Why does my amp (which is a very expensive, high-quality stage amp) keep buzzing and how can I make it stop? Other than the buzzing, it sounds and works great. It's a Vai Legacy stage amp. It is a few years old but hasn't seen a whole lot of use. I have an electric guitar (Ibanez Prestige) plugged into it via a Line6 POD UX2 (which, in turn, is connected to my laptop). The POD sounds great on headphones, and the tones are great on the amp, but there is always buzzing (whether or not I am using "pedals" in the PODFarm software).
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2If possible, please share more information to allow for more specific help. Like, what kind of amp do you have? What kind of instrument are you using with the amp? Are you using any pedals? Etc.– piofuscoCommented Feb 15, 2015 at 8:23
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Does it still hum if you use the laptop on battery (i.e. unplug it from the mains?)– Нет войнеCommented Feb 16, 2015 at 18:03
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It's also worth checking the shielding in your guitar. If the amp buzzes more when your guitar is plugged in vs. when nothing is plugged in, you will probably want to look into shielding the cavity inside your guitar. You can also try a shielded cable.– charlieCommented Feb 16, 2015 at 22:41
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1Cables are a common culprit. Switch them out one by one to make sure any one of them is not the source of the noise.– memphisslimCommented Feb 17, 2015 at 2:37
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You could also consider a noise gate pedal. It could also help out with any debilitating noise you may have.– Neil MeyerCommented Jan 23, 2016 at 15:47
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3 Answers
From personal experience as well as working with well respected engineers, guitar amps make noises. A lot of time this has to do with the type of amp and setup that you are going for. Sure, you can get a fairly clean sound out of certain amps/guitars but if you're playing a rock setup, your amp will be making some noise. This is only really an issue if the noise is overly audible while you're playing. Typically the amp noise is drowned out when playing and is really only noticeable when you're not. So if it is audible while playing, then you may need to get your amp or guitar checked. A lot of times this sort of noise is mostly noticeable because the amp is turned up rather loud and distortion effects tend to make this much more noticeable/present. In the end, if you're not sure about the amount of noise you're hearing, it may be worth taking it to get checked out. Usually any sort of technician will be able to offer up some advice on how to reduce the noise if it is functioning as normal.
What have you hooked up to it? Does it buzz when you have nothing plugged in and turn up the volume? If so, it is the amp. If not, you may have created a ground loop. In that case, a DI box will hopefully break it.
I've been using Line 6 since the day they came out. I didn't want to admit it when I figured it out, but the circuit it's self inside the line 6 can cause a buzz or humm... The only way to fix mine was to set up the rig without my POD HD Rack Mount. Then the noise was gone. It was a bummer to realize this cause I had to spend a lot more money to gain the convenience line 6 brought to the table. I replaced cables, cords, changed outlets, and bought a whole new head and none of these fixed it. I bought the head cause I was chasing a particular sound/tone not because of the hummm. As soon as I built the loop without the POD my signal was clear and crisp and noise. Just try it and see. Otherwise I agree with the guys above.
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And BTW unplugging the POD unit from the wall will not matter. The noise will stay there and you might skip it as an option. You have to take the unit out of the guitar signal chain/path/route...Heck just plug straight into the guitar and straight into the amp by themselves with no effects and see if the noise is gone. If so, add your effects back one at a time and see when the noise occurs again. Then check that effect and or cables. Look for ground lifts and damaged gear.– ChadCommented Jan 23, 2016 at 15:24