Heard this before?

gottawalk · #1 02-05-2013, 06:49 PM

Every so often, I get a weird "pfft...pfft...pfft..." sound coming out of my amp and I think it's coming from my bass, since it's happened in multiple amps. Is this a sound that a bass makes when the battery for the active p/u's is getting low?...

**mjac28** · #2 02-05-2013, 06:51 PM

No sir can't say I have but I hear something similar coming out of my dog's butt after she eats some cheese.

gottawalk · #3 02-05-2013, 07:05 PM

Me, too, but at least my bass or amp doesn't SMELL as bad!

Thanks.

**mjac28** · #4 02-05-2013, 07:16 PM

My active basses either work or they don't I never get a warning before the battery goes out? I think I know what sound you are talking about I hear something similar when I play my Hofner and I hold it too close to my amp.

gottawalk · #5 02-05-2013, 07:56 PM

Hmmm... not close to the amps, at the time, depending on your version of "close", and it's not consistent, either. Thanks for the input. It's more of a sound that I would think of a capacitor or something going bad... But, weirdly enough, it's both my basses, (same model, just fretted and fretless), and 2 different amps.... SO weird!

**jbybj** · #6 02-05-2013, 09:25 PM

Is there a cell phone in your pocket when this happens? Or do you play near a radar installation? Most likely EM interference of some type.

Dbassmon · #7 02-06-2013, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbybj

Is there a cell phone in your pocket when this happens? Or do you play near a radar installation? Most likely EM interference of some type.

Re-fried beans and beer will generally illicit that type of sound. There are many possible explanations. I am really cool with the ones that make noise, generally the silent ones clear the dance floor and make the rhythm section's eyes burn. Not cool!

Wallace320 · #8 02-06-2013, 07:42 AM

Couln't it be a shieldin' related problem, and with subtle flashin' neon light in your rehearsal room?

In this case, it's somethin' I can come across once in a while too, especially when multifx processor's connected and just a too little compression

Cheers,
Wallace

Webtroll · #9 02-06-2013, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

My active basses either work or they don't I never get a warning before the battery goes out? I think I know what sound you are talking about I hear something similar when I play my Hofner and I hold it too close to my amp.

Active basses I've owned haven't been like that, usually they distort before they cease to function. If your bass is active and you haven't swapped out the battery in a long time it's probably time.

gottawalk · #10 03-03-2013, 09:21 PM

Well, since no one knows... I guess I'm looking at an amp issue, probably. Like I said; capacitor leaking, or some such crap with electronics in the amp itself. Oh, well. Not consistent and hasn't happened recently, so... keep the fingers crossed! Thanks!

xUptheIronsx · #11 03-03-2013, 09:27 PM

I was getting a similar sound for while. We checked everything we could think of on the bass, the amp, the cabs, the houses wiring etc, and it ended up being the newly installed invisible dog fence. Never would have thought about that. Was weird b/c it was not getting picked up in the guitar amps or PA...

gottawalk · #12 03-03-2013, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xUptheIronsx

I was getting a similar sound for while. We checked everything we could think of on the bass, the amp, the cabs, the houses wiring etc, and it ended up being the newly installed invisible dog fence. Never would have thought about that. Was weird b/c it was not getting picked up in the guitar amps or PA...

thanks! I'll have to keep track of just where and when I hear it and see if that makes a difference!