Distressor Hum Problem

[JB872]

I don't know if this is common, but when I turn the input and output knobs of my distressor up to 10 it almost sounds like I'm tuning into a radio station. I just rewired my patchbays and can't remember if this used to happen before. Does this happened to anyone else and what is the likely cause.

Jason

[JB872]

Another thing I forgot to mention is that when I do have the input know cranked up sometimes light number 4 on GR bar won't light up but 5,6 and so on will. That seems odd to me.

[astronmr20]

Sounds like RF, if you really are hearing noise or a radio station.

Is there anything un-balanced in your chain? Start there.

If not, make sure everythng is grounded.

If everything is grounded, try a power conditoner. Remember, any compressor like that is going to be pulling up the quiet stuff. It might be "normal."

(edit) Input AND output knobs to 10? I would say you probably SHOULD hear noise with a setting like that with any analog gear. It's not what i'd call normal operation.. What is after your distressor? You must be slamming it hard.


The light:
That's not odd; you have a bad LED. Rare, but it happens.

[JB872]

Sounds like RF, if you really are hearing noise or a radio station.

Is there anything un-balanced in your chain? Start there.

Here's the signal chain I was using to test out it's operation

MOTU OUT (balanced) --> Distressor (balanced)--> MOTU IN (balanced)

If everything is grounded, try a power conditoner. Remember, any compressor like that is going to be pulling up the quiet stuff. It might be "normal."

That's what I figured, I just don't recall it doing this before I rewired my patchbays.

(edit) Input AND output knobs to 10? I would say you probably SHOULD hear noise with a setting like that with any analog gear. It's not what i'd call normal operation.. What is after your distressor? You must be slamming it hard.

I wasn't using those settings in a mix. It was just to test out the operation because the GR bar seemed to be reacting a little strange. When I cranked up both knobs with no signal present, that's when I noticed the weird noise I hadn't heard before.

The light:
That's not odd; you have a bad LED. Rare, but it happens.

The light still works when I have the settings at say 5 and 5. But when I crank it up to 10 it will flicker on and off while the lights that follow it will stay on.

[astronmr20]

Originally Posted by JB872

Here's the signal chain I was using to test out it's operation

MOTU OUT (balanced) --> Distressor (balanced)--> MOTU IN (balanced)



That's what I figured, I just don't recall it doing this before I rewired my patchbays.



I wasn't using those settings in a mix. It was just to test out the operation because the GR bar seemed to be reacting a little strange. When I cranked up both knobs with no signal present, that's when I noticed the weird noise I hadn't heard before.



The light still works when I have the settings at say 5 and 5. But when I crank it up to 10 it will flicker on and off while the lights that follow it will stay on.

Hmmm in that case your LED problem IS odd. Only way to really know is replace that one. As long as it's sounding okay otherwise I woulden't mess w/ the light.

With that signal chain and those settings, it could very well be picking up noise from the MoTU. They are not perfectly clean.

Again... I'd be concerned if you werent hearing any noise with the input/output on the distressor cranked to "11." And if the distressor is part of your patchbay and that's how you are "inserting" it, it COULD have picked up "some" line noise from the bay. does the sound go away when you run the in/out at 50 percent instead of 100?

It's probably nothing to worry about; I think you're okay. Without a gate on it, you will instantly notice some "noise" from a powerful compressor like that if you are monitoring just that track. I'd try running something like a bass guitar into the line input of the motu, and see what happens when you wind on the distressor.

[JB872]

Steve, thx very much for your help. I'll try running a bass through it and see what happens.

One question before I go. How would my patchbay add line noise?

[astronmr20]

Originally Posted by JB872

Steve, thx very much for your help. I'll try running a bass through it and see what happens.

One question before I go. How would my patchbay add line noise?

Well, I guess I didn't mean to say it would actually add any sort of noise that would be a problem. Adding ANYTHING in a signal chain will introduce "something" however miniscule. But input and output "wide open" on a distressor will detect a flea on a dog's back a thousand yards away.

Post what you learn from the bass. Just play it with "normal" levels, squash it good and hard with the distressor and pull it up nice and load in your monitors. See what you hear. I really think youre fine.

[Mike Caffrey]

Have you made any chances at all in the past mothn or two at the studio? New gear, rearrange the room, new A/C?

Dave may see this and post an asnwer tomorrow, but I'd call ELI if I were you.

Cranking it will bring up the noise floor from adding all that gain.

[goldphinga]

are they good quality balanced patchbays? anything but top notch patchbays could be causing the problem. I did a test with a cheap patchbay once and the degredation to the sound was unbelievable.

Tho of course it could be the distressor......but thats a hi quality piece so i suspect the patchbay.

[JB872]

Originally Posted by goldphinga

are they good quality balanced patchbays? anything but top notch patchbays could be causing the problem. I did a test with a cheap patchbay once and the degredation to the sound was unbelievable.

Tho of course it could be the distressor......but thats a hi quality piece so i suspect the patchbay.

They're ADC patchbays wired up with Gepco and Mogami wiring.

[JB872]

Originally Posted by astronmr20

Well, I guess I didn't mean to say it would actually add any sort of noise that would be a problem. Adding ANYTHING in a signal chain will introduce "something" however miniscule. But input and output "wide open" on a distressor will detect a flea on a dog's back a thousand yards away.

Post what you learn from the bass. Just play it with "normal" levels, squash it good and hard with the distressor and pull it up nice and load in your monitors. See what you hear. I really think youre fine.

I had no problems with the bass. It distorts a bit when I turn it right up but that''s normal. It only seems to happen when I turn right up.

A question about input and output levels on the distressor. Is the only way to tell unity gain on a distressor by pressing the bypass switch on and off until it sounds like its at the same level. And what levels do you usually set the input and output to.