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

[Greazygeo]

Yeah, I suppose using an isolation transformer or possibly humbustercables would resolve this. I have a Radial Headlight that I'll try out first.

This solution does sound like much more than 4 cables though!

Only because of the added isolation transformer and PS2.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

I use “guitar > axe-fx instrument in -> axe-fx out 4 -> amp -> reactive load -> axe-fx input 4 -> axe-fx out 1” all the time.

Iso transformer boxes. You need em. They will 100% resolve the issue.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

To load down the amp and send that signal to the Axe FX. No other way to do it that I can think of that will let me have both pre- and post FX.

Sorry I must not understand. Why not run 4 cm without PS2, Mark IV loop should be transparent? Unless you are running the Mark so loud you are driving the power section into distortion.

 

[DrewJD82]

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

FM9 into a Fryette PS-100, using a IIC+ model in the Fractal.

 

[DrewJD82]

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.

You’re correct, I posted the wrong vid, the way I have it setup 99% of the time is with a VP4 or FM9 in 4CM, with either the Plexi50 or 5153.

 

[Shask]

You’re correct, I posted the wrong vid, the way I have it setup 99% of the time is with a VP4 or FM9 in 4CM, with either the Plexi50 or 5153.

Do you ever unhook it all and just play guitar->amp?

 

[DrewJD82]

Do you ever unhook it all and just play guitar->amp?

I have all the access I want to vacant commercial office space, of course I do.

 

[Shask]

I have all the access I want to vacant commercial office space, of course I do.

And you dont notice 4CM making things smoother and less punchy, as I mentioned on TGP?

Maybe you prefer smoother tones, so you dont notice it as much. It drives me crazy.

 

[grrr_me_scary]

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

You said you didn't have any issues.

Did you set the AXE FX up with Power station as 4CM or just the AXE FX "directly" going into the power station?

There shouldn't be any issues with "direct" connection but there is a known issue with the 4CM.

Edit: I had read you said "direct" connection in your follow-up reply to another.

 

[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?

You can find some older posts in the Fractal forum by some members that had the same issue.

It was the AXE FX III that had caused the issue.

My AXE FX III in 4CM made the high squeals but my AXE FX II XL+ had worked completely fine.

I had ended up selling all of my AXE FX III's due to this issue since I was only going to use the AXE FX III for the effects in a 4CM set-up.

I had kept two of my XL +'s for this reason since the effects on the XL + are stellar and easy to dial in for my practice/live rig.

I would be curious how someone gets this to work on this same set-up.

Unfortunately, I don't remember for sure what amps I had used at the time since the effects loop of those amps would be a factor to consider as well.

I believe it would have been one/some of these amps: MKIV, MKV, JP-2C, and MKVII.

I no longer have any of them except the MKV and I don't have the AXE FX III as well, otherwise, I would test the 4CM set-up again with them for you.

Hopefully, you find a solution.

GLWTSearch for the answer!

 

[nightlight]

Sorry I must not understand. Why not run 4 cm without PS2, Mark IV loop should be transparent? Unless you are running the Mark so loud you are driving the power section into distortion.

The amplifier will explode. It needs to see something hooked up to the power section, otherwise when you turn it even a little bit up, the transformer will get badly damaged.

 

[nightlight]

Only because of the added isolation transformer and PS2.

So this was the signal chain you suggested.

guitar > Axe input… Axe FX Send > Lehle iso input> Lehle iso outup> amp input…amp fx send > Axe FX Return….Axe main output > amp FX Return…amp speaker out > PS2 Amp in….. PS2 speaker out > Speaker cabinet

I had a much simpler cabling setup, even if I added the Lehle. You have seven cables.

Guitar -> Axe FX input 1
-> Axe FX Output 4 (Send) -> MKIV Input
MKIV Cab Output -> Fryette PS-2 Input
Fryette PS-2 Line Out -> Axe FX Input 4 (Return)
Axe FXI Output 1 (Main Output) -> Recording Input/Powercab

Think I may be getting something wrong here, but looking at your cabling, you'd have to run speakers in that setup, whereas I would have a silent recording rig with the MKIV acting as a preamp. That might be the difference.

 

[Greazygeo]

So this was the signal chain you suggested.

guitar > Axe input… Axe FX Send > Lehle iso input> Lehle iso outup> amp input…amp fx send > Axe FX Return….Axe main output > amp FX Return…amp speaker out > PS2 Amp in….. PS2 speaker out > Speaker cabinet

I had a much simpler cabling setup, even if I added the Lehle. You have seven cables.

Guitar -> Axe FX input 1
-> Axe FX Output 4 (Send) -> MKIV Input
MKIV Cab Output -> Fryette PS-2 Input
Fryette PS-2 Line Out -> Axe FX Input 4 (Return)
Axe FXI Output 1 (Main Output) -> Recording Input/Powercab

Think I may be getting something wrong here, but looking at your cabling, you'd have to run speakers in that setup, whereas I would have a silent recording rig with the MKIV acting as a preamp. That might be the difference.

Mine works and has no issues as long as the Lehle is hooked up. The PS2 is the load, why would I need to run speakers? The PS2 has an xlr line out that can go direct to my interface should I want to do that. You are running the Axe after the PS2, I run my rig just like I play live. 4cm using HX fx, some fx are in front of amp and some in the amps loop. Though I do not use the PS2 live, the PS2 can take the place of my cab and only use the line out of the ps2. No cab hooked up and irs in my DAW.

Your way could work, but you said it has squealing and the amp sounds bad. I’m going to say there is some parallel path going on with the Axe that is putting your amp out of phase somewhere along with ground loops causing the squealing.

 

[nightlight]

Mine works and has no issues as long as the Lehle is hooked up. The PS2 is the load, why would I need to run speakers? The PS2 has an xlr line out that can go direct to my interface should I want to do that. You are running the Axe after the PS2, I run my rig just like I play live. 4cm using HX fx, some fx are in front of amp and some in the amps loop. Though I do not use the PS2 live, the PS2 can take the place of my cab and only use the line out of the ps2. No cab hooked up and irs in my DAW.

Your way could work, but you said it has squealing and the amp sounds bad. I’m going to say there is some parallel path going on with the Axe that is putting your amp out of phase somewhere along with ground loops causing the squealing.

I've resolved the problem thanks to members' advice. I stuck this in the path of the Axe FX send to amplifier input.

It's a Radial Headlight. Outputs 2 to 4 are isolated and the squealing is completely gone even at higher volumes and gain settings.

The cabling was quite simple and just required one extra cable for the Headlight.

@Greazygeo the part I don't understand is why you have an additional cable from the Axe FX main output to the amp FX return. Is that step necessary? The way I see it is that the input of the amp and the output to the PS-2 effectively makes it possible to position FX both in front of and behind the preamp.