Just when i got a sweet crunchy tone....[Tech help!]

Chronicle · #1 04-01-2008, 05:16 PM

Alrighty, so I hooked up my rack like this the other day:

Bass->Pedalboard->Input Sansamp RPM->Output Sansamp into GK2001 Input. Aphex 204 in Effects loop of Sansamp.

Man this was a sweet tone i was getting! So i decided to swap around my Aphex and Furman M-8L so i can have the Furman on top. I hook everything back up and now the Sansamp is humming like crazyyyy.

I tried hooking it up different ways and plugging it in the wall for power but to no avail. I even hooked up the Sansamp up to my computer but it hummed there too.. It's not the pedalboard as I tried with just bass. Also tried different wires, even tried the XLR output.

I used the Tonebender soo i'm thinking i blew something in the Sansamp? I didn't have anything too extreme. Like the EQ or volume on the tonebender...

Also, now when i hook up the Aphex into my GK2001's effect loop- it also hums! But not as bad..[I tested the sansamp without the Aphex in the EL.]

So do you think I'll have to send the Aphex and Sansamp in to get fixed or something? :s

Btw, if you're wondering-- everything works fine if i do Bass->Pedalboard->GK2001 only.

bongomania · #2 04-01-2008, 05:21 PM

Did you try connecting it all back to the way it was when it sounded good?

Chronicle · #3 04-01-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Did you try connecting it all back to the way it was when it sounded good?

Yes :P It's just weird the Sansamp is humming like this. Played with all the switches in the back and stuff as well.

JanusZarate · #4 04-01-2008, 05:46 PM

That's really odd.

Didn't you deal with another weird hum problem with your Ric? Is that still an issue, too?

Chronicle · #5 04-01-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

That's really odd.

Didn't you deal with another weird hum problem with your Ric? Is that still an issue, too?

You know the Hum debugger fixed that!

By the way, get those Boo avatars back up you ugly mofo!

JanusZarate · #6 04-01-2008, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronicle

You know the Hum debugger fixed that!

I mean, sans Hum Debugger?

Or perhaps it's the vacuum cleaner to blame?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronicle

By the way, get those Boo avatars back up you ugly mofo!

Maybe.

niftydog · #7 04-01-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronicle

...i decided to swap around my Aphex and Furman M-8L so i can have the Furman on top.

So, you physically swapped the racks around, right? So, did you create a ground loop? Often putting stuff into a rack case causes the cases to make contact with each other or the rack itself, which can create a path for a ground loop to form.

To test this, I'd pull everything out of the rack and lay it all out on the floor then plug everything back in and test it while it's all out of the rack.

Chronicle · #8 04-01-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niftydog

So, you physically swapped the racks around, right? So, did you create a ground loop? Often putting stuff into a rack case causes the cases to make contact with each other or the rack itself, which can create a path for a ground loop to form.

To test this, I'd pull everything out of the rack and lay it all out on the floor then plug everything back in and test it while it's all out of the rack.

Interesting idea... I'll try it tomorrow! Thanks :]

Chronicle · #9 04-02-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niftydog

So, you physically swapped the racks around, right? So, did you create a ground loop? Often putting stuff into a rack case causes the cases to make contact with each other or the rack itself, which can create a path for a ground loop to form.

To test this, I'd pull everything out of the rack and lay it all out on the floor then plug everything back in and test it while it's all out of the rack.

Wow so i took the Sansamp out and with this, it didn't hum... so how do i fix this ground loopage?

bongomania · #10 04-02-2008, 02:20 PM

One thing to try is putting electrical tape over/between any points where the units may physically touch. Also put the tape between the rack ears and the mounting flanges of the rack, and use nylon screws or wrap the threads of the metal screws with plumber's teflon tape.

If that doesn't fix it, then check out this article: http://www.rane.com/note110.html

niftydog · #11 04-02-2008, 04:33 PM

Look at your sig. Mystic answered this question before you asked it!

JanusZarate · #12 04-02-2008, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niftydog

Look at your sig. Mystic answered this question before you asked it!

Chronicle · #13 04-02-2008, 05:47 PM

I'm a little confused on what to tape actually.. lemme take a picture of the inside of my case..im gonna try hooking everything up on my computer chair and see what happens..

bongomania · #14 04-02-2008, 05:52 PM

Most of your rack gear has a common ground which is connected (internally) to the metal housing of the rack unit. When conductive metal touches conductive metal, you've got a circuit. When two rack units are touching, either by sitting one atop the other, or by being screwed into rack rails
(internal ground --> metal housing --> rack screw --> rack rail --> screw, housing, and ground of the next unit)
...they form a circuit together, and it becomes a loop if they are also connected together by audio cables for example.

So you'd tape over any point where metal touches metal.

Bassplayer_479 · #15 04-02-2008, 06:18 PM

Any and all points...???
Is that possible?

Chronicle · #16 04-02-2008, 06:28 PM

PROBLEM SOLVED: FOR NOW AT LEAST.

I tried putthing this little doo-hicky on my Sansamp plug. But after hearing some hum STILL on my chair, i decided to try it on the GK.

This is not my day today

Oreomeister365 · #17 04-02-2008, 06:45 PM

I think the exact same thing happened to me...

I have a very similar setup...

I'll try taping up the furman where it touches the rack.

werd.

Chronicle · #18 04-02-2008, 06:47 PM

Try a ground loop adapter first.

bongomania · #19 04-02-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassplayer_479

Any and all points...???
Is that possible?

Sure. Two long strips of elec. tape across the top front edge and top back edge of the "lower" unit; two strips between the rack ears and the rack rail; and teflon thread tape around the screw threads. The only difficult part is the screw threads; nylon screws solve that, but of course they can't take a hard drop.

Chronicle · #20 04-02-2008, 06:59 PM

i'm gonna put everything back in the rack and see if it works.. cross your fingers!

Btw, i notice the Aphex makes some noise when plugged into the GK's effects loop, but it's tolerable unlike the hum we just solved. I'm gonna put the Aphex in the sansamp's effects loop so it doesnt cut the GK volume or make that noise.