EMGs Super loud popping noise when I unplug

[gimmeagig]

I wonder if you guys have any ideas what might be causing this. I have a couple of EMG equipped basses and when I unplug them there is a super loud popping sound. When I plug them in it is not as severe. I have cables with neutrik silent pugs but they are just as noisy as the regular ones. I wrapped the jacks with electrical tape inside the cavity just in case something makes contact, but no difference. I have a couple of basses with different electronics ( also active) and there it doesn't happen quite as loud, because those basses don't have as hot of a signal as the EMGs but it is still noticeable. What could be the cause of that?
I know,I can just turn down the amp but I bought the silent plug cables to eliminate that step when I change basses on a gig.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

You've got to hold down that switch on the plug until it is all the way in/out.

 

[gimmeagig]

There is no switch just a ring on the shaft that engages the contact when the jack is all the way in. I know that sounds weird, I can't think of another way to describe it Please resist the temptation

 

[Justice Graves]

Straight from the Neutrik site...

Please note that the signal isn't muted with some types of active electric guitars which are equipped with tip-ring-sleeve jacks that tap to activate the guitar power supply.

I suspect this is the problem.

 

[JGbassman]

I used them with a Spector for a while and never had any good luck with them.. I had a right angle one for my wireless that lasted about three months, then would start to cut out.

I cut the end off and soldered a regular right angle plug in its place and haven't had an issue since. I just mute at my tuner, which is first in line so I can unplug without foh hearing, but there is a pop when I turn the tuner off mute.

I guess there is no free lunch.

The issue I had was the ring "switch" around the jack would often hang with the circuit open and not disengage the circuit by snapping into place when I was unplugging the bass. Once it was out, I'd have to wiggle the 1/4 plug, and the ring would snap down disengaging the signal.

It seems it would have been a great design if it would have consistently worked.

 

[ctmullins]

I have two of the Neutrik silent plugs. They have worked reliably for years now. For my passive basses.

Because the typical active circuit uses a stereo jack to complete the 9V (or 18V) power supply circuit, these plugs are not intended to be silent with active basses, as @Justice Graves correctly points out above. In practice, the magnitude of the resulting pop will vary for different active circuits. On some of mine it's really loud; on others it's nearly silent. Can't explain why.

I suggest an amp with a mute switch. Or a tuner pedal. Or stick to passive basses.

 

[RobbieK]

seems a bit silly to manufacture a plug that doesn't work with active bases. it's these that really pop badly. ime, passive guitars only make a fairly harmless scratching sound when unplugged. I used to work for a guitar company whose preamps don't make a sound at all. part of this was the way the pre was biased, but also, the jacks had a switch that earthed the signal as the plug was withdrawn.

really, it's a good habit to get into, to unplug at the amp/di first. but it's also super simple to put together a mute switch in a stomp box.

 

[gimmeagig]

Great info, so yeah all of my basses have these stereo jacks for the active circuits. I haven't played passive basses in decades, can't imagine ever going back to passive especially not just for avoiding the popping sound. Good to know that it's not a wiring defect in my basses. I guess I don't need to buy cables with silent plugs anymore.
I don't always bring more than one bass to gigs but when I do i wanted to be able to eliminate the step of turning down the amp when I change the cable from one bass to the other. Not that big of a deal, but I'll have to remember doing that.

 

[RobbieK]

there's no need to turn down the amp. just unplug the cable at the amp before you unplug at the guitar. then plug into your next axe before you reinsert the plug back into the amp.

if you change guitars a lot at gigs, you can use an AB box so they are both plugged in all the time.

 

[96tbird]

there's no need to turn down the amp. just unplug the cable at the amp before you unplug at the guitar. then plug into your next axe before you reinsert the plug back into the amp.

if you change guitars a lot at gigs, you can use an AB box so they are both plugged in all the time.

Yeah. I can't understand folks that unplug a guitar when the amp is powered up without unplugging the amp input first. Crazy to expose your speakers to that harsh signal created by a circuit being shorted, which is exactly what's happening as you pull the plug out.