Noisy pedal issue

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:13 pm

I have 2 Boss OS-2's that I had modded. I have 2 because I had 1 modded and I liked the mod so much I got another. However the pedal generates a lot of background noise when switched on and I was wondering if there was any way to deal with this issue? I guess I could use a noise gate to reduce the noise when not using the pedal, however turning the pedal off gets rid of the noise so I don't really see that as a solution. Would upgrading components reduce noise, or could a noise reduction circuit be added into the pedal's circuitry?

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:26 pm

My son uses the Boss NS-2

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:22 pm

Thanks Nick, i'v ebeen on holiday so only just seen this. Does a noise suppressor only cut out noise when not playing, or can they cut out background noise coming from a pedal when playing?

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:22 pm

Most noise gates are simply gates that you set the floor at, which would be just above the ambient noise, but any playing would create a higher voltage and it would turn off at that point. I've played with them before as I've had issues with hum during recording but in the end I didn't like it, sounded too sterile. If that's what you're after, though, most of them are adjustable and your playing will come through.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:47 pm

I'm not really concerned about noise when i'm not playing as turning the noisy pedal off solves the issue. I'd worry about background noise sneaking through behind what i'm playing, but as I haven't really noticed it my playing may be drowning it out - which is fine. It would be good if I could solve the noise issue though.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:57 am

I've twice written a reply to lose it through network issues. Third time lucky...

My son uses the NS-2 as it suits his music, which has lots of stops in, and it has an effects loop built in. I don't know that it's actually any smarter than any noise gate, though using a VCA may help it be a little more subtle.

Reducing the noise on the OS-2; from what I've seen there are two parallel op-amp-based circuits, one with symmetrical clipping (IC2a), one with asymmetrical clipping (IC2b), feeding into a mixer (IC1a) and a common buffer/tone control (IC1b). It may be worth replacing those Mitsubishi op-amps with something inherently low-noise or selected for low noise. You could also try the approach Robert Keeley takes in piggy-backing two op-amps together; the idea there is that the noise from each, being random, is not going to be in phase with the noise from the other while the signal will be.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:10 pm

Thanks Nick. I've had