TERRIBLE noise with FX8

GhostElectric

GhostElectric

Member
Hi there,

I've been trying out the FX8 with bass, and the noise I'm experiencing is ridiculous. There was some noise before with my guitar, but I hadn't really noticed THAT much since I use a good bit of analog gear in my setup. Well, I changed it up for bass, and the hiss became absolutely obnoxious.

My first task was to switch every cable out with Mogami cables, and the noise persisted.

I diverted all power to my Walrus Phoenix, still noise.

Finally I started eliminating devices - and it made it exceedingly obvious that the culprit is the FX8.

So, I sat down with the manual and worked through the I/O to see if I had the gain stages wrong. Right now I have no pad, Pre is 6.0db, and Post level is +4dbu, which I believe gives the best signal to noise ratio. The noise is hideous.

Has anyone else experienced this? Are humbuster cables absolutely essential for this device to reduce noise and hum? Any advice or insight would be helpful.

*EDIT: I just engaged the True Bypass to see if the noise persisted, and it did. When I actually move the cable from the FX8's Pre-Out to my instrument (taking the FX8 out of my chain), the noise ceases and all is well. I'm almost certain this is a malfunction...
 
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What kind of noise? Any way for a recording of any type? What amp are you plugging into. Using regular TS instrument cable?

FX8 should be silent.
 
I'll update this post with a recording. My chain is Bass -> FX8 -> Dirt box -> Cali76 compressor -> board. All cables are TS, except from the Cali76 to the board is a TRS (as required to go direct into the board). There's no amp in the chain. When I remove the FX8, there is pristine silence.

Edit: Heres a sample I just recorded.
 
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if you do Bass to FX8 to board (i assume that's a mixer?) is there noise?

even though the Cali76 has a balanced out, does the board have a balanced input? are you converting that to XLR or something?

that noise sounds like an electrical issue.

you mentioned the Walrus Phoenix - i assume that has nothing to do with the power for the FX8, right? how are you powering the FX8?
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
if you do Bass to FX8 to board (i assume that's a mixer?) is there noise?

even though the Cali76 has a balanced out, does the board have a balanced input? are you converting that to XLR or something?

that noise sounds like an electrical issue.

you mentioned the Walrus Phoenix - i assume that has nothing to do with the power for the FX8, right? how are you powering the FX8?
Click to expand...

Rex said:
How did you eliminate the bass as an obvious culprit? :)
Click to expand...

My first inkling was the bass...then I ran the following tests.

Bass -> board is silent.
Bass -> dirt -> Cali76 -> board is silent.
Bass -> Cali76 -> board is silent.

I'm powering the FX8 through the Phoenix (it has an AC input). Yes, the balanced out on the Cali76 is TRS to XLR.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I even cranked the preamp gain in my board to find the noise floor with the FX8 out of my chain. That white noise sounds nothing like the sample I provided, it sounds like what you'd expect from normal white noise when the gain is extremely high - much 'softer'.
 
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And the noise goes away when you use your guitar instead of your bass on the same preset?
 
Rex said:
And the noise goes away when you use your guitar instead of your bass on the same preset?
Click to expand...

Actually no. The noise is present with guitar or bass. I just plugged several guitars into the chain, and the only time there is silence is when the FX8 is taken out of the chain completely. Even engaging true bypass doesn't solve the issue. If theres any signal going through the unit at all, the same hum/noise is present.

At this point, I'm pretty certain theres a malfunction or manufacturing flaw of some sort.
 
Have you tried FX8 straight to your mixer yet? Is the noise there? Is the noise present with all FX8 presets?
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Have you tried FX8 straight to your mixer yet? Is the noise there? Is the noise present with all FX8 presets?
Click to expand...

When connecting FX8 -> mixer, the hum is still present. The noise is present in every preset, and even when True Bypass is engaged.

Rex said:
That sounds like interference coming through a rig that has enough gain to be just on the verge of feedback.
Click to expand...

The thing about that is: there's no great amount of gain and no amplifier (aside from the Cali76). There is a boost on the unit, but no saturated overdrive, and it's not engaged. The compression circuit isn't even engaged, and that unit is among the most quiet compressors on the planet. That chain is currently not even capable of the level of OD gain that would justify that level of noise.
 
See whether you get the noise when there's no cable at all plugged into the FX8's IN [PRE].
 
Yeah none of this makes sense. If you are going Bass to FX8 to mixer and that same noise is there... I don't know.

It really sounds like a electrical source issue, as that is not a typical noise.

I agree with Rex in trying the FX8 to mixer, turn it up, but no instrument cable plugged into the input.

Thanks for trying our suggestions so far. It really shouldn't be making that noise.

Any way to try a basic setup from another power source, like a different building or something? We've had similar threads with an Axe-Fx in the past where there is a noise no one could figure out, but he took his Axe-Fx to the gig and there was no noise anymore. Turned out to be horrible power at home. (I know the other gear is silent on the same power.) If after that... I don't know.
 
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Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Yeah none of this makes sense. If you are going Bass to FX8 to mixer and that same noise is there... I don't know.

It really sounds like a electrical source issue, as that is not a typical noise.

I agree with Rex in trying the FX8 to mixer, turn it up, but no instrument cable plugged into the input.

Thanks for trying our suggestions so far. It really shouldn't be making that noise.

Any way to try a basic setup from another power source, like a different building or something? We've had similar threads with an Axe-Fx in the past where there is a noise no one could figure out, but he took his Axe-Fx to the gig and there was no noise anymore. Turned out to be horrible power at home. (I know the other gear is silent on the same power.) If after that... I don't know.
Click to expand...

And...the noise is still there even with no instrument in the input.

I'm probably 99.9% sure it's not a ground loop caused by power - the Walrus Phoenix is an isolated clean power supply. It's purpose is to provide clean isolated power to any devices connected to it. ALL the outputs are isolated and it's designed to filter noise and provide the cleanest power possible.

I guess theres that .01% chance...

I did submit a ticket to Fractal Support and Matt is helping me out. I'll be sure to post the result here for archiving purposes if anything is discovered. Thanks again to all of you for all your help!
 
sounds like a Ghost in the Electricity... :O wait a minute!!!

that's really strange. i hope things get resolved, and i'm sure they will.
 
Can you take the mixer out of the .... uh... mix? Or out of the equation? There may be some incompatibility between the two for some reason. FX8 adds no noise to my guitar rig even at very high gain. I'd try running bass into FX8 into some other amplification system and see if the noise is still there.
 
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