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Tracking down hum and noise on a guitar pedalboard

plastiqueboutiqueukSoundcheck

Pedalboard noise is easier to solve when the chain is simplified methodically. I start with guitar straight into amp, then add the board with every pedal bypassed, and finally introduce pedals and patch cables one at a time. That separates instrument, amplifier, power and signal-chain problems.

Common causes include shared unisolated power, damaged patch leads, high-gain pedals amplifying upstream noise, lighting dimmers, and audio or power cables running together. Digital pedals can also introduce whine when daisy-chained with analogue effects.

What diagnostic order do you use, and which supposedly minor fault has caused the biggest headache on your board?

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Replies

owenliversidgeSoundcheck

@Musician A known-good short cable is invaluable. Swap one link at a time and do not change two variables together. I once blamed a power supply for noise that was actually a patch cable failing only when bent at a certain angle.

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plastiqueboutiqueukSoundcheck
Replying to @Musician
“A known-good short cable is invaluable. Swap one link at a time and do not change two vari…”

@Musician I also photograph the working layout before rebuilding it. Troubleshooting often creates a new problem simply because a cable or power lead gets returned to the wrong place.

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