Need help recording through mixer.

[ndjx]

This isn't really bass related, but I really need help recording overdriven guitar. My guitarist has a Marshall AVT50 and when he uses the overdrive there is hum... which I think is normal. But I notice on recordings there never is any hum. How exactly do you get rid of it??

[Brooks]

Hmm...good shielding, especially if his guitar has single coil pups, reduce overdrive a bit, or get a better quality overdrive pedal, EQ the hum out...lot of options. I record 6-7 diff. guitars direct into the PC and never have any hum, but I don't record a mic'ed amp - if I need overdrive, I plug the guitar into a Zoom 3030, then SansAmp DI, and from there into the PC.

[ndjx]

What exactly do you mean by shielding? A good shielded cable? I'm also running from the Marshall lineout to a DI to the board. His guitar does have single coils but he has it on the mid position which when clean makes no hum but with Distortion it has lots...?

[Brooks]

I meant shielding the pickup cavities on his guitar as single coils tend to pick up the mains 50Hz 'hum'. Same applies to the cable between the guitar and the amp, and between the amp and the DI box. The fact that you hear this hum when distortion is switched on means that it is always there, just not as audible. I am not familiar with this particular Marshall, but I find that the valve ones tend to be a bit noisy no matter what you do.

All in all, I am not an expert on this issue...wish I could tell you more.

[LowEndRider]

Another way if the guitarist is loud (is there any other type?)is to put a noise gate on the mike channel.
Get him to plug in and not play, wind the threshold until the hum disappears and when he plays the extra volume will open the gate - I'm assuming of course that the hum is not as loud as the guitar......

[ndjx]

This is weird but I changed the XLR cable and the hum is totally gone... I don't understand but I guess it worked. Thanks anyways guys.