Mesa Walkabout DI static / noise at the mixing board

[rayzah]

Whenever I try to use the DI XLR out on my walkabout scout combo there is noise on the bass channel at the sound board...it sounds like static. This has happened with different sound boards / different sound companies. It happens regardless of gain/volume/EQ settings. The noise is so prevalent that I've had to use a DI box the sound guy had. Last night I had to mike the amp.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Thanks.

[Chef]

Never had that issue, sorry.

[DiabolicLow B]

Never had that specific problem but I gave up trying to use the DI on my Walkabout in favor of a Radial JDI with much better results.

[WhoDidTheElf]

Is it only when you turn the knob or is it a constant static?

I know on my walkabout it makes some static when I turn the knob. Probably a dirty pot or one on its way out, but once you're done moving it, it is quiet.

[carlos840]

Never happened to me and i use it around 3 times a week!

[derrico1]

Neither of mine does that. Time to put it on the service bench.

[rayzah]

Thanks for the replies. It happens regardless of whether a pot is being turned. Looks like it needs service.

[rayzah]

I called Mesa to get their input. They mentioned that the use of phantom power at the mixing board can cause noise. They did mention that if the static is not coming through the combo speaker it most likely is not a problem with the walkabout amp and if not caused by phantom power at the board could be caused by any number of factors within the power/PA/grounding setup.

[gastric]

Noisy tube?

[R. Laevinus]

Does your Walkabout have a ground lift switch on the rear panel? If yes, have you tried it? No offence intended, just need to iron out all the possibilities.

I use the line out on my WA only for recording - not that there's any problem with it, but I like to use a standalone DI live, as it's better backup.

[rayzah]

Yes...tried the ground lift to no avail. Thanks for the suggestion. I'l probably pick up a DI box for future use.

[Chef]

Man, you need to get the DI on your Walkabout sorted.
It's totally awesome. Seriously.

I always carry a passive DI in my toolbox as a fallback, but I much prefer the DI on the Walkabout or M9.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by rayzah

I called Mesa to get their input. They mentioned that the use of phantom power at the mixing board can cause noise. They did mention that if the static is not coming through the combo speaker it most likely is not a problem with the walkabout amp and if not caused by phantom power at the board could be caused by any number of factors within the power/PA/grounding setup.

That was my first thought as well. Phantom power can cause many problems for some DI circuits. I would have thought that designers would take that 48V into consideration from the start. You could try an isolation transformer between the DI and the board. ART sells some for isolating ground loops that would work fine.