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pedal problem?

brstma

brstma

my dog is an awesome dog
Supporting Member
Nov 20, 2008
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Florida
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#1
I just got an EBS sheehan overdrive used here on TB, and I think there is a problem with it. I haven't used an effects pedal in at least 8 years so I could use some feedback before assuming it has a problem


I've noticed 2 potential issues:
1- the battery dies overnight even though the effect is turned off and the light is off. I do leave the cable plugged in but I'm pretty sure that shouldn't kill the battery if it's off. It killed 2 Duracells in 2 nights

2- it picks up noise from my amp and even radio signals sometimes. When I move the pedal around I can hear a change as it moves closer or further from the amp. Never heard this without the pedal connected and it goes away when I go straight to the amp.

Can anyone with one of these pedals confirm if this is definitely a sign of something wrong?
 
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#2
Re: #1, why not try it without leaving it plugged in overnight? It's been a very long time since I've used batteries in any pedals, but leaving a cable plugged into an active bass will drain the battery in the bass, so it wouldn't shock me if it's the same here?
 
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#3
Adamixoye said:
Re: #1, why not try it without leaving it plugged in overnight? It's been a very long time since I've used batteries in any pedals, but leaving a cable plugged into an active bass will drain the battery in the bass, so it wouldn't shock me if it's the same here?
Click to expand...

Well, the difference is the pedal has an on/off switch and most active basses don't unless they have active/ passive switchable electronics. It has been years since I've had an effects pedal but the ones I had before did not kill the battery when the cable was still in if it was turned off. I do have a tuner pedal and it does not use the battery when it's off and cable is plugged in.
 
#4
Yes, I understand the potential differences, but I think there is a chance that it would work that way. I believe my Boss ODB-3 drained the battery when the cable was plugged in even when off. That had a buffered bypass. The EBS looks like it's true bypass, but maybe something in the way it switches on and off or how it does the FX loop drains the battery?

As I said before, it's easy enough to test instead of speculating/guessing...
 
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#5
brstma said:
I just got an EBS sheehan overdrive used here on TB, and I think there is a problem with it. I haven't used an effects pedal in at least 8 years so I could use some feedback before assuming it has a problem


I've noticed 2 potential issues:
1- the battery dies overnight even though the effect is turned off and the light is off. I do leave the cable plugged in but I'm pretty sure that shouldn't kill the battery if it's off. It killed 2 Duracells in 2 nights

2- it picks up noise from my amp and even radio signals sometimes. When I move the pedal around I can hear a change as it moves closer or further from the amp. Never heard this without the pedal connected and it goes away when I go straight to the amp.

Can anyone with one of these pedals confirm if this is definitely a sign of something wrong?
Click to expand...

Pedals that are left plugged in (usually it's the input jack that triggers it) drain the battery even if turned off. This is very common.

As to the interference, not sure what's going on there
 
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#6
I actually already did that one night and it does not kill the battery with the cable unplugged. The first time I thought I probably left the pedal on by mistake. The next night I unplugged it, then last night I left it plugged in and made sure it was off and battery still drained. I did consider it might be normal for this pedal even though I've never experienced this with other pedals

So I would need someone with this exact pedal to confirm if this is normal or not
 
#7
Mosfed said:
Pedals that are left plugged in (usually it's the input jack that triggers it) drain the battery even if turned off. This is very common.
Click to expand...

OK, there's something I just never knew. But it can't be the same for all pedals because my tuner doesn't do it and a couple I had years ago didn't either.

At least it's not a problem...and it's strange they don't warn you in the manual
 
#8
brstma said:
OK, there's something I just never knew. At least it's not a problem...and it's strange they don't warn you in the manual
Click to expand...

I think it's so common manufacturers don't even mention it anymore. A few will but honestly I think fewer and fewer people have time for batteries with pedals when products like the One Spot are so cheap and reliable.
 
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#9
So the battery issue is explained. I already ordered a power supply jumper because my tuner has a power out with matching polarity

Just wondering about the spanish radio and amp noise (high pitched whine) it picks up on occasion. I read that a lot of wah pedals pick up radio. Not sure if others do too.
 
