Static buildup

[LarryR]

I've read there's a phenomenon where electricity (static?) can build up in the cables of your board.
I've experienced this with one pedal only and wonder if anyone's had the same problem. Not to pick on the EBS OctaBass (black face) but whether it's in a loop or standalone.....when kicking it on I get a low-end storm of sound which clears up within 4-5 seconds. Doesn't happen all the time. Usually when it's been sitting awhile - presumably building up static.
Any cure for it? Anyone dealing with similar issues?

 

[Ba55Man1ac]

Ya that's definitely not static, you've got a problem there. Could be the pedal, could be the power supply, could be an interaction with your other pedals.

 

[LarryR]

I remember reading on a site (Loop-master?) that this isn't uncommon. A solution is to kick an offensive pedal on/off a few times to discharge any build-up. If I find the article/site I'll post.

Anyone else?

 

[fenderx55]

Something similar happens to my brother's SD twin-tube guitar preamp. His issue is just a huge pop when engaged, but we figured it was just due to the crappy power at our drummer's house.

 

[bongomania]

Cables exhibit capacitance, which is the storage of a charge. Usually all it takes to discharge it is one or two stomps on a TBP switch, but I suppose you could just bridge the tip and sleeve of each cable with a piece of conductive metal or a resistor etc. to send the charge to ground. Just don't have it plugged into your amp with the amp 'on' at the time.

 

[niftydog]

Loud pops in true bypass pedals, it's fairly well accepted, is due to DC voltages leaking through the DC blocking caps at the input and output of most stomp box circuits. There's no silver bullet solution that I am aware of - this is just one of the many disadvantages of true bypass.

Static doesn't usually just leap out from behind the curtains and cling onto stuff! Something has to cause it to build up - friction is usually the culprit.

Another source of strange semi-static voltages can be the dreaded wall wart. Usually the low voltage side of a wall wart is "floating" - meaning it has no ground reference. It is possible for two different wall warts to "float" differently, resulting in a voltage offset between the two. Plugging them into a common ground source (like linked pedals) eliminates this problem.

So, assuming all your patch cables have good ground connections, and there are no fuzzy animals vigorously rubbing themselves on your cables, I'd say static is probably not an issue for you. Especially if the phenomenon lasts for a few seconds (that is completely uncharacteristic for static electricity discharges.)

Can you describe the sound in any more detail, or better yet record it and post it?

How are you powering your pedals?

 

[LarryR]

Bongomania: you confirm my dilemma....and then give a prescription to electrocute myself. I thank you, and suggest you never work at a Suicide Hotline.
OT: i sold you my old MIJ Boss Comp. Hey ole buddy!

Niftydog: good info. My cables are ok, because I've torn down this board lot's of times, rarely putting it together with the same cables and yet, it's only the EBS that has the problem. Power? Voodoo Lab PP2 or One-spot.
It's happened in many different places/venues, so while my apartment's electricity may be suspect, it's happened at clubs etc.. that I assume have decent grounding.

I'll try and post a sample. Thanks for the interest my man down under. And we here in the US are watching in horror what's goin' on in Victoria. Terrible.

 

[niftydog]

No words for it, LarryR. We had some bad fires in my city back in 2003, but as scary and tragic as that day was it simply pales into insignificance compared to this. So sad. I can't imagine what those poor people are going through.