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Amp Hums after 3rd or 4th effect added to Chain ... please help.

alonalion

alonalion

Nov 12, 2011
8
2
NY
www.reverbnation.com
#1
Hi,

Ive been interchanging 6+ effects following a Boss tuner and using the units Boss Daisy Chain to power the effects.

I have never had a "hum" issue before? Tonight when I add a 4th effect , the amp starts to hum.

Ive tried every variable of "order of chain" and NONE of the effects cause hum when there is less than 4 pedals in the chain.

This is a perplexing problem I have never come across before. Advice + guidance appreciated,

respectfully yours,
alon
 
#4
Is it the number, so any 4 will cause a hum or is it a specific pedal that needs to be in the chain?

Here's how that usually goes:
1. The Effects beginner buys a few pedals and a means to power them, usually something inexpensive without isolated outputs.
2. This goes well for a time, but at some point, noise occurs.
3. The Effects beginner manages to get the problem sorted by trying a few things, swapping the order in the daisy chain or the order of the signal chain.
4. Something else changes in the system (more pedals or new ones) and the problems reappear.
5. Investing time and effort, the Effects Beginner manages to make it work, but barely.

Steps 4 and 5 repeat until the Effects Beginner is fed up or runs into a problem that is not overcome by those means

6. The Effects Beginner buys a Cioks DC-7 (or equivalent) and those problems become problems of the past.
7. Also, the Effects Beginner graduates to Effects Journeyman and will tell other beginners about the importance of a proper power supply.
 
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#5
Could also be a bad patch cable.... that's what happens to me more often than not. Mind you, I am using a really good power supply, the CIOSK DC7 with the 4, but these days if I'm getting noise it's usually because I have a patch cable that needs to be redone.

Having said that, I'd say the most important question at this point would be, what exactly are you using to power the chain of pedals? And then what are the specific pedals being powered?

For years I was convinced I didn't need to spend money on a good isolated power supply. I used 1spots. And they worked. But I was using a monster board, with like 15 to 20 pedals. I caved one day and bought a good one, a Truetone CS7. It made quite a difference. I've used a couple others over the years but CIOSK make amazing power supplies.
 
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#6
I suspect the Boss tuner’s power out is maxed out. The standard PSA 120 has its limits @ 500ma. You could use their PSB-1U which has 2000ma available or a Truetone 1Spot with 1700ma.
Boss also recommends that their larger pedals and multi effects which the 200 series fall under to use their own power supplies.
 
Last edited:
#8
Roland GR 88 said:
I suspect the Boss tuner’s power out is maxed out. The standard PSA 120 has its limits @ 500ma. You could use their PSB-1U which has 2000ma available or a Truetone 1Spot with 1700ma.
Boss also recommends that their larger pedals and multi effects which the 200 series fall under to use their own power supplies.
Click to expand...

I missed this upon first read. That is most def the culprit. Too many pedals powered off the tuner.
 

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