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cooknkpl · Location: USA

During recording, I hear radio in my headphones. It seems to be coming from the electric guitar becuz muting that channel kills it.

The setup is:
Electric guitar into Marshall head.
Out to DB4 direct box - direct into channel on Mackie 24/8

The troubleshooting is:
Tried diff channels
changed cables

This has happened before with diff guitars/amps. Any ideas?...kpl

Elameno · Posted - Fri Jul 11, 2003 9:06 am

I'm not sure how to eliminate this, but I know it happens on certain guitars. If you mess around with your tone or volume knobs when this happens you can sometimes "untune" your guitar from whatever radio frequencies you're picking up. Different pickup selections may also help.

Occasionally I'll get some Mexicans talking to each other over their CB radios overtop a Christian station with some preacher giving a sermon...the overlap of those two is an interesting thing to hear *LOL*. That happens on my Mexican Strat...kinda funny that it picks up Mexican's more than any other nationalities.

Elameno

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

It might seem obvious, but what is happening is that something your setup is working (at least partially) as a radio receiver. Plenty of long wires around to act as an aerial and a poor connection (or poorly designed piece of circuitry) acting as a detector.

I seem to remember a discussion about this some time back - one where I imagine SteveG would have got involved - so it might be worth checking the archives.

In the meantim, I'd would try and isolate exactly where the problem is getting in. Set up as usual, then try changing the amp, guitar, etc. - one at a time - and see if anything changes. Also, try moving things around, it might reduce the level, but that's not really a practical solution.

IME, guitar amps are prime suspects when this sort of problem arises.

Havoc · Posted - Fri Jul 11, 2003 10:30 am

Check inputs (at guitar and amp) for bad ground connections. If that does not help, try a ferrite bead around the guitar lead close to the amp (like the ones on monitor cables).

Craig Jackman · Location: Canada

Also because electric guitar amps are generally apply HUGE amounts of gain to a signal, any worn cord that is picking up RF signals of any type is going to have those signals amplified as much as the lo-voltage guitar output. IME - not to disuade you from anyone else's - it generally the cord, followed by worn jacks on the guitar that are the source of the problem. I'd take a close look at the direct box too, as you are adding another pair of connections there which could be at fault.

the3jsgrve · Location: USA

I used to deal with RF problems all the time at live gigs. It turned out that when I traded in the ibanez distortion pedal I was using for a Marshall Guv'nor, the problem stopped. In the meantime, I often resolved the issue at individual gigs by geographically moving or rotating myself, the amp, or both. I've also heard of people running a short guitar cable from the output of the guitar into a direct box, then using a long mic cable to run the distance to another direct box near the amp, and a short guitar cable from there to the input on the amp. Needless to say, that sounded like a bit too much trouble for me at the time, but if I had this problem in the studio I wouldn't put it beyond the realm of things I might try.

Josh

VoodooRadio · Location: USA