I have unwanted hums/pops/cracks/hiss etc coming from amp. What is causing it?
a.1 All amplifiers will have some noise floor. Whether it’s a hiss or low level hum, a perfectly healthy amp is bound to emit some sort of noise when at idle (i.e. when you’re not playing). The amount of noise will vary from model to model and depends on the voicing and design of the amp in question. a.2 High volume settings, high gain settings, and/or bright EQ settings = HISS. No way around it folks; if you opt to play at loud volumes, use gobs of gain, or like to crank the old treble and presence controls til’ your eyes water, your amp will sound like a slowly deflating tractor tire. a.3 If noise goes in, NOISE will come out. If your substandard pedal- board, ancient effects units, or poorly wired/shielded guitar or bass is feeding the amp noise, the same noise will be exponentially amplified by….well….your amplifier. This is also true on the amp’s other end; the AC supply. If the AC supply in your location is poor, or if the outlet you’re connected to is not sufficiently earthe
