Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: hieronymous on May 11, 2022, 06:28:57 PM

Title: hum issue with Activators
Post by: hieronymous on May 11, 2022, 06:28:57 PM
I've been playing a lot at home during the pandemic, rotating basses. I put new strings (DR Sunbeams) on my AlFeMbic (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=707.0) (Alembicized P-Bass) and have been loving it! I like my strings on the heavy side, I feel like I'm finally getting this bass where I want it.

EXCEPT: I noticed it was buzzing when I took my hands off the strings. Dang it! Found a new music store near me that does repairs too, so I decided to take it in. Dropped it off, only to get a text a couple of hours later - he's playing it, no noise at all! In fact, he said it was really quiet lol - I went in a few hours later, he's right, it sounds great!

So I took it home, and figured it out pretty quickly - playing it now, the volume was all the way up! When I was playing it before I had the volume down pretty low - too low - I was going by where the threshold of my compressor was set, so the noise was almost as loud as the bass signal - so what's the answer?


TURN IT UP!!!  8) ;D


Was kind of embarrassing to realize it was user error, but I learned my lesson and wanted to pass it on in case anyone else has a similar issue.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: pauldo on May 11, 2022, 06:33:45 PM
😎
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: gtrguy on May 11, 2022, 08:46:30 PM
Compressors are great, but along with smoothing out the highs they can also raise up the noise floor.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: lbpesq on May 12, 2022, 12:02:21 AM
Hey Harry, I recently had a similar experience.  As I discussed in another thread, last week I sold my old Blackface Pro reverb.  I pulled it out about an hour before the buyer was to arrive.   I turned it on, gave it a minute or two for the tubes to warm up, plugged in, turned it up, and ... nothing!   I hadn't plugged it in in several years and worried the buyer was coming for nothing.   Until I had the “doh!” moment and flicked the “Standby” switch.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: rv_bass on May 12, 2022, 03:39:50 AM
I used to use a compressor with guitar, great for sustain and clarity, but found it was best used with a noise gate.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: xlrogue6 on May 12, 2022, 01:11:20 PM
"Turn it up" is always the answer. YMMV.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: jazzyvee on May 12, 2022, 09:24:06 PM
Pardon?
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: lbpesq on May 12, 2022, 11:04:51 PM
In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: adriaan on May 12, 2022, 11:10:37 PM
In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo
Mileage still in the UK.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: edwardofhuncote on May 13, 2022, 05:59:21 AM
In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo
Mileage still in the UK.

Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor.  ::) ;D
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: adriaan on May 13, 2022, 09:25:40 AM
Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor.  ::) ;D
They still drive on the left too, so what did you expect? ;D

I enjoy driving there, in my left-hand driving car. Must be the landscape.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: hieronymous on May 13, 2022, 02:37:44 PM
lol - carry on folks, this is fun!
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: rv_bass on May 13, 2022, 05:04:54 PM
Takes me about three days to get used to driving on the left side of the road, and those three days are somewhat terrifying, for me and everyone else!  :)
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: rv_bass on May 13, 2022, 05:07:13 PM
…and the noises coming from my car as I squeak by things could use a compressor and noise gate :)
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: hieronymous on May 13, 2022, 06:36:23 PM
Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor.  ::) ;D
They still drive on the left too, so what did you expect? ;D

I enjoy driving there, in my left-hand driving car. Must be the landscape.
Do you go through the Chunnel?
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: adriaan on May 14, 2022, 12:30:14 AM
Do you go through the Chunnel?
I do a 30 minute drive to Hook of Holland where there's a ferry to Harwich that takes about 6 hours. The drive to Dunkirk is 3 hours with a 2 hour ferry, Calais is half an hour further down the same road but a 30 minute ferry - or 35 through the Chunnel - but it's just so much more expensive we don't see the point. We've done Europoort to Hull, which is the same distance locally but an 8 hour ferry, and IJmuiden to Newcastle which is a bit further in both respects. In my childhood, our dad took us on a flight of sorts - we once took the Hovercraft from Calais.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: jazzyvee on May 14, 2022, 07:24:36 AM
Takes me about three days to get used to driving on the left side of the road, and those three days are somewhat terrifying, for me and everyone else!  :)
I have driven in a car almost every time i have been to the states and europe and never had difficulty. The only time it takes some focussed thought is when moving off for the first time especially when parked facing oncoming traffic, which you are allowed to do here and something i think Bill, tgo, advised me not to do on my last trip there.
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: hieronymous on May 14, 2022, 07:53:28 AM
Do you go through the Chunnel?
I do a 30 minute drive to Hook of Holland where there's a ferry to Harwich that takes about 6 hours. The drive to Dunkirk is 3 hours with a 2 hour ferry, Calais is half an hour further down the same road but a 30 minute ferry - or 35 through the Chunnel - but it's just so much more expensive we don't see the point. We've done Europoort to Hull, which is the same distance locally but an 8 hour ferry, and IJmuiden to Newcastle which is a bit further in both respects. In my childhood, our dad took us on a flight of sorts - we once took the Hovercraft from Calais.
That makes sense - I have never driven in Europe so never really thought about it, but remember reading stories about bands taking ferries over to play in France, Germany, etc. The Beatles, Black Sabbath, and Gong spring to mind, though I'm actually not sure which one was an actual ferry story...

Takes me about three days to get used to driving on the left side of the road, and those three days are somewhat terrifying, for me and everyone else!  :)
I have driven in a car almost every time i have been to the states and europe and never had difficulty. The only time it takes some focussed thought is when moving off for the first time especially when parked facing oncoming traffic, which you are allowed to do here and something i think Bill, tgo, advised me not to do on my last trip there.
Hmm, parked facing oncoming traffic - that sounds dangerous!  :o

Although I lived in Japan for a total of 10 years, I only tried driving once - going straight was fine, but I never really grasped turning - couldn't figure out which lane to aim for! I was more than happy to get out and be a passenger again!
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: pauldo on May 15, 2022, 05:34:49 PM
When in Australia the traffic patterns are similar to the UK, we did NOT drive.   Still a mind messer even crossing the street on foot!  Look right first.  😳
Title: Re: hum issue with Activators
Post by: lbpesq on May 15, 2022, 05:45:45 PM
Many years ago I had a case in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.  The cars are left-hand drive, like in the States, but they drive on the left side of the road, like in England.   I found roundabouts and 4-way intersections especially confusing!

Bill, tgo