Dealing with noise issues

It is common nowadays in modern music setups to have noise issues that require some thought and experience to sort out. Especially when you are using devices like computers these issues happen often since these devices are required in many countries by law to have grounded power supplies. As our devices are in practice small computers with CPU, RAM, etc. they are required to use grounded power supplies. As a consequence, some users may face common noise issues with this type of device.

In this tutorial we will check some common sources of noise on our devices and how should you approach to get it solved.

Gain staging

It's not uncommon to have noise being listenable due to poorly set gain staging settings between the devices connected to your setup.

As gain amplifies each element of an audio signal, a poorly set gain staging can be increasing the noise present in your gear to an unusable point.

How to tackle issues with gain staging on your MOD device

If the input gain on your MOD device feels a bit too quiet, try to increase the gain on the device on your signal chain before the MOD devices, while decreasing on the MOD device output. You can do that either by decreasing the Master Volume, a gain plugin by the end of your pedalboard.

If by another end you find the output signal on your MOD device too quite perform the opposite as before. So you should increase the output levels on your MOD device (again, either by using a plugin by the end of your pedalboard or the master volume), simultaneously you should decrease the gain in the device connected in your signal chain after your MOD device.

Note: all these adjustments should be done according to your setup and fine-tuning, so you can avoid noise issues.

Pedalboard setup

Some noise issues are caused by your pedalboard arrangement and the plugins that you are using. Some amp or tape simulators color the signal with their own programmed enhancements and often can be dialed back when necessary. Yet, sometimes developers don't give control to the users on these enhancements.

For these types of cases, you need to use compressors or amplifiers in your pedalboard, you should use also a Noise Gate plugin to filter out all sounds happening below a threshold.

Ground loop issues

Ground loops result often in a modulated hum around 50 and 60Hz.

There are mainly 3 identified causes for ground loops in MOD devices:

Multiple grounded audio devices in your setup plugged into different power sockets

- If your issue may fit into this situation you will need to limit the loop size of the power section between your devices.

In order to achieve that try to use the same power strip between all the devices connected via audio to the MOD device or keep the power cables closer together.

- Check if you have equipment connected in the room that may lead to interferences. Common issues can be found if you used dimmed LEDs or fluorescent lights.

- If none of the above helps you experiment connecting to other power sockets. Although this may increase your power loop size, sometimes different sockets can be less prone to interference due to their shape and orientation.

Unbalanced cables between MOD device and grounded gear

- If the device where you have your MOD device connected has a "ground lift" switch (some mixers for example have it), try using it;

- add a passive DI or a ground loop isolator if the receiving device has unbalanced inputs;

- if the receiving device has balanced inputs, use balanced cables;

- if none of the above works experiment with a passive DI or ground loop isolator and balanced cables.