When I was in the studio last month, playing scratch guitar tracks while we recorded drums, I got so much buzzing and crackle running my ART DST-4 and Peavey Rock Master together that I eventually unplugged the Peavey. It wasn't until we were done recording that I determined a ground loop issue to be the culprit. I guess it might be something else, but regardless of the preamp combinations (ART, Peavey, ADA MP-1), there was definitely buzz with two preamps connected...and the Peavey actually was crackling and dropping out. Once I got all my gear home, I noticed that the Peavey has a ground lift switch, which I hadn't realized in the studio. In any case, each preamp sounded fine if the other wasn't connected.
There are two points of "contact" in my rig, where both preamps connect. First is a Sabine RT tuner, which has A/B switching. I run one preamp into each tuner input, and from each tuner output to one of the channels in my Carvin T100 stereo power amp. I am assuming that the power amp would be the most likely problem spot, as removing the tuner from the signal path made no apparent difference. Same results using a Morley ABY pedal.
Since I don't really know anything about ground loops, I might be talking/typing out my ass on this one. I have read many comments and reviews suggesting that the Morley pedals sap a lot of the signal strength in the "Y" position, but I don't think signal loss would have been an issue through the Sabine, as it is either A *or* B, not both. I'm also concerned by the crackle and dropouts on the Peavey, but it works fine on its own. I would be disappointed to lose the simple A/B arrangement, and further concerned because I have a BBE 362NR on the way that could potentially contribute to further signal problems.
Sorry for the novel. Any suggestions? (Note: I haven't used the rig since "discovering" the ground switch on the Peavey preamp, but I doubt that it alone would fix the buzzing issue.)
There are two points of "contact" in my rig, where both preamps connect. First is a Sabine RT tuner, which has A/B switching. I run one preamp into each tuner input, and from each tuner output to one of the channels in my Carvin T100 stereo power amp. I am assuming that the power amp would be the most likely problem spot, as removing the tuner from the signal path made no apparent difference. Same results using a Morley ABY pedal.
Since I don't really know anything about ground loops, I might be talking/typing out my ass on this one. I have read many comments and reviews suggesting that the Morley pedals sap a lot of the signal strength in the "Y" position, but I don't think signal loss would have been an issue through the Sabine, as it is either A *or* B, not both. I'm also concerned by the crackle and dropouts on the Peavey, but it works fine on its own. I would be disappointed to lose the simple A/B arrangement, and further concerned because I have a BBE 362NR on the way that could potentially contribute to further signal problems.
Sorry for the novel. Any suggestions? (Note: I haven't used the rig since "discovering" the ground switch on the Peavey preamp, but I doubt that it alone would fix the buzzing issue.)
Comment