Hum, noise coming thru the power to my house to my amps.

[Jeremy]

I had a similar issue a few years back @ my old place. Lots of noise, sometimes radio, and everytime an appliance turned on/off, hell even turning on/off light switches a pop would come through my amp.

What I did is I purchased the Furman Power Factor Pro power conditioner. It homest to God took care of the noise/hum.

It isn't the cheapest solution, but it might be worth a try.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I got the same problem with the electrical at my g.f's house it is basically unusable with any amp
Humx didnt work for me either..

That sucks.

I will report back tomorrow. I recently got a Brace wireless unit and it was unfuckinusable. All it did was magnify my problem. Just need to pinpoint it and I am going to be a freak about it until it is resolved.

Thanks for the ideas/help fellas.

I'd be interested to see how this pans out - hope the breakers scenario works out

V.

Just shut off the breakers...............no change......fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckmotherfuckinfuck.

I will report back tomorrow. I recently got a Brace wireless unit and it was unfuckinusable. All it did was magnify my problem. Just need to pinpoint it and I am going to be a freak about it until it is resolved.

Thanks for the ideas/help fellas.

Maybe acoustic gtrs are in your future?

Damnit Geo....my palm muting sounds weird on an acoustic.

I'll though out a bunch of stuff. outlets wired backwards or ground is not actually grounding? PCs, Neon beer lights in the garage, Wireless network or maybe a real close Neighbors wireless, cell and wireless phones. new cell tower in the area, I read one time that a bad power cord turned an amp into a radio. preamp tubes missing Covers? Amp and effects are plugged in to different outlets (causes a ground loop) D.I. going to a PC or P.A. that is plugged into a a diffent outlet. Space heater, humidifier, baby monitor????

I have this issue a few times with bad instrument cables. I am really curious now, Please post when you find the cause.

I have covered all the bases.

I had a similar issue a few years back @ my old place. Lots of noise, sometimes radio, and everytime an appliance turned on/off, hell even turning on/off light switches a pop would come through my amp.

What I did is I purchased the Furman Power Factor Pro power conditioner. It homest to God took care of the noise/hum.

It isn't the cheapest solution, but it might be worth a try.

I think It may have to come to this. How much are these things?

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I have determined it is the power coming into the house.

I guess the only solution is to use some type of voltage regulator conditioner thing.

I currently use this http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=2143 Not doing the trick.

 

[Heritage Softail]

THe power company will not work with you? Just curious what exactly is the issue? Is there a low grade ground in the transformer outside?

 

[threadkiller]

Low voltage is often the problem. If you get a power conditioner make sure it as a real voltage regulator/power conditioner and not a glorified power strip with some lights on it.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

THe power company will not work with you? Just curious what exactly is the issue? Is there a low grade ground in the transformer outside?

Me too. I could call them and see if they have had other complaints. Their is constantly new construction around my area. Maybe they keep adding shit and it is causing a problem? Never had this problem before.

 

[Greazygeo]

I have determined it is the power coming into the house.

I guess the only solution is to use some type of voltage regulator conditioner thing.

I currently use this http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=2143 Not doing the trick.

If you have nothing plugged into the amp it could be the amp. Make sure your power tubes aren't redplating. If its on both channels, could be power section....Do you have a pa power amp handy? Try running the preamp out / fx loop send to it and see if you still get noise....maybe take the amp to a friends house and see if it still acts up...

Have you done or added anything new when it started?

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I have determined it is the power coming into the house.

I guess the only solution is to use some type of voltage regulator conditioner thing.

I currently use this http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=2143 Not doing the trick.

If you have nothing plugged into the amp it could be the amp. Make sure your power tubes aren't redplating. If its on both channels, could be power section....Do you have a pa power amp handy? Try running the preamp out / fx loop send to it and see if you still get noise....maybe take the amp to a friends house and see if it still acts up...

Have you done or added anything new when it started?

Geo, All my amps are doing it to some degree. I will go shut off the noise gate on the Engl and see if it does it. But, I have removed everything from the loop. Tried different speaker cables, different outlets, different parts of the house, completely different speaker cabs. It's all the same. My bias is dead nuts on everything, I double checked. I have swapped out all pre amps tubes on the Peters. They all make noise with nothing plugged in the front. I will experiment more today but I swear to everything holy it's the power coming into the house.

I have added nothing new and did nothing to my rig when this started happening. I am not smoking crack, dope or drinking. Maybe that's the problem.........I need to start.

 

[Greazygeo]

Geo, All my amps are doing it to some degree. I will go shut off the noise gate on the Engl and see if it does it. But, I have removed everything from the loop. Tried different speaker cables, different outlets, different parts of the house, completely different speaker cabs. It's all the same. My bias is dead nuts on everything, I double checked. I have swapped out all pre amps tubes on the Peters. They all make noise with nothing plugged in the front. I will experiment more today but I swear to everything holy it's the power coming into the house.

I have added nothing new and did nothing to my rig when this started happening. I am not smoking crack, dope or drinking. Maybe that's the problem.........I need to start.

Tried the amps at someone elses place yet?

I know its a frustrating thing. Hopefully its just a temporary thing.

 

[JTyson]

THe power company will not work with you? Just curious what exactly is the issue? Is there a low grade ground in the transformer outside?

This is what I was thinking, it would affect the entire house. A good pwr conditioner might solve it, but if your pwr co could at least check things out, it may save you some coin if they did in fact, find a problem at the X-former
He's had no problems, then out of the blue has a noise issue in every amp he tries
Sounds like a ground circuit issue at the pwr source (transformer)
I would at least call them about it, if thats the issue, your gonna drive yourself nuts trying to fix it

 

[roadifier]

Sneak over to your neighbors house, put an extension cord in an outdoor outlet, and see if there is still noise coming through your amp. or you could just politely ask to run an extension cord from their house to your amp and see if it still hums.

Maybe something happened to the transformers outside your house, they are those big green things (usually) that look like blocks, and are on the side of the rode. Sometimes if a car accidentally hits one, It could cause hum and unstable voltage going into your house.

 

[protoplasma]

While this could easily be a result of directly coupled interference coming in through the AC power, it could also easily be indirectly coupling onto your sensitive high-gain preamp circuits by some external source. I'd start by checking to see if any of your neighbors are experimenting with fusion reactors, like this guy: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-A-Fusion-Reactor/

In all seriousness though, one of your neighbors could have started using some sort of device that is causing your troubles. One of my clients has a similar issue, only in his house, and only some of the time. It's hard to believe how much RF is flying through the air and through us, so it's bound to mess things up in the audio frequencies once in a while, just as that particularly audible harmonic lines up to do so.

 

[Ventura]

If it's a larger transformer, it may be feeding more than just one home on the street, or the source could be coming from higher up the food chain.

Honestly, trying the power out at either of your neighbors homes would be step #1 in isolating the source of the problem outside of the fact we now know it's IN your home.

V.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Geo, All my amps are doing it to some degree. I will go shut off the noise gate on the Engl and see if it does it. But, I have removed everything from the loop. Tried different speaker cables, different outlets, different parts of the house, completely different speaker cabs. It's all the same. My bias is dead nuts on everything, I double checked. I have swapped out all pre amps tubes on the Peters. They all make noise with nothing plugged in the front. I will experiment more today but I swear to everything holy it's the power coming into the house.

I have added nothing new and did nothing to my rig when this started happening. I am not smoking crack, dope or drinking. Maybe that's the problem.........I need to start.

Tried the amps at someone elses place yet?

I know its a frustrating thing. Hopefully its just a temporary thing.

No yet..... I hope it's temporary but it's been doing it a while now.

Sneak over to your neighbors house, put an extension cord in an outdoor outlet, and see if there is still noise coming through your amp. or you could just politely ask to run an extension cord from their house to your amp and see if it still hums.

Maybe something happened to the transformers outside your house, they are those big green things (usually) that look like blocks, and are on the side of the rode. Sometimes if a car accidentally hits one, It could cause hum and unstable voltage going into your house.

I think this would be the logical next step. Try both my neighbors power source. It does not look as if the transformer has been hit but it has been deathly cold (-30 at times) last couple weeks.

THe power company will not work with you? Just curious what exactly is the issue? Is there a low grade ground in the transformer outside?

This is what I was thinking, it would affect the entire house. A good pwr conditioner might solve it, but if your pwr co could at least check things out, it may save you some coin if they did in fact, find a problem at the X-former
He's had no problems, then out of the blue has a noise issue in every amp he tries
Sounds like a ground circuit issue at the pwr source (transformer)
I would at least call them about it, if thats the issue, your gonna drive yourself nuts trying to fix it

Yeah, I will try neighbors then call these dudes.

While this could easily be a result of directly coupled interference coming in through the AC power, it could also easily be indirectly coupling onto your sensitive high-gain preamp circuits by some external source. I'd start by checking to see if any of your neighbors are experimenting with fusion reactors, like this guy: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-A-Fusion-Reactor/

In all seriousness though, one of your neighbors could have started using some sort of device that is causing your troubles. One of my clients has a similar issue, only in his house, and only some of the time. It's hard to believe how much RF is flying through the air and through us, so it's bound to mess things up in the audio frequencies once in a while, just as that particularly audible harmonic lines up to do so.

They better not be building shit like that. Maybe someone is growing a shit ton of weed in there basement and using half the power grid for the lights or something. Who the fuck knows.

Thanks for the input Mr.Rhodes.

If it's a larger transformer, it may be feeding more than just one home on the street, or the source could be coming from higher up the food chain.

Honestly, trying the power out at either of your neighbors homes would be step #1 in isolating the source of the problem outside of the fact we now know it's IN your home.

V.

It looks as if each one of those transformers is feeding every 2 houses. So, I will try and run a cord to each of my neighbors, it would at least tell me if it is happening on just my transformer or further up the line.

 

[hellaboogie]

I am getting a hum mixed with a white noise coming thru my speakers when on clean or lead channels. It sounds like the ocean is coming thru my speakers mixed with a hum. I have noticed it on the Peters and Diezel. It started a couple weeks ago and was never there before that. At first I thought it was something in my signal chain, I unplugged everything and went straight into each amp seperately, noise still there. I also moved an amp to a different location in the house using a different speaker cab and cables. Noise still there. I have used multiple outlets with the same outcome. I also noticed that the noise is there when no instrument is plugged in and amp is off standby.

I have eliminated it as being my gear and think it is the house. The house is only 9 years old.

Any help or suggestions would be great. This is really starting to piss me off.

Thanks

That sucks man, did you track down the problem

 

[steve_k]

For sure, let us know what you find with the neighbors. If the electric company won't change the transformer, a good .306 slug will kill it dead and they will have to come then. If 3of you are tied onto one undersized transformer, it could cause the problem, as electricity flows in both directions. If you plan to stay in that house, you might have the electric company give you a price for isolating you on the grid.

Steve

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I am getting a hum mixed with a white noise coming thru my speakers when on clean or lead channels. It sounds like the ocean is coming thru my speakers mixed with a hum. I have noticed it on the Peters and Diezel. It started a couple weeks ago and was never there before that. At first I thought it was something in my signal chain, I unplugged everything and went straight into each amp seperately, noise still there. I also moved an amp to a different location in the house using a different speaker cab and cables. Noise still there. I have used multiple outlets with the same outcome. I also noticed that the noise is there when no instrument is plugged in and amp is off standby.

I have eliminated it as being my gear and think it is the house. The house is only 9 years old.

Any help or suggestions would be great. This is really starting to piss me off.

Thanks

That sucks man, did you track down the problem

Not yet man. I got busy and could not rob my neighbors power yet.

For sure, let us know what you find with the neighbors. If the electric company won't change the transformer, a good .306 slug will kill it dead and they will have to come then. If 3of you are tied onto one undersized transformer, it could cause the problem, as electricity flows in both directions. If you plan to stay in that house, you might have the electric company give you a price for isolating you on the grid.

Steve

Will do Steve. Haha, yeah. I could put a 12g slug into it. I think I would want to have the trajectory originating from other than my house. After I "borrow" power from either side I will contact them.

 

[steve_k]

I am getting a hum mixed with a white noise coming thru my speakers when on clean or lead channels. It sounds like the ocean is coming thru my speakers mixed with a hum. I have noticed it on the Peters and Diezel. It started a couple weeks ago and was never there before that. At first I thought it was something in my signal chain, I unplugged everything and went straight into each amp seperately, noise still there. I also moved an amp to a different location in the house using a different speaker cab and cables. Noise still there. I have used multiple outlets with the same outcome. I also noticed that the noise is there when no instrument is plugged in and amp is off standby.

I have eliminated it as being my gear and think it is the house. The house is only 9 years old.

Any help or suggestions would be great. This is really starting to piss me off.

Thanks

That sucks man, did you track down the problem

Not yet man. I got busy and could not rob my neighbors power yet.

For sure, let us know what you find with the neighbors. If the electric company won't change the transformer, a good .306 slug will kill it dead and they will have to come then. If 3of you are tied onto one undersized transformer, it could cause the problem, as electricity flows in both directions. If you plan to stay in that house, you might have the electric company give you a price for isolating you on the grid.

Steve

Will do Steve. Haha, yeah. I could put a 12g slug into it. I think I would want to have the trajectory originating from other than my house. After I "borrow" power from either side I will contact them.

It would have to be a drive by!

 

[Pickup]

have you lift the ground on your amp? Also it could be your guitar. Are you using the same guitar through all of this?

 

[Jimmie]

What causes the humming in audio systems ?

Audio and video systems need a reference point for their voltages. Generally referred to as common or ground, although it may not be actually connected with the earth, this reference remains at "zero volts" while other signal voltages "swing" positive (above) and negative (below) it. Physically, the common may be a wire, a trace on a printed-circuit board, a metal chassis, virtually anything that conducts electricity. Ideally it should be a perfect conductor, but in any practical system it is not. As the complexity and size of the system is increased, the imperfect conductivity of the common (ground) conductor inevitably causes problems.

Hum and buzz (50Hz/60Hz and it's harmonics) occur in unbalanced systems when currents flow in the cable shield connections between different pieces of equipment. Hum and buzz can also occur balanced systems even though they are generally much more

The cable shield currents and ground voltage differences are caused by several mechanisms. The second most common source of hum and buzz is the voltage difference between two safety grounds separated by a large distance or the voltage difference between a safety ground and an "Earth" ground (such as a grounded satellite dish or cable TV source). This problem is usually called "ground loop". This is the most common one in severe humming problems.

Hum and buzz can also be magnetically induced or capacitively induced directly into signal cables. Or the noise current can leak from mains input through capacitance between the A.C. power transformer primary and secondary windings which causes that a portion of the A.C. line voltage will ALWAYS be capacitively coupled directly to audio circuit ground. This capacitivly coupled power line signal will usually contain significant harmonics out to 1MHz or more. These signals will cause currents to flow in the cable shields thus adding this noise directly to the audio signal.

Read more at:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/