Need help: Massive squealing from Mark IV-Axe FX 4CM connection

[nightlight]

As soon as I flip my amp on, this high-pitched sound comes through my headphones. Makes the whole setup unfeasible.

I tried lowering the lead and master volumes, but while the squealing goes away, so does the tone and the volume becomes excessively low as well.

Grounding switches on the Axe FX, the Mark IV and the Fryette PS-2 I'm loading down the amp for the 4CM don't do anything, other than making the whining sound higher pitch or lower pitched.

Honestly, it sounds far worse than the squealing I previously experienced routing amps into a Quad Cortex.

Is getting those humbuster cables that Fractal sells the only option? I haven't tried using my Decimator yet. Or would TRS cables help here?

Odd thing is that even with my guitar turned down, there's also a lot of hiss in the signal. I'm using different power outlets for the Axe FX and the Mark IV.

The amp works fine by itself, but I did notice it doesn't sound great through the Fryette PS-2 by itself. Brittle, low volume and a lot of static.

Any suggestions?

 

[Techdeth]

Man a noise gate would make that all useable . I had that same set up before . I had to have a gate to Keep the good tone and have no noise . I think you will be straight .
If that gates too much and it’s too tight or times not good roll the gate back until your tone is where you want it .

 

[bubucci]

There is a video on YT from Fryette where the guy is explainig why it happens, even he has MK IV in video.
Reason is ground loop. I have the same issue with Suhr SL67, pedalboard and loop from PS-100. I am looking for Lehle P-split III, hi-Z transformer to break loop at the amp input. I tried some common ISO box between send/return and it didn't work for squeeling and/or mess with sound.

 

[GrimTrigger]

Axe Fx and Fryette PS just don’t get along. Went through two Axes and two Fryettes and tons of outboard remedies before giving up and moving on. Hoping to save you time and money. The idea that a noise gate would fix this is ludicrous.

 

[BeZo]

I made my own Humbuster cables and they do make a difference. I run an FX8 in 4CM with two amps in stereo and don't have any noise. I would try the humbuster cable route.

 

[alund]

Above^^. The YouTube vid is important to see what you might hear through the PS.
Amp sounds ok by itself? Axe fx sounds ok through another amp? Go through front end? Go through amp loop? Confirm the 4 cable method is set up correctly.

 

[Shask]

Easy answer is unhook the Axe. I have never liked 4CM. It messes up more than it helps.

Long answer is look for the boost pad settings on the outputs for the Axe, and be prepared to buy an isolated transformer box so you can cut ground loops between the amp and Axe.

 

[BeZo]

Axe Fx and Fryette PS just don’t get along. Went through two Axes and two Fryettes and tons of outboard remedies before giving up and moving on. Hoping to save you time and money. The idea that a noise gate would fix this is ludicrous.

Did you use Humbuster cables to hook it up?

 

[grrr_me_scary]

As soon as I flip my amp on, this high-pitched sound comes through my headphones. Makes the whole setup unfeasible.

I tried lowering the lead and master volumes, but while the squealing goes away, so does the tone and the volume becomes excessively low as well.

Grounding switches on the Axe FX, the Mark IV and the Fryette PS-2 I'm loading down the amp for the 4CM don't do anything, other than making the whining sound higher pitch or lower pitched.

Honestly, it sounds far worse than the squealing I previously experienced routing amps into a Quad Cortex.

Is getting those humbuster cables that Fractal sells the only option? I haven't tried using my Decimator yet. Or would TRS cables help here?

Odd thing is that even with my guitar turned down, there's also a lot of hiss in the signal. I'm using different power outlets for the Axe FX and the Mark IV.

The amp works fine by itself, but I did notice it doesn't sound great through the Fryette PS-2 by itself. Brittle, low volume and a lot of static.

Any suggestions?

It's the AXE FX and PS-2 relationship.

Try the 4CM without the PS-2.

 

[nightlight]

I managed to get the squealing to ease somewhat, as it appears I made and error doing the connections. But the Mark IV sounds like it has no balls, just very shrill and thin.

The route I went was guitar -> Axe input -> Mark IV -> Fryette PS-2 -> Axe FX -> Output

But while the squealing was a bit more controllable now and I could get a decent volume using noise gates, the amp sounds pretty horrible, and I don't think I will do that again.

 

[nightlight]

This is what I could get out of it:

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

Why are you running a PS2 with a Mark IV? It has a very good if a little touchy master volume. Or are you doing a wet dry rig?

 

[Toneboner]

I do the same setup with a few different hi gain heads. Haven’t had those issues. I *can* get PS2 to squeal at some max gain settings,, but that’s even without 4cm/axefx hooked up (the known issue described above). Remember Humbuster ts side goes into amp,, trs into axe!!

 

[DrewJD82]

Axe Fx and Fryette PS just don’t get along. Went through two Axes and two Fryettes and tons of outboard remedies before giving up and moving on. Hoping to save you time and money. The idea that a noise gate would fix this is ludicrous.

Crazy, I just plugged mine in and it worked right away.

 

[DrewJD82]

I said it to OP at TGF, but I had a squealing issue with the same setup, I had to separate the Fryette from my Plexi, I think I read the output transformers don’t play well with each other when they’re too close, but may be misremembering that.

 

[Toneboner]

Crazy, I just plugged mine in and it worked right away.

So this is fm9 into iic+ fx return? Sounds really good

 

[nightlight]

Crazy, I just plugged mine in and it worked right away.

In this case, I suppose you're just going straight from the FM9 into the Fryette. It works well for me too if I go that route. But the 4-cable method is a bust.

I do want to try those hum buster cables, but right now I got other things on my mind, so maybe some other day.

PS: Thanks to everybody for the advice.