Volume Knob noise & unwanted octave effect??? Fan noise in signal?

S

sonofmickel

Inspired
Axe FX 2. Less than 24 hours old.

Problem one: (may not be a problem?)
I am noticing that when I turn the Output Level 2 knob, I can hear a motorboat sound through the speakers. Output 1 knob does not do this.
http://soundcloud.com/emickelson1/output-level-2
Solved- Fractal says this is fine during adjustment.

Problem 2:
While playing a clean amp, engaging a distortion block causes an octave effect in the background of the notes being played. Sounds sort of like speaker cry. Example patch is 004 Doubleverb. The clean sound sound fine it's when the distortion is engaged that the problem occurs.
http://soundcloud.com/emickelson1/deluxe-verb003-warble
Seems like this is only happening noticeably with the practice amp. Monitors and a few different amps don't reveal this so much, it is still there behind the note though less noticeable.
Solved for now- firmware update and power cycle when your having ANY problems.

Problem 3:(only happened once so far)
My fan is kind of noisy to begin with. I would not be able to record anything in the room with it on. So the problem that happened is that the fan makes a warble that ramps, the sound was coming through the speaker. I shut it down and it has not come back, yet. Anyone else notice the EXACT warble from the fan bleeding into the sound?

New fan coming from Fractal.
 
Last edited:
Problem 1 kind of sounds like fan warble - weird that only happens when turning the knob...
Problem 2 kind of sounds like a ring modulator.
 
I think #2 is being discussed here:
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/43598-high-end-fizz-normal.html

#3
I noticed that you recorded #2 using a mic in the room... is that at all related to the bleed? I've never heard noise coming from any outputs on the Axe that correlated with the fan. There have been posts about ground loop noise and midi cable noise but I'm not aware of any fan related signal noise. As for the fan being noisy in general, I've replaced mine.
 
I don't think it is the same as the link. I get the linked problem as well, I think that one is all levels, it sounds like clipping or gain stage mismatch. My sound sounds like an octaver behind the original note, lower and more muffled.

The #2 Volume knob thing seems like a manufacturing-something-or-other.

The fan is starting to drive me crazy. Whirrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeoooooorrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuunnnnnnnnnuuuunnnuunnnunnrrrrmmmrrrmmmmmrrmmmrmmm. It's like some WWII wear down the prisoner, we'll get him to talk thing. Gets you all tense. What do these Hui Tong fans cost, $1.04 in bulk?

Lots of good sounds in here though only a few stinkers so far. Hopefully this gets worked out.
 
Problem 1 is normal. It's a digital pot and some modulation is normal during adjustment.

Problem 2 is not normal. What version of firmware are you running?

Problem 3 is not normal. Contact support and they will send you a new fan.
 
Problem 1 is normal. It's a digital pot and some modulation is normal during adjustment.
Cool, I kind of figured it was just a hardware thing that really should not matter.

Problem 2 is not normal. What version of firmware are you running?
Running 3.02 now. The unit was shipped with firmware 2.0. After a restart all seems clear now???

Problem 3 is not normal. Contact support and they will send you a new fan.
OMG! THANK YOU! I will call ASAP.
 
sonofmickel said:
Problem 1 is normal. It's a digital pot and some modulation is normal during adjustment.
Cool, I kind of figured it was just a hardware thing that really should not matter.

Problem 2 is not normal. What version of firmware are you running?
Running 3.02 now. The unit was shipped with firmware 2.0. After a restart all seems clear now???

Problem 3 is not normal. Contact support and they will send you a new fan.
OMG! THANK YOU! I will call ASAP.
Click to expand...

The second problem sounds like you might have accidentally changed the clip type in the Drive block. I couldn't duplicate it here.
 
FractalAudio said:
Problem 1 is normal. It's a digital pot and some modulation is normal during adjustment.
Click to expand...

So it's normal to have modulation noise on one knob but not on the other?

Just wondering because for me, it happens to Output knob 1 for me. Haha
 
sonofmickel said:
My fan is kind of noisy to begin with.
Click to expand...

exactly how noisy is your fan? I think mine is too noisy too. I can't hear it through the speakers though. I think the fan is noisy in general and that it is supposed to be like that on the Axe-fx II?

on your first problem. I hear some digital rumble when adjusting output 1 on the front panel. It is coming out of the speakers and it annoys me. I think that is normal too but I don't get why that is.
I Didn't expect this.

These are my only complaints about it so far.
 
I get the "motor boat" on both OP knobs. Its annoying BUT solved. Im a PA/Cab guy and used to run the PA full and control volume from the AFX (on my standard). Now the AFX2 stays full up and I control the volume from the Amp.

I dont think the fan is noisy - but then I run power amps with fans. first a VHT 2:50:2 now a Matrix (which is quieter than the VHT). the AFX2 while making more fan noise then my standard (which had the silent fan fitted by G66) its still less than the Matrix. IfI dont have the Matrix on because Im recording, I cant here the fan over the headphones I use fro tracking. when Im mixing I turn the AFX2 off. Would be nice if it was as quiet as my standard though because I never had to turn that off when mixing.
 
@paulmapp8306 Hey, thanks for your solution. So your solution doesn't mean the motorboat noise is gone but you just found a way around it, yea? Ok. I guess as long as this is normal... Strange some people get it on both knobs and others, just on one.

I actually run the other way around. (Also, I thought I read in the thread that you should not have to crank the output knob to max... ) I have my FRFR full volume (heard from a creditable audio engineer that it's better to have the volume maxed on the speakers than to limit it and have the actual sound source control the volume) and set my AXE accordingly. In my case if I ever need to change my volume on stage, I guess I have to get around the problem by adjusting it in the software side than to use the hardware knob.

Cheers!
 
I get the octave effect on distorted patches particularly when I finger pluck the g note on the 6tn string. I'll post a clip. It sounds very much like the octave effect in the pitch block.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom