Ground loop hum

Stiles12 · January 08, 2008, 07:30:09 PM

I am getting a lot of ground loop hum, anyone got any suggestions as a suppressor, and dont say the hush please haha.

I am running my rack with really sick cables, my whole rig is basically run with mogami, george L, canare, and they are all new. so i dont think it is the cables,

I know trey uses the Iso from CAE anyone ever try this thing out, I was about to buy one a whie back but held off.

strangedesign · January 08, 2008, 08:23:08 PM

Get a Custom Audio Electronics ISO-1. Both Trey and Mike use these in their rigs. This thing is about half the size of cigarette pack. I got one recently and could not believe the difference it made in my rig. They are only about $50 and worth every penny. I added it to my rig the day I got it but had to leave and couldn't play. A few days later I turned on my rig and it was such a clean sound I thought that somehow all my effects were being bypassed or maybe I had plugged straight into my amp. When I started checking cables I realized it was the ISO-1 that had cleaned up the sound so much. I thought my rig sounded really good before I added the ISO-1. Now it's sounds twice as nice. This thing DOES NOT degrade your signal at all. Give me a few minutes and I will post a pic of it...

strangedesign · January 08, 2008, 09:12:23 PM

Stiles12 · January 09, 2008, 10:49:56 AM

how did you rig yours up? did you just put it right before your signal hit the amp (last in your chain)? would t work if you put it right after the amp before the speaker to clean up all tube noise you think?

Sorry for all the questions i am interested.

strangedesign · January 09, 2008, 11:11:16 AM

It's at the end of my signal path, just before my amp.

strangedesign · January 09, 2008, 12:05:56 PM

Here is the info Bob sent me on the ISO-1...

CAE ISO transformers are designed to help eliminate ground loop hum in complex guitar systems. They are a passive device and require no power to operate

Any device connected to the ISO's input must be able to drive a 7-10k ohm load, or a loss of high frequency may result.

For best results, ISOs MUST BE DRIVEN FROM A LOW IMPEDANCE SOURCE, and connected directly to an amplifier's input. This means the ISO should be the LAST thing prior to an amp input, after any pedals or other devices.

ISO's contain an audio transformer and must be kept at least 24\" from any power supplies or devices that may radiate a electromagnetic field, such as power amps, wall warts, etc...

Walker done done · January 09, 2008, 01:40:10 PM

Quote from: \"strangedesign\"ISO's contain an audio transformer and must be kept at least 24\" from any power supplies or devices that may radiate a electromagnetic field, such as power amps, wall warts, etc...

That's weird, eh? So where do you have yours Scott? I was thinking if I get one, can you just set it atop your amp and leave it at that? Oh wait, nevermind, I just re-read that shit and that won't work....

So where's the logical plalce to put it? I guess I can get a 3 footer from HT and just float it away from my board, but that seems kinda weird....just sitting off over in the middle of nowhere.

I'm gonna have to re-situate everything if I get one because I've got the pedal pad on my board and another wart (for the Whammy) coming out of a surge protector which is very near the end of my chain, so....

my brain hurts :roll:

PS - Stiles, the first thing I thought of when I read this was that it could be a bad ground in your guitar, and I'd check that first. Same thing happened to my custom, which I had to send back to FL and should be here tomorrow.

Walker done done · January 09, 2008, 01:51:15 PM

Quote from: \"strangedesign\"Any device connected to the ISO's input must be able to drive a 7-10k ohm load, or a loss of high frequency may result.

Also - can someone tell me what the hell this means? I'm an idiot when it comes to ohms. Simply put: the last pedal in my chain (which will be connected to the ISO's input) is either the Whammy or the Boss DD-6.....will either of these suffice and \"be able to drive a 7-10k ohm load\"

Stiles12 · January 09, 2008, 08:47:35 PM

I was trying to get a super trem for a very long time called them emailed them and it took about a week and a half to get any type of response which just said, three months from now I could build you a super trem. really annoying. I guess they dont want my money either.

Stiles12 · January 09, 2008, 08:50:45 PM

BTW never deal with the guy from pedal geek. went their a few days ago, store is garbage, their is shit everywhere, all over the ground there is packing peanuts and paper to pack. its gross, not to mention the guy wouldnt even acknoledge my buddy and I. We where going to drop 500 dollars in their on the spot but instead left, I wont go back there ever again.

strangedesign · January 09, 2008, 09:43:57 PM

Quote from: \"Walker done done\"
Quote from: \"strangedesign\"ISO's contain an audio transformer and must be kept at least 24\" from any power supplies or devices that may radiate a electromagnetic field, such as power amps, wall warts, etc...

That's weird, eh? So where do you have yours Scott? I was thinking if I get one, can you just set it atop your amp and leave it at that? Oh wait, nevermind, I just re-read that shit and that won't work....

So where's the logical plalce to put it? I guess I can get a 3 footer from HT and just float it away from my board, but that seems kinda weird....just sitting off over in the middle of nowhere.

I'm gonna have to re-situate everything if I get one because I've got the pedal pad on my board and another wart (for the Whammy) coming out of a surge protector which is very near the end of my chain, so....

my brain hurts :roll:

PS - Stiles, the first thing I thought of when I read this was that it could be a bad ground in your guitar, and I'd check that first. Same thing happened to my custom, which I had to send back to FL and should be here tomorrow.

I put mine on the side of my pedal board. Luckely my board is much larger then most so I was able to have my power strip on on side and the ISO on the other.

I don't think Bob is being an ass, i think he's just swamped. He doens't mass produce his pedals and amps, everything is hand made. He probably doesn't have one or two guys helping him and with the demand so great for his stuff it just takes a while. I have heard that it can take 6 months to a year for him to build a custom switch for you. I don't think they keep anything around in bulk so everything is made when ordered.

When I orderd my ISO, I sent him an email and he replied back the next day an said that he would call me in a week or so. He finally called the following week to get my credit card info. I then received the ISO in about 3 days.

Heady Jam Fan · May 10, 2012, 06:49:23 PM

Bump for more info, hoping something like this could take care of some hum in my rig - it isn't out of control, but getting rid of it would be cool.

Happyorange27 · May 11, 2012, 11:11:49 AM

I'm sure this could on help you. How are the rest of your outlets an power supplies? Isolated? I can't speak from experience because i have a shitty SKB board. But I do have a voltage indicator on my power strip so that I know I'm getting a good source of wiring from my house.
So many factors involved. Try just guitar and amp...do you have hum? Add just one pedal...do you have hum? Keep doing that till you have hum.

manicstarseed · May 11, 2012, 01:52:46 PM

^This

Doing what happy suggested I found the nasty buzz I had was due to the TC Electrionic 12V PS (wall wart). It powered my Nova Reverb and TS9 created the buzz in the TS9, but not the NR. I used the 9V PS daisy chain for the TS - Buzz gone.

Point is systematic A/B adding to the cahin is a usefull process for identifying problem pedals/PS issues.

Glenn

Poster · June 12, 2012, 04:17:35 AM

in reality an isolated power supply will help when your in your moms basement, but at hot wing Wednesdays, where the crowds are fueled by salty frankenbird, your best bet is a power strip with truly isolated outlets, like an iso bar. When used in conjunction with a pedal power 2, voolabs etc power supply, you should be better than most of these fucking momos, who just cant figure it out.

also avoid running long patch cable leads, well that is unless, you like mixing in live radio broadcasts into your heady freddy give a dog a bone raver grooves