Aviom user and buzz in head set

[trout2]

I'm new to the forum, this is a veryn good source for any bassist.
I paly mostly in church, we are not allowed any amps on stage, I hate that.All musicians use the Aviom system, I use a head phones to civer my ears entirely, my problem is that every time the sopund tech, increases my volume , the bass in my head set becomes very distorted. When my level is increased or decreased in the floor wedges, it affects my volume in the Aviom., There is a constant buzz in my head set, I was told it was my guitar, I purchased another , Ibanez, it still buzzes and thgey still say it is my guitar, Where do I begin or start to solve my problems, I am at the point of where I just want to hang it up. HELP!!!!!

[Wes Whitmore]

Without knowing how the mixer and axiom system is setup, Im only guessing, but I assume that the axium is being supplied a signal after the trim knob on the main mixer, and the sound guy is adjusting that knob effecting everything down the line. It makes all aux sends to various monitor systems go up, as well as making it louder in the auditorium. Im only guessing, or course. Honestly, after you line check, and he/she makes his input level adjustment if needed, he shouldn't be touching that again until the next sound check because so many circuits are dependent on it.

As for noise, that needs to be troubleshot. For a test, plug into the same cable that the guitarist is using and see if the problem goes away. Doing that will replace everything in that circuit except the bass (instrument cable to the DI box, structural cabling up to the board, different mixer channel, compression and efx, etc.). It could be as simple as a ground lift on the DI box. Hopefully that gets you some proof that your bass is quiet and it's something else causing the issue. If your bass is quiet at home, it should be quiet at church, so track it down.
Wes

[uhdinator]

Without knowing what is plugged into what and whether or not all equipment in the chain accepts balanced or unbalanced cables it's hard to say. Could be a bad cable, ground loop or mis match of unbalanced to balanced. Or improper patching.

[Keithwah]

When you say you are using over the ear phones, I suspect your bass doesn't sound direct/punchy/fat or loud enough and you keep asking them to turn the sound up. You should be using ear-buds for this purpose. Doesn't matter what top quality name brand you buy (Shure, Westone, Audio Technica, etc) if you speakers suck (your headphones/ear-buds) then suck is what you'll listen to. At least try to find a pair of Koss "The Plug" or "The Spark Plug" ear-buds. They sound decent, you can trim the ear-cushions with scissors to fit tighter in your ears, make that true seal of the outside world and then you'll have better sound without distortion.

And make sure you are using a direct box to feed the console. You must use a direct box to get the transformer isolation from the the rest of the house electrical system in order to prevent buzz and hum in the true sense of buzz and hum as opposed to a distorted signal.

But I am betting it is more a case of not getting a tight enough seal for the bass to reproduce the sound you want or need to hear. And over the ears do not work as well as good ear-buds. The Koss "plugs" can be found on ebay and amazon for $10-15 a set. Best Buy sells them for around $20. The Koss "plug" series handles a very high SPL and don't sound bad. I've used them for years when I rehearse through my PC.

[ScottiNucs]

We use this same system at my church. I feel your pain. A good set of earbuds will help you to hear better. Better yet, try to get a pair with dual-drivers like the Ultimate Ears. The difference in bass is phenomenol. They are pricey but well worth it in the long run when you are required to use IEM. Your sound guy should also have the sends to the aviom head unit set up pre-fader. The trim will still affect your level in ears, but he shouldn't be using those to inc/dec levels in the house. The other problem I have experienced having buzz is the LIGHTS! Some lighting, especially those on dimmers can really wreak some havoc with pickups. And what might not be heard in the house is loud and clear in the IEMs. Good luck and don't give up.

[jfspencer]

I know I am bumping an old thread, but this is important for church musicians to know. Your Aviom personal mixer is the source of the noise. I have been battling the same problem for the past year. To test this out, point the pickups in your bass away from your Aviom mixer (turn to the side) and see if the noise decreases. Move your bass closer to your Aviom mixer and see if it increases.

I have found a few ways to mitigate this issue. First, sell the Aviom system and put the money towards a sound guy who can handle real musicians. If that is not feasible, try hiding the top part of the Aviom mixer (where the connectors and majority of EFI leakage are) behind the bottom edge of a metal music stand as a shield. The best solution I have found, though, is my Teisco bass with super-shielded toaster pickups; they block everything out.