Help! nuissance radio reception!


u10ajf
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Joined: 10/31/01
Posts: 611
u10ajf
Registered User
Joined: 10/31/01
Posts: 611
09/07/2002 1:40 pm
Hi there, I wonder if any of you guys knows what to do about amps picking up radio. It used to be funny but now it's a total pain in the arse, it's buggering up my recordings, please can someone advise me! Would sellotaping aluminium foil round my cables help or do radio waves take better sheilding than that?
If I couldn't laugh at myself how could I laugh at someone less ridiculous?
# 1
Lordathestrings
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Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
Lordathestrings
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Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
09/07/2002 3:36 pm
Make sure that you have a good ground connection. Ungrounded rigs are dangerous, as well as noisy. Next, take a look at the jacks. Over time, the contact between the jacks and the plugs can loosen up a bit, allowing unwanted noise into the signal path. If you still have trouble, try moving your rig. Basements tend to be better than upper floors (where you're more exposed to transmitters).
Lordathestrings
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# 2
Dr_simon
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Joined: 07/06/02
Posts: 5,021
Dr_simon
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Posts: 5,021
09/07/2002 7:46 pm
A good trick to deal with this problem is to run your whole rig to a single ground (including mics). This is easiest to do if you get a grounded serge protector / power conditioner and run the whole rig from it (making sure you are not overloading it).If you make sure that everything is grounded to the same wall socket you will have a quieter rig as you have eliminated ground loops which cause hum and pick up radio frequencies.
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 3
u10ajf
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Joined: 10/31/01
Posts: 611
u10ajf
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Posts: 611
09/08/2002 2:23 pm
Sorry guys, I'm not expert in these things. I thought that ground connections were standard in electrical equipment, are they not the "neutral" wires in the plugs? AS for ensuring they are all grounded to the same socket, well, they are! If anything I'm in danger of overloading things, I have a fx processor, a 4 track and a keyboard all in one socket. Sometimes they are joined by another fx processor, and an amp! Aside from the amp I dont' think they draw much current. Is this dangerous?
If I couldn't laugh at myself how could I laugh at someone less ridiculous?
# 4
Lordathestrings
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Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
Lordathestrings
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Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
09/08/2002 4:36 pm
Take a look here to see what I mean about ungrounded gear being dangerous.

Are you recording through a microphone, or plugging straight in to your recorder?
Lordathestrings
Guitar Tricks Moderator

www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 5
Dr_simon
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Joined: 07/06/02
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Dr_simon
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Posts: 5,021
09/08/2002 5:20 pm
The ground is not the neutral it is the 3rd pin in the US (the one that not all plugs have) and the top pin in the UK (green and yellow wire). Id pay a lot of attention to LOTSs link there is some good stuff there ! Another trick is to minimize the amount of cable you use, this can help as well.
Best of luck
S

My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 6
u10ajf
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Joined: 10/31/01
Posts: 611
u10ajf
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Posts: 611
09/11/2002 8:55 pm
cheers! most informative.
If I couldn't laugh at myself how could I laugh at someone less ridiculous?
# 7

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