Radial StageBug SB-6 Isolator 2-channel Line Isolator Reviews
If you're experiencing noise issues from pairing unbalanced and consumer-level gear (guitar, DJ equipment, and laptop and mobile audio) with pro audio equipment, Sweetwater invites you to step into a new world of buzz-free performance with the Radial StageBug SB-6 passive stereo line isolator. This fully passive (requires no power or phantom power) 2-channel isolator eliminates the 60Hz hum you get from unbalanced signals. Two independent isolation transformers and a choice analog signal path give you a supremely clean and uncolored signal path that's quite linear from 20Hz to 20kHz. The StageBug SB-6's onboard polarity switch corrects frequency cancellations when used with stereo playback systems. And dual ground-lift switches and a -15dB pad ensure hi-fi audio all the way from your source to the listener. The Radial StageBug SB-6 is just another way Radial makes it easy to be a gigging musician and performer today.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Works great! Eliminates ground my ground loop issue.
I definitely recommend the Stage Bug.
I bought this to eliminate ground loop hum in my stereo tube amp setup. (Guitar > Amp Switcher > HX effects > 2 amps).
It took a bit of fiddling around before I found the best placement in my rig. It wasn't as simple just putting the Stage Bug anywhere inline. For me it works best between the outputs of my pedal board and the returns on the amp. No hum! At all! I got varied result when used in other spots within my rig. But when I found where the ground loop was, dropped this little guy in there and eliminated it! Thank you Radial Engineering.
Works for ground loops
Take this with a grain of salt because I don't fully understand ground loops. I had a horrible ground loop between my mixer (ART MX822) and my PC audio interface (Black Lion Audio 2x2). The audio interface was using PC USB for power and powered monitor speakers come off the back of the audio interface. There was a loud hum/buzz and it would get really bad anytime I used an app or game that would cause my PC video card to be active. The unwanted hum would come from the monitor speakers attached to the audio interface via TS cables, or even the headphone jack of my mixer - it was basically everywhere, not just some single wire causing the issue; I couldn't make it go away by swapping cables or anything. I tried other tips from the internet like putting everything on the same power strip and using clean power. Nothing worked. I noticed it went away from both sides if mixer and interface lines were disconnected. That's where I placed the Radial Engineering SB-6 and depressed both Ground Lift buttons. When I did this the noise was eliminated from both sides. For this situation the SB-6 solved the issue perfectly.
I also had another problem on another set of equipment. Another hum/buzz, so I assumed another ground loop. I placed the SB-6 there and it had no effect - it did NOT work. I then tried a SESCOM IL-STEREO-19 and it eliminated most of the hum/buzz, but it also dropped the volume a lot. After further debugging, I found I had a 25ft stereo RCA cable with an open ground. When that cable was replaced, the hum/buzz was entirely eliminated. No hum/buzz eliminating device was needed.
I wish there was a way to know for certain what a ground loop is and where it is coming from. When a ground loop is present and you can pin point the exact point it's introduced in your setup, this product works great. Otherwise it doesn't do anything. Like another reviewer stated, keep the packaging it came in for easier returns :)
perfect solution to my keysrig
I have noise issues from either usb-midi into my synths, or ground noise and this lets me stay in 1/4" cables, as oppossed to using a DI and then being changed to XLR. It's Radial, so it's top-notch, and solves a problem, thanks!
GREAT problem solver!
Originally I bought one of these on a whim for running a Line 6 Helix in 4 cable method with a conventional amplifier. Instead of right/left, I used the jacks as in/out and the transformer did a great job killing the ground loop noise that tends to plague 4CM setups. I now go completely ampless and run my Helix direct to FOH, but I still keep this in my box for situations where I need to properly convert balanced signals to unbalanced or vice versa. It's solved more than a few problems on the fly for me.
Lesson learned
Well unfortunately for me I did not keep the manufacturer's box. This device did absolutely nothing to reduce the noise when connecting unbalanced and consumer-level gear. In fact, depending on the position of the switches it actually increased the noise dramatically. I was very hesitant about purchasing this "isolation" box but Radial's marketing, Radial's website and other online information fooled me into thinking it would work. Oh well, lesson learned the hard way. No issues with Sweetwater staff and company but Sweetwater might want to reconsider carrying this product or at least add a disclaimer that it may not work in all situations.
Returning it
Had absolutely no beneficial effect for any of my systems, but did cause my sub-woofer to oscillate. Use at your own risk.
