Help my guitars full of ***NOISE!!!!!!

[wdubstahv]

:confused: I run a recording studio and am having trouble with a high pitched ungrounded sound when trying to record guitars. I have lights on dimmers I belive may be the problem. Well maybe someone knows a solution?????

[BradLyons]

Are you getting a hum or just actual noise? It could be the electronics in the guitar. I'll share a funny story with you. Several months back, I was helping record a band in Studio A @ Sweetwater and the guitar player was in an iso-booth saying "Do you guys hear that?"... we didn't hear anything and he started playing again.... same thing, asked us if we heard it. Come to find out, his guitar amp was picking up a local Christian Radio Station. The ironic thing is the music they were doing was far from the music on that station :-) Talk about the way God tries to reach some of us....... anyway, that just reminded of that, it was funny at the time.

[wdubstahv]

:confused: Im sure the noise is some kind of electrical interferance.
Curious is there some type of resisters that can be used be it in the room.
Im using EMG pick-ups but they dont seem to help!!!!

[MichaelS]

I'd get rid of the dimmers, or just turn them off. If course if there's any flourescents around kill those too. I get horrid hum and buzz if I get to close to the monitor attached to the DR-16 if I happen to be recording guitar in my control room. Of course I'm using a Seymour Duncan hot rails in my strat which is probably why....notoriously noisy pickup but it sure rocks when it's dark in my house. Does the guitar hum or buzz when you're not touching it or just when you're touching it. It could be a grounding issue. I had kinda a similar problem with another piece of equipment till I grounded it to a ground rod outside the studio.

Just a few thoughts....

[wdubstahv]

Ive tried turning off the lights but its just about as bad etheir way.
And yes its more like pick-up buzz and also the computer monitor seems to add to this problem. Espescially when I use the tone button on my guitar. (Im sure all Rock albums werent recorded in the dark) so im still searching for a solution, be it resistors/deflectors from all the electronics in my control room. Thanks for your reply.

[Kaffe guy]

Computer monitors, light dimmers, halogen lights, anything with power transformers or microprocessors will radiate *noise* into guitar pickups. We have had to turn off CRT monitors before a take in small control rooms. Also depends on proximity and angle. Does turning around change anything? What type of pickups do you have? If they are regular single coils, you are most vulnerable. If you have one of the noiseless types, such as Kinman, Lawrence, Fender, you're better off--in most cases, home free. If you have a hum-free type pickup and still have problems, is the guitar shielded? This will help, though not necessarily be a total solution.

[levon]

check you'r cables they are notorious for noise.

[recycled705]

Please let me know what guitar, pickups, amp, and effects pedals (if any) you are using. Also is your rig being mic'ed or is there any "electronic" connection between your rig and the mixing console. I.E. Direct connection?. Are you using anything in your effects loop?....1. Unplug everything. 2. Plug amp into wall. 3. Plug guitar into amp with proven high quality cable. 4 Set amp for cleanest tone possible at moderat volume. Bear with me.
Are you experiencing the same amount of noise when you simply plug your guitar into your amp with your best cable, and you have the amp set for its cleanest tone. (No Distortion) Remember that the way distortion is created usually involves a great deal of gain , in a tube amp in particular with its own powerful internally generated magnetic fields , the preamp may be amplifying at factors of hundreds or even thousands of times, then squashed back down by the limiting effect of the overdriven tube stages. This, by nature will always generate some additional noise. Aside from having a high quality, well designed amp, cable, pickups, properly shielded and grounded guitar, and shortest possible cable lengths, you must consider the purity of your A.C. power and as you mentioned , and proximity to R.F.I. and E.M.I. Also any ground planes that occur between any other gear that shares an electrical connection.
(Audio or A.C. outlet)
You know, some guys actually go to the extreme of physically shielding there guitar booth by using a continuous copper mesh on the walls , floor, and ceiling, to prevent any external interference.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Please tell me more about your setup...This information will allow me to help you with your problem.
Thanks,
Recycled 705