#11
brstma said:
I just got an EBS sheehan overdrive used here on TB, and I think there is a problem with it. I haven't used an effects pedal in at least 8 years so I could use some feedback before assuming it has a problem


I've noticed 2 potential issues:
1- the battery dies overnight even though the effect is turned off and the light is off. I do leave the cable plugged in but I'm pretty sure that shouldn't kill the battery if it's off. It killed 2 Duracells in 2 nights

2- it picks up noise from my amp and even radio signals sometimes. When I move the pedal around I can hear a change as it moves closer or further from the amp. Never heard this without the pedal connected and it goes away when I go straight to the amp.

Can anyone with one of these pedals confirm if this is definitely a sign of something wrong?
Click to expand...



Number one has been sufficiently answered by others, leaving the cable plugged in will kill the battery, as the switch is just bypass NOT on/off. But I see that you've ordered a power supply, so problem solved.

Number two can be multi-faceted, it could be the electric wiring in the room or the house/apartment altogether, and the pedal is just highlighting the fault. It could be poorly shielded cables and the pedal is just highlighting the fault, it could be the amp itself and pedal is just highlighting the fault. This one will take some experimenting and may never be solved. Try other outlets, other rooms etc...
 
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#12
SunnBass said:


Number one has been sufficiently answered by others, leaving the cable plugged in will kill the battery, as the switch is just bypass NOT on/off. But I see that you've ordered a power supply, so problem solved.

Number two can be multi-faceted, it could be the electric wiring in the room or the house/apartment altogether, and the pedal is just highlighting the fault. It could be poorly shielded cables and the pedal is just highlighting the fault, it could be the amp itself and pedal is just highlighting the fault. This one will take some experimenting and may never be solved. Try other outlets, other rooms etc...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had a feeling it could be other things too. I'll have to spend more time experimenting. The radio hasn't happened since Friday night but the amp noise is always there, and it's worse with one of my two basses. I'll have a friend bring his bass and amp over too so I can test and compare
 
#15
So now I'm sure the whine noise is from my amp and possibly one of my basses. I can hear the whine noise faintly from the amp/ cabs with nothing else connected. I just got the bass and it has a push/pull volume pot. In the up position the noise goes away, in the down position it is amplified only when the bass volume is at 100%. It's still there without the pedal connected. On 3 other amps with this bass, with and without the pedal, the noise is not there. So it seems my amp is making the noise too faintly to hear normally, but this bass is amplifying the noise but only when the volume pot is in the down position with volume at 100%... WEIRD!



But the radio it picked up the other day happened without an instrument connected and I unhooked the pedal from the amp and it went away.

So I'm still wondering if it's normal for an overdrive pedal to pick up a radio station
 
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#17
SLO Surfer said:
Is your pedal sitting on or near your amp? Have you tried it on the floor and away from your amp, like it might be set up for a live performance?
Click to expand...

I have moved it around some, but I believe I have eliminated the pedal as the source of the noise (see last post I made)

Now the only question I have is about it picking up a radio station - is it normal?
 
#18
My home made fuzz picks up some radio station or other. It's therefore not impossible, but mine was to a very basic design with no kind of buffers.

From playing about with mine in the past I believe it will be your leads that are picking up the interference, and the pedal is amplifying that interference before it then gets to your bass amp.

Try a shielded cable before and/or after the pedal. I'd bet that will help a lot.
 
#19
Radio interference in an audio device is often due to poor shielding. But this pedal is in a metal box right?
That boggles my mind. Maybe there's a shoddy ground connection to the case? I'm not sure how that can be though.
 
#20
To me, the noise issue, radio interfearence and whine and such, sounds like a problem with your active bass's onboard preamp. It's being magnified by the gain the pedal brings to the table. More suspicious, since it comes and goes with the push/pull volume knob.

Does it get better and worse if you point the bass in different directions? Like its acting like an antenna? Something in there is not grounded right or fried.

Batteries suck, get a one spot of some other power supply so you stop feeding that pedal $5 batteries.
 
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