell phone, put it in my lap while I played, and there was a similar noise to the one you're getting in the video. If I cut the bright switch off on the amp the noise pretty much goes away. In fact, I had to put my cell phone over my pickup to get any interference at that point. Turning off the PEQ and GEQ helped but that bright switch is the main factor. I would cut off cell phones and wifi (if you live in an apartment this may not be possible unless you have understanding neighbors) to see if that solves the problem. If not, try cutting off some of your other electronic devices that you don't need at that moment.

If you still can't get rid of the noise and you don't want to change the sound, I'd suggest using the gate that's included in the Layout page. I was able to cut the interference down considerably by raising the threshold to around the mid-point.
Click to expand...

Do you really think wifi is the problem ?
 
I tested the Axe Fx in different places before and the noise was also there. I should mention it's a second hand Axe Fx.
 
presets

burlapin said:
I tested the Axe Fx in different places before and the noise was also there. I should mention it's a second hand Axe Fx.
Click to expand...

If there are people here that have made a "Djent" preset for the Ultra, feel free to post it so I can check if the problem is still there.
 
To eliminate the possibility of any external sources as the cause of the noise I would take your guitar, Ultra and monitors and set them up in a different room. If the noise persists my next step would be looking into having the Ultra serviced.
 
burlapin said:
I tested the Axe Fx in different places before and the noise was also there. I should mention it's a second hand Axe Fx.
Click to expand...

I don't believe that your ultra is the problem. You said in your original post that you had the same problem with other units too. What are the odds that you'd have the same problem on all of them? I'm just giving you suggestions based on my own experience. Electronic devices can cause strange noises under the right conditions. Cell phones interfere with sound systems all the time. The wifi antenna on my laptop interfered with recording sessions, so I turned it off when recording. Some computers may even give off some interference. The sound that you created has the presence maxed out, the bright switch on, and more high end in the PEQ. Combine that with a maxed-out level in the drive and the extra level boost in the PEQ and you have a very sensitive preset.

If you don't want to trouble-shoot the easy stuff, then I would suggest using that noise gate that's in every preset to cut out the extra noise. Or you could record your track with the bright switch off and then add the extra high end back when you're mixing the track.
 
nccarg said:
I don't believe that your ultra is the problem. You said in your original post that you had the same problem with other units too. What are the odds that you'd have the same problem on all of them? I'm just giving you suggestions based on my own experience. Electronic devices can cause strange noises under the right conditions. Cell phones interfere with sound systems all the time. The wifi antenna on my laptop interfered with recording sessions, so I turned it off when recording. Some computers may even give off some interference. The sound that you created has the presence maxed out, the bright switch on, and more high end in the PEQ. Combine that with a maxed-out level in the drive and the extra level boost in the PEQ and you have a very sensitive preset.

If you don't want to trouble-shoot the easy stuff, then I would suggest using that noise gate that's in every preset to cut out the extra noise. Or you could record your track with the bright switch off and then add the extra high end back when you're mixing the track.
Click to expand...

The thing is that my Pod X3 and Jam Up worked in the beginning, but after some use the noise (feedback ?) appeared and I couldn't get it to go away . I also tried the Ultra on different locations and it was still there. I tried it in an other room in a different house and trough a power amp at our rehearsal room. Is it possible that there are too much electronic devices around me to break these devices permanently ?
 
burlapin said:
The thing is that my Pod X3 and Jam Up worked in the beginning, but after some use the noise (feedback ?) appeared and I couldn't get it to go away . I also tried the Ultra on different locations and it was still there. I tried it in an other room in a different house and trough a power amp at our rehearsal room. Is it possible that there are too much electronic devices around me to break these devices permanently ?
Click to expand...

In my experience it doesn't break the devices. It's just interfering as long as it's there. That's why I suggested turning things like cell phones and wifi off just to see if that's the problem. But depending on where you live it is possible that you're getting interference from multiple sources that you can't easily control.

Now if the Pod, Jam Up, and Ultra are actually broken then you may have another problem altogether.

I hope you get your problem solved but I can't think of anything else to suggest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom