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Thread Need help!!!! Buzzing sound

6 replies
7 participants
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vicious_en

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First post

1 Posted on 12/26/2004 at 13:01:44

Hi, I'm a newbie in recording stuff, so that's why I need some help,
'cause I don't know if my equipmet isn't right, I just don't know.

Well, I'm gonna describe the equipment I'm using:
PC intel Pentium 4
Ram: 1024mb
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum EX

Guitar: Fender Squier
Cable: Planetwave
Distortion pedal: Marshall Jackhammer

The problem:
when I plug in the cable into the LINE IN 2/MIC 2 there
is buzzing sound, and when activate the pedal it amplifies
the buzzing sound, and there is some extra vibration.

If someone can help me to correct that anoying problem, I would apreciate it.

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mikey_j_420

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2 Posted on 01/01/2005 at 07:16:51

So I take it the buzz isn't there when you're not plugged into your sound card.
I know my guitarist in my band has a MArshall and it buzzes ALL the time. I dont think it has anything to do with your sound card. Just run a decent noise reduction to get rid of it.
If the buzz is just so rediculous that it's driving you up the wall try and adjust your amps gain or maybe even try a decent cord. Because Im using the same sound card and I havnt noticed anything like what you describing.

Later,

Bones.

Sam Spastic

AFfinity Poster

3 Posted on 01/01/2005 at 11:32:44

Is it a ValveState? Had gobs of trouble with them in an old theater I worked in for a while.

Back to the original question:
Does the Jackhammer have a headphone jack? Is the noise there? Does switching pickups help? Can the volume control on the guitar change the buzz?

Axeman

AFfectionate Poster

4 Posted on 01/01/2005 at 12:06:02

A couple of things-

The jack is labled Line In 2/ Mic in 2? which is it, line or mic? Those are 2 different impedence levels, and I can't imagine that your guitar would be happy with either/or.

Squire=Strat=single coil pickups, right?. Computer monitors and single coil pickups don't get along well at all. Plug in, have your computer up and running and the annoying buzz going, then reach over and turn your computer monitor off (just the monitor). Buzz gone? If so, either get a longer cord to get away from the monitor, or try turning your guitar at a different angle to the monitor. I have gone so far as to trun my monitor off while recording....

The Axeman (##(===> Cuts From My New Blues CD

albie

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5 Posted on 03/04/2005 at 05:55:32

And turn off your tv. That always gets picked up by the guitar.

nihility0000

AFfable Poster

6 Posted on 05/29/2005 at 21:48:56

boy im kinda late on this one.
there is a very simple solution to this problem.
one word:
GATE
this will cure any and all hum from your guitar signal path. be sure and set your release atmedium to long so that it doesnt cut the tails of those long sustained notes. have fun!

KitC

AFfinity Poster

7 Posted on 05/30/2005 at 01:26:38

A gate CAN work but its better to seek out and reduce the source of the buzz in general. Among the biggest culprits are flourescent lights (the ballast is quite noisy), lights with dimmer switches, the before-mentioned TV and other motorized applicances, the pc CRT monitor (not lcd) - quite noisy. Guitar pickups are quite prone to picking up these noise sources, that's why humbucking pickups were invented. Also, some single coils can be quite microphonic if the coils are wound relatively loose.

Most of the high-end studios have isolated outlets for their boards and other audio equipment; proper grounding is also a must - my u.p.s. has its own ground wire going to its own ground rod. Another common source are faulty guitar cables and dirty jacks and sockets; replacement of bad cables and cleaning of jacks with De-oxit are recommended. Less common sources are ground loops but are harder to diagnose and correct. The only way to track ground loops is to isolate each piece of equipment in the signal path and determine which is causing the buzz/ground.

Best,

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