My moog doesn't like not being grounded

[Bjazzman]

i get a nasty feedback/squeal when i press some switches on the moog pedals. is that because it's not grounded in my apt?

[whoatherechunk]

there was a huge thread on this a few weeks back. i think a tb'er shielded the insides with foil .

[niftydog]

Originally Posted by Bjazzman

...is that because it's not grounded in my apt?

Qué?

What makes you think it's not grounded? (I'm assuming you mean a "safety ground" or earth connection, like what you get on a mains power outlet?) If your apt. lacks an earth connection I would be extremely concerned for my well-being IIWY!

Would be interested in a link to that thread mr. chunk mentioned, if possible... anyone? Bueller?

[whoatherechunk]

Mooger MF-101 noise

[niftydog]

Sweet, thanks!

Sounds like shielding might be a wise move, although the symptoms you describe sound more like a different fault to me. It's as if when you press the buttons something is mechanically flexing or moving and shorting out a connection. Your pedal should already be grounded I'm sure.

Just to clarify something from that other post - it is very rare for a wall wart supply to have an earth (or ground) connection. Power supplies are almost always "floating" meaning they have no fixed connection to ground/earth or any other reference point - all they have is two output connections that have a fixed voltage difference between them.

Your pedals are usually grounded/earthed via your patch cables and your amplifier.



For those that are interested, read on and learn the difference between "ground" and what I call "earth".

"Earth" is quite literally "the earth" - it's an electrical connection to the earth beneath your house. An earth connection is what you find in the third hole of a mains outlet socket. Most mains powered appliances in your house should have any exposed metal earthed for safety reasons.

"Ground" and "earth" are unfortunately interchangeable terms. However, in the context of this forum when people say "ground" they actually mean something that is related, but distinct from "earth".

In this context, "ground" is a completely arbitrarily designated reference point in an electronic circuit. Convention usually dictates that ground is the negative terminal of a battery or a power supply.

In a string of pedals connected to an amplifier all the grounds are connected together, via the signal cables, to the ground within the amplifier via the input jack. Remember that the amplifier has any exposed metal "earthed" - this includes that very input jack. Consequently your amplifier connects all the grounds of all your pedals to earth.

Confused?

[fightthepower]

When I first got the Bass Murf, I tried powering it with the supplied 300ma wall wart plugged into the AC jack on the PP2- Only 200ma, which powers the Ring Mod fine, but the Bass Murf needs 300ma.

My place is underpowered, so my lights dim, sometimes certain pedals make noise etc, and the Bass Murf would work with the '200ma' some of the time, but not always because the power here fluctuates from barely-enough to not-quite-enough.

My point being: It sounds like your apartment is somewhat underpowered as well, and you Moog isn't getting enough juice. Are you getting the squealing sound all the time or just sometimes? You might need to get a higher rated adapter to compensate?