Why does emulated output buzz

[catscurlyear]

hi there , i have a Blackstar HT Dual pedal i have been using for recording ,however when i plug direct into the mixer from the speaker emulated output of the Blackstar i get a buzzing interference, if i reposition the location of the pedal the degree of buzzing can decrease, it seems to buzz more near the pc monitor screen i don`t get any buzzing at all from the normal output of the blackstar , is this some sort of earth loop maybe, why is the emulated output worse ,is this common with these pedals . ta

[Phil O'Keefe]

If it's an older CRT style PC monitor, that kind of increased noise is common; those old monitors can definitely cause interference. Flat screen LCD and LED type monitors do not generally cause this kind of interference.

 

One old trick is to start the recording, then turn off your monitor. Then play the part. No, you won't be able to look at the screen, but you should probably be concentrating more on the playing at that point anyway. Learn your DAW keyboard shortcuts and you can probably learn to do the basics (start / stop / RTZ, etc.) "blind" - without even needing to turn the monitor back on. Loop-mode recording with DAW software can be a big help - allowing you to do several passes at a part without having to do anything to set up in between takes.

 

Another approach is to just try to get as far away physically from the monitor & source of the interference as you can. As you noticed, sometimes when you re-orient a cable or pedal, the noise decreases. Take that to the extreme. Try using a longer cable - and a shorter one. Move the location of the pedal relative to the computer and monitor until you find the spot where it is quietest.

 

Of course, all of this is assuming that you've checked the basics - making sure the pedal's output is plugged into a properly configured and functioning line input on your interface, double-checked the cables (and substituted others, if needed) to insure that they're properly connected and functioning properly, and basically double-checked the entire signal path from guitar to cables to pedal and power supply (they occasionally go bad too, just like pedals and everything else) to rule out those other possibilities.

 

I'm afraid I don't have any real experience with that pedal and I'm not sure if this is a common issue with it or not. You might want to ask that over on HCEF. If it's still under warranty, you should contact Blackstar and see how they handle warranty repairs. In fact, they should also be able to offer you some suggestions on what the issue might be, even if it's out of warranty - a polite email or phone call to make inquiries almost never hurts in these situations.

[catscurlyear]

thanks for your reply phil ,i did put this question up on a couple of other sub forums on H.C.and everybodys has come up some great suggetions . many thanks for your help.