need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

general questions, comments and ideas about recording, audio, music, etc.
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versuviusx
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need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by versuviusx » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:48 pm

ok
i have a piece of shit peavey bandit 112. and i'm using an s.e. electronics z5600 condenser mic and a mini me. the tone that i get with the mic is great, but the problem is that as soon as i turn on the amp i get noise. if i'm playing clean i get noise. and i want a really clean sound with no noise. the condenser pics up everything, so even if i have the volume turned down, i can still hear the noise and it drives me crazy. so i'm looking for a solution that is going to be affordable. cause i really want to mic this amp but i just want it to be quiet. i was thinking of getting a rocktron hush, but i've heard that some people love it and some people hate it. so if anyone has a solution...please let me know. i'd love to hear what you have to say.
if you like email me at blueversuviux@yahoo.com
thanks again
david

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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by beezleborf » Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:11 pm

Do you have drums and bass and stuff going on? They should mask the noise when it's all mixed. I have a goofy Peavey noise gate that helps that kind of thing, but I just let the amps hum and buzz and call it rock.

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soundguy
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by soundguy » Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:17 pm

do you hear the noise when the guitar is unplugged from the amp? If so, a hush aint gonna do anything, the problem is in the amp itself and can come froma cariety of sources. If it is the amp, try a different power source and if its a tube amp, you can try swapping out preamp tubes for something quiter. Thats a start at least.

dave

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A.David.MacKinnon
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Jun 12, 2003 8:41 pm

Sounds like you've got a noisy amp. Not much you can do other than swap out the amp. The only other thing I would suggest is to try a different mic. Lots of condensors are hyped in the upper mids and highs. This might be bringing out more of the hiss. Try a dynamic mic or a different condensor.

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swingdoc
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by swingdoc » Fri Jun 13, 2003 1:47 am

howdy, amp noise guy....
just to be sure...is the amp making noise without anything plugged in?
If not...add the guitar chord...that can be the noise maker...
if thats not it, are you using stomp boxes?? Add those one at a time and see if those are making the noise... If so, see if you can do without the box, or try changing the battery or cleaning the jacks.
Finally add the guitar... are you using single coil or humbuckers?
If its a single coil and noisy, sometimes getting shielding put in the electronics pockets help. If time is an issue and its the guitar, can you borrow someone else's humbucker-equipp'd guitar??
Finally, if it is the amp by itself, try a different wall socket, unplug other stuff that may be on the same circuit, or turn off any noisy overhead lights.
Thats my guitar noise trouble shooting algorithm.
If its the amp...then burn it alive on the 4th of July and post that most excellent picture for us. There are many good quiet amps out there....
good luck

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NeglectedFred
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by NeglectedFred » Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:10 pm

I'm all about the hush, but I've found that by the time I get the threshold high enough to kill all the noise, I've degraded my sound. Simple solution, 2 Hush's. I run one hush after all effects but before preamp. I set the threshold just before I notice my sound starting to decay, then I run a second hush after the preamp, noise=gone, sound=excellent.

I've also tried the ebtech hum eliminator, haha, what a joke.. Although it does clean up some hum I get out of an FX processor.. Didn't do a thing for my guitar rig, in fact, it made it significantly worse.

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misterock
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by misterock » Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:27 pm

So you say, hush hush?

Antero
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by Antero » Sat Jan 22, 2005 1:14 am

Check the cords, check the stompboxes, check the ground on the guitar, check for sources of interference - do not stand next to a computer monitor, for example, and don't use flourescent lights or lights with dimmer pots, those suck.

Is there more-than-tolerable noise?

Well, if you're recording on a computer, you can always just cut out the noise when the guitar isn't playing.

Also, amp suckage might be a problem.
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by Zoltar » Sat Jan 22, 2005 1:24 am

My brother had a Bandit 112 that was noisy. there was a loose cap inside it, you might want to check for one of those BUT NOTE that caps hold charges, so short out both sides before checking them, or just don't touch them with anything conductive. If i remember, the cap was blue and about thumb sized.

Other things, CRT monitors make terrible noise, and as mentioned already, lights, and bad cables, bad grounding.

good luck

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Slider
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Re: need help with noise from guitar amp trying to record

Post by Slider » Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:41 am

There are certain studio's where I've had to get the player to spin around and find that spot where the hum goes away.
Sometimes the poor guy\or girl ends up facing the wall.
I always thought this was due to RF, but I'm not sure.
Like everyone else said, check the cables, the ground, ect.
It's strange that you get this playing clean.
It's usually heavy distortion that gives me problems.

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