Home › Forums › Help/Technical Questions › Hashy noise in my Blackfinger

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  • December 20, 2009 at 4:26 am #79553
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    I’m hearing some hashy short of noise in my Blackfinger that I can’t figure out. I’ve done all the usual things to insure it’s not some spurious side effect. No other pedals involved, same output level as when disengaged so no difference in output to the amp. I’ve tried various combinations of compression level and pre-amp drive.

    Basically any combinations of input signal level, comp level or pre-amp drive that’s sufficient to get it doing any compresion will manifest this problem. So it’s not like I’m overdriving the pre-amp on the pedal or anything. Lamp or LED it doesn’t matter.

    But basically once the initial transient is over, I’ll hear a quite noticeable kind of hissy, hashy distortion that tracks the notes played. So it’s not random noise, it’s something definitely related to the signal itself.

    The output level will be down generally around 8 or 9 o’clock, so not pushing the output hard. The signal is just directly from my Strat, in which the pickups are definitely set more for tone than high output level so it can’t be overdriving the input by any stretch of the imagination.

    I’m not sure if it’s just defective or what. Any ideas about this? It’s definitely the BF, since the problem is not in the least present when it’s not involved.

    December 20, 2009 at 4:30 am #105545
    firesgt911
    Member

    Does it sound like a really quiet distortion sort of sound in the background? It this an old BlackFinger?

    December 20, 2009 at 4:32 am #105546
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    I think it could be described like that. But it’s a new one, purchased new from I think Sweetwater a month ago or so. I can record the issue if necessary.

    December 20, 2009 at 4:48 am #105547
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    Someone sent me a PM asking where I’m from. I can’t PM since I just signed up, so I’ll just say here I’m from California if that helps.

    December 20, 2009 at 4:53 am #105548
    firesgt911
    Member

    If it’s new, then I don’t know. My old EHX pedals have a similar sound, but it is because they are not true bypassed. There are some very knowledgeable guys around here who I hope can chime in.

    December 20, 2009 at 8:15 am #105550
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    I get a recording of it and make that available tomorrow so that everyone can be sure what I’m hearing.

    February 6, 2011 at 6:09 am #114163
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    OK, well only a thousand years later, I’m finally getting back to this issue. I kind of hadn’t use the BF for a while but would like to and I need to get this straightened out or it’ll be useless to me. Here’s a sample:

    http://www.charmedquark.com/Web2/TmpAudio/BFProblem.wav

    I hit a note with it off, then switch it on and hit the same note, then a few more notes, then switch it back off and a couple notes. Obviously there’s a little more hiss from the pedal when it’s engaged, but you can distinctly hear the hashy distortion as well. From messing around I’ve found that it’s purely due to compression definitely. Doesn’t matter if that compression is from cranking up the pre-amp gain knob and the compression down or the pre-amp gain knob down and the compression knob up, and it’s in any of the lamp modes. If the pedal is engaged but not doing any compression, it’s not there, at least not hearably so. As you can hear the output is adjust for compression so that the level to the amp remains consistent, so it’s nothing to do with pushing the amp harder.

    Just for funzies, I swapped out the tubes with another pair, and that had no effect, so nothing to do with the original tubes.

    February 6, 2011 at 2:38 pm #114165
    Brianzero
    Participant

    Hi Dean

    Yes I noticed this with mine. First noticed it when I played thro headphones, just the blackfinger nothing else. There is this low audible sort of buzz/hiss following what you are plating. I didn’t notice it in the squash mode it was only present in the normal mode on lamp or led. I don’t really notice it while playing thro my amp at all. I did too change the valves it was negligible whether it made any difference. This was very quiet though, maybe not the same thing? Anyone else experience this

    February 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm #114167
    companyman
    Participant

    there is a ground screw between the two tubes, try tightening it a bit, this got rid of that problem with mine.

    February 6, 2011 at 8:11 pm #114168
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    I did try that. But I’ll pop the front off and make sure that the (I assume) ground wire behind it has good contact.

    February 8, 2011 at 7:39 am #114184
    Brianzero
    Participant

    So any luck there Dean with the noise??

    February 8, 2011 at 6:58 pm #114195
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    Nope. I popped the top off and made sure that the riser under the screw under the tube protector was making good contact with the face plate and it does seem to be. Gave it another try and it’s exactly the same. I did though confirm that, as with the above comments, it’s not there or not hearably there in squash mode, only in normal mode.

    February 8, 2011 at 7:27 pm #114196
    Brianzero
    Participant

    Ok, well sounds like its the nature of the beast. I guess I have got used to it. I certainly don’t notice it in a live situation. And yes, in Sqsh mode its completely silent. I think it is just the circuit for normal / lamp / led, its a bit noisy. I did email EHX about it and they said much the same. But as a pedal I wouldn’t be without it, wonderful piece of kit.

    February 8, 2011 at 7:33 pm #114197
    Dean Roddey
    Participant

    But others don’t hear it, so I think it has to be just lack of quality control, so that some have it and some don’t. If you watch the Youtube videos with Peter Stroud demonstrating it you don’t hear any of this problem. I think that really qualifies it as a defect that should be refundable or replaceable, if not repairable, but I doubt that’ll happen.

    February 8, 2011 at 7:43 pm #114198
    Brianzero
    Participant

    This sound on mine is very quiet, I only noticed it on headphones, I can’t hear anything when its coming thro the amp. I suspect thats the same on the Peter Stroud vid, its coming through the amp. But if you hear all this distortion coming through your amp then maybe send it back to them for repair. I don’t know what else to suggest. Is there anybody out there with a similar problem ?

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