Noise Suppression

[GarretGraves]

I found my BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor and it reminded me that I need a new one. With this one I've always had a problem with losing gain on my guitar and the noise would still find it's way in somehow. An I've tried a couple of tricks like the "scotch taping of the old guitar string onto your arm and the other end on the bridge" thing. Doesn't quite get the job done completely and I'm having a hard time playing with something taped to my arm.

I've done my best to reduce the noise as much as possible with shutting off all unneeded electronics and anything with a magnetic field. I even went as far going into my backyard and shutting off all the power in my house through the circuit breaker except the power in my room. Still I get the 60 cycle hum. So I've tried a number of options.

So I did some shopping and I was looking at this one:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/ISP-Technologies-Decimator-G-String-Noise-Reduction-Guitar-Effects-Pedal?sku=150586

The reviews are phenomenal across the board on the website. But I was wondering if any of the other guitar players here had any insight. Thoughts?

EDIT: I should also mention I'm playing through my new Line 6 Spider IV 120 watt amp.

[Legion303]

Get better pickups? Use a longer guitar cord and play away from the computer?

The only time I ever hear hum anymore is when I'm using high gain distortion, the middle (single-coil) pickup, and aiming the guitar at my CRT...

[Fishy]

Noise reduction produces crappy artifacts, always has always will.

If your amp is anything like my Spider 2 it should have a noise gate, so you must have some mega serious hum. What pickups/guitar do you have?

I'm gonna guess its some strat type thing with awful single coil pickups, cause that's the only thing that ever made my spider hum.

[GarretGraves]

Way off Fishy.

I got a DiMarzio Crunch Lab at the bridge and Liquifire at the neck. Humbuckers. John Petrucci has the same setup. It's not the pickups I promise you. Im playing a Dean McPhantom too. SO no Im not using some shitty single coils.

My next guess is that the wiring in my Dean may be a bit dirty. Im thinking of taking it down to the shop by me to have it looked at. But they just installed those pickups. You'd figure they'd let me know if something like that was up. I'll go down and talk with them tomorrow.

I should also mention that Im using some massive distortion and gain. I've had this problem a long time with amps.

EDIT: Also if you think noise reduction produces bad artifacts, tell me this is no better.

I dunno man. I think it's worth it.

[Fishy]

Way off Fishy.

Awesome.

I have no idea without looking at the setup closely then. Like I said, my Spider II's noise gate threshold was high enough that only bad interference and single coil's ever got anything at all out it. I assume they still have at least a similar one in the IV?

EDIT: Just watched that video. It is impossible to remove noise from a signal without artifacts. The trick is making the artifacts un-correlated to the signal so they are as unnoticeable as possible. They will always be there in some form. The fact that they claim effective noise reduction of up to 60dB is absolutely ludicrous. Dolby SR noise reduction (the most advanced kind there is for recording) gets you around 15-20dB.

That pedal however is probably just a noise gate, the single dial setting the threshold. Sounds like it anyway - you can tell because as the note dies out the noise becomes audible for a little bit. Noise gate's don't really create artifacts, they just change the volume. It does the job, they're just lying by calling it noise reduction.

[GarretGraves]

Awesome.

I have no idea without looking at the setup closely then. Like I said, my Spider II's noise gate threshold was high enough that only bad interference and single coil's ever got anything at all out it. I assume they still have at least a similar one in the IV?

EDIT: Just watched that video. It is impossible to remove noise from a signal without artifacts. The trick is making the artifacts un-correlated to the signal so they are as unnoticeable as possible. They will always be there in some form. The fact that they claim effective noise reduction of up to 60dB is absolutely ludicrous. Dolby SR noise reduction (the most advanced kind there is for recording) gets you around 15-20dB.

That pedal however is probably just a noise gate, the single dial setting the threshold. Sounds like it anyway - you can tell because as the note dies out the noise becomes audible for a little bit. Noise gate's don't really create artifacts, they just change the volume. It does the job, they're just lying by calling it noise reduction.

Wait. I'm a little confused. What's your definition of artifacts. I may be wrong in this area.

[Fishy]

Distortions of any kind. Something that was not the original signal.

Unless you have an identical copy of the exact noise that you're trying to remove so it can be phase inverted and added it to the signal (which is not possible to have in a real time application), this will inevitably go wrong slightly and affect the signal too. How would that pedal know exactly what parts of the incoming signal are noise and magically remove them leaving your guitar unharmed? It can't. Simply put it is not a noise remover, it is a noise gate - different thing entirely.

[chevymeister]

I just built my own guitar and a really cool trick i've come across that works is...

Aluminum duct foil.

Coat your pickup cavities with it, the tone/volume pot cavity as well. The thing should glow silver It made my amp quiet. If this works for you, you could probably turn the threshhold on your ns2 lower and get some of your frequency back.

One thing you need to do though if you do this is ground your shit. I took some pickup wire and tore off the plastic on the tips of the wire and used a screw to hold it down onto the aluminum then soldered the other end of the wire to the tremolo plate in the back. (use an ohm meter to measure resistance and see if you have a continuous circuit on every piece of foil.)

If your amp only has a 2 prong power cable, try getting one with a ground on it also, try using different outlets etc.

If you're looking for an actual pedal, i've heard great things about the rocktron hush.

Finding what is causing hum in the first place is a pain in the ass.

[GarretGraves]

I don't think tin foiling my wiring is a bright idea. Cause if I have to take it in to get rewired, the guys at the shop are gonna open it up and be like, "the fuck's goin on in here?!"

but seriously, rigging it with tin foil doesnt seem appealing to me. When I get the money Im gona get the ns2. simpler for me and more useful i think.

[Legion303]

One thing you need to do though if you do this is ground your shit.

QFE. If you don't ground your shit properly and your amp decides to ground through your hands instead, you could die.

-steve

[Lunarfall]

I don't think tin foiling my wiring is a bright idea. Cause if I have to take it in to get rewired, the guys at the shop are gonna open it up and be like, "the fuck's goin on in here?!"

but seriously, rigging it with tin foil doesnt seem appealing to me. When I get the money Im gona get the ns2. simpler for me and more useful i think.

It's actually a common procedure. You won't believe how well it works until you actually do it. You're really supposed to use copper foil though.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4703876_shield-solidbody-electric-guitar-bass.html