Rack Problems/Questions (Intellifex and BBE 481)

[ryan]

Alrighty...

some questions for those of you who remember (or are maybe still enjoying...) the big-hair, big-rack days...

I have an original blackfaced Intellifex unit...

I was under the impression that if you have a preset with a huge-ass reverb on it, that when you switch back to your standard, no effects preset, the reverb trail would carry thru... This doesn't happen.

Am I on crack, or is there some way to make it happen IN THE UNIT?

I know I could make it happen by switching the Intellifex out of the chain (cuz the returns can still be on if I choose to do so with my GCX) but I have to have the unit on CONSTANTLY to kill the hiss outta my 5150.

My #1 preset is just a hush... it's on all the time. If I'm playing a lead, I go to a verb with a little boost... then back to the plain hush setting for the rhythm. As it stands, if I'm sustaining a note, but have to cut back to the rhythm, I want the reverb to trail off naturally, letting the note hang a bit, rather than cut off like a big cheesy gate sound...



Question #2:

If my BBE is connected to my rig (in the effects loop, doesn't matter which order) it hums. Big nasty DC hum. I don't like it at all. But w/o the BBE I get all sad and lonely and miss the punch...

Our other guitar player just got an Aphex with Big Bottom. It's obviously nicer than the BBE cuz it's balanced and has an input sensitivity switch. If he sets his thing to +4, it hums JUST LIKE MINE, but if he switches it to -10, the hum is not there.

When I heard this happen, I immediately checked to see if my BBE was set to the wrong sensitivity, but there is no switch. Their manual says the unit is permanently set to -10.

But it doesn't sound like it to me...


Thanks in advance for anything you can offer.

ryan

[ValvulatorGP3]

It sounds to me like you have a ducking effect on your preset.
I have a few blackface intellifex, and never had that problem. I'll have to check it out later.
Just make sure that you turn off all ducking so the sound will bleed through.
For the other thing(BBE), I've never had good luck with anything they made. I'd suggest trying to find a rocktron ProQ.
Good luck
Steve

[bammbamm]

I had the Online version of the intellifex and mine did NOT have that feature. My Replifex does and that is a selectable parameter in the configuration. One way you could acomplish the reverb drop out, would be to assign a midi controller to lower either the tail or reverb level so you can manually fade it out. You'll still have the hush enabled and have the noise reduction you need.

As for the BBE, if you are BOTH having similar problems, it could be a ground loop hum or a bad ground in the wiring of your rehearsal space.
See if you can completely disconnect the bbe from your rack ( no physical connection) and just run the cables to it. Let us know if it goes away.
There are little plastic or nylon inserts that can be used to insulate the BBE from the rest of the rack.

Bamm

[ryan]

Bamm,

Thanks for the reply.

I can't find an original Intellifex manual, so I'll take yer word on it not being able to trail thru a patch change. Maybe I'm thinking back to when I was using a Pod/Floorboard deal and that would do it...

As for the BBE / Aphex deal, the thing just plain hums. Pull it outta the rack and hook it up with 2' or 20' cables it still hums. The only thing I didn't try was to run it wireless...

The Aphex in our other guy's rack only has a slight indication of hum if you set the input sensitivity to the WRONG setting... as in, it's amping up too much crap cuz yer telling it that it should be seeing Mic voltage when it's really seeing line voltage...

There could be more going on here than I realize, tho... cuz I'm now reminded that if I run pedals using 9V wall warts (with one exception) I get a REALLY nasty hum.

The one exception there is if I use the wart from the SKB pedal board thing. It's filtered somehow and doesn't induce any hum. At this point, I have the SKB wart going into my NS-2, and then a wire jumping out of the NS-2 into my Boss graphic EQ. I tried using the Boss adapter (actually four different ones) and it hums... I've tried to use several different adapters in my wah, but the only one that works is the SKB thing so I'm back to batteries in the wah since I only have the one SKB wart and I don't wanna run a 20' DC cable to my pedal board.

I've tried two different power units in my rack (an ETA cheapo w/ 2 lights dealie and a fancy blue flourescent Samson powerbrite thing...) and both give similar results.

In addition to this, the results have followed me consistently thru two apartments and two different practice spaces -- all in different localities with totally different power plants.

If you have any more thoughts, please let me know.

Ryan

[ChrisReedSmith]

Hey Ryan!! Haven't seen you around for a while. I sold you that beat up RG7620. Everything going cool?? Except for your hum problem?? hehe

That really sucks. I hate hearing people having such nasty problems that seem like almost unfixable. The worst is if you had to just "live with it". I don't know much about hum but I know majority of the time, A LOT has to do with house wiring. Even though you've been to 2 different places their are still good chances that your finding the same problem outside the rig, not in. But hopefully Im wrong!!!

I was going to buy a BBE unit soon, is this a common problem?? I'll start looking into different brand names if it is but I was just gonna stick with BBE. Their known best for what they do.

Good luck on your search for a hum-less rig. I hope you find it Ryan your cool ****. (it replaced my crap swear word with 'stuff", hehehe)Well Im out now everyone have a good one.


chris

[bammbamm]

Poorly filtered power supplies will introduce all kinds of unwanted noise, most times its and issue of lack of available current. A wall wart needs to be rated at least high enough to run your pedal (max per should be around 300 ma. unless running a tube powered pedal) Ideally a unit with say 1.5 A and a distribution block would be best, but not everyone has that luxury.

See what your BBE is rated for with respect to power requirements ( are you using the mfr's wall wart?) and see if it matches what you're supplying it with.

Bamm

[ryan]

The BBE has an internal transformer...

The Intellifex uses a 9V AC wart...


Only the 9V DC stuff for stomp boxes causes problems.

Ryan