Smart Phone interference

[sonicus]

Paul , there is true wisdom in what you wrote .  I do  own a cell  phone ( off when playing music)   but there is CLEARLY too much RF interference in our present scenario . SMART METERS in addition have pushed metropolitan areas far into what many consider too highly saturated and within the limits of physical harm .
 
The dangers of RF pollution are still in their infancy as to what the actual harm to humanity will occur long term .  
 
It took a long time for the realization of the dangers of tobacco use to be completely acknowledged   by the medical world .
 
 That has clearly changed now .

[5a_quilt_top]

Unfortunately, this is a touchy subject for me.
 
I've been in countless projects over the last few years where the progress of the project and the personal interaction between the members have both been compromised by one (or more) of the members constantly fooling around with their phone during rehearsals, and sometimes even during gigs (grrrrr...).
 
IMO the personal and emotional interaction between all band members is critical to the successful performance of ensemble music - especially if improvisation is involved. Anything that disrupts this delicate interaction will compromise the performance of each individual member and the group as a whole.
 
And yes, I've also experienced the electronic interference generated by these devices that initiated this thread - not only is it annoying, but it adds insult to the injuries described above and is a symptom of a larger issue!
 
I've tried to be fair and understand both sides (emergency family situations, etc.) and I also acknowledge the benefits of being able to pull tab or a recording of a piece off the web in seconds to end what could be a potentially lengthy debate over what is actually being played.
 
But, unfortunately, my experience has been that the instances where the device is being abused (your definition of this may vary) have far outweighed the instances where it has been used to benefit the group.
 
Furthermore, I've attended performances by other musicians, most notably a recent Steely Dan performance in Phoenix, where I was appalled to look around me and see a large portion of the audience more focused on their phones (and obtaining their refreshments) than the show that they paid very handsomely to attend.
 
When did our perception of what is important and/or real shift from what is actually occurring in right front of us to what is being transmitted to us through a palm-sized electronic device - ?
 
Practice moderation in all things and don't be completely seduced by the lure of the electronic temptress (unless it has an Alembic logo on it!).
 
One last thing - I have two smart phones, one for work and one for personal use and they both know their place in the food chain = near the bottom.

[lbpesq]

We are becoming The Borg.
 
Bill, tgo

[sonicus]

 You will be assimilated , resistance is futile  .

[flpete1uw]

I'm still a hold out.  trying to get through life not having a Smart Phone. Somehow that probably will be impossible because my old Emergency Phone will eventually die. And only Borg phones will be left.  
  Old Basses, old phones and becoming an old guy.
But Loving the Ride!!
Pete

[mica]

After talking to my dad, it seems that the alerting system is the culprit - the sound or vibration. The requirement in the phones for these alerts is that they be small, so that means don't waste space on shielding. They are also usually not efficient since they are not one for very long at one time.  
 
It hasn't been our experience that a phone outside the reach of the player interferes with the instrument signal. Make sure you aren't wearing your own phone of course, like others have said, step away from the phone!
 
If you are within 4 feet of your audience, that's awfully close.

[adriaan]

My old stupid phone interfered as badly as its successor does (a hand-me-down from my 14yo son).

[fiveny]

Mica,
 
Thanks for the explanation.
 
I do not wear my phone, but I have found that phones in a 4 to 5 foot distance from my instrument will interfere.
 My bandmates have been careful not to use their phone near me, once I explained. Audience distance is usually not an issue, but we do play small clubs for the most part, not big stages.
 I am playing a 1990 Europa, have there been any mods to the electronics or cavity since then?

[mica]

There is an RF upgrade available for Europas, but it's really for high frequency/directional noise. Email me if you would like to make arrangements to send the electronics in for servicing. It would be interesting to do the upgrade and see if it changed the interference you are experiencing.

[fiveny]

mica,  
I sent you a private email from mike.tucc@gmail

[dfung60]

The buzz/clicking noise you're hearing from your smartphone is a byproduct of the digital protocol your phone uses to connect to the wireless network.  
 
If you have a GSM phone (that's AT&T or T-Mobile in the US), you'll hear the sound occasionally as the phone tries to check in.  If you're in a strong signal coverage area, it will be quick and lower level; if you're in a marginal error, it can go on for a while and get relatively loud as the phone increases it's transmit power to find a cell tower.
 
If you have a Verizon phone, it uses a different connection method and you probably won't hear any noises like this.
 
Because of the way passive electronics work, they filter out a lot of the ultrasonic EMI from the world around you, but an active system like in your Alembic can be more receptive to RF frequencies - unfiltered, you can probably drive the preamp into overload with very high frequency signals that you have no ability to hear (this is probably what that high-frequency mod is fixing).
 
The GSM noise is different - there's a set of rules the phone uses to access the cell network that involve sending bursts of digital information.  The unfortunate timing of some of the signaling bursts happens to be in the audio range.  There's almost no way to filter this out, but if you move the phone a couple of feet away, you won't hear it anymore.  Unless you set your phone on your amp!  Same problem there!
 
I serve on the Parks & Rec Commission in my hometown and our meetings are televised and livecast.  The guys that do the production are pretty sure that the GSM thing is an evil plot to make it impossible to have a public meeting without constant electronic outbursts.
 
David Fung

[edwardofhuncote]

I occasionally have to attend teleconferences to obtain continuing education credits for my job. The *exact* same thing happens in the room... if anybody in there has an active cellphone, the transmissions and reception is intermittently garbled. Thing is, almost every one of us do have to carry them for our job, and cannot cut them off, regardless of what the sign on the door clearly states. Just knowing  this beforehand is what made me think of it when my Alembic made some very unhappy sounds at a gig.

[jazzyvee]

I had my iPhone on when I was at sound check yesterday and my phone was on and When it rang there was no interference picked up by my bass at all.
I have been told before that if you have bad reception the phone sends a stronger signal to find the closest cell, so maybe that's the time the interference shows up on a bass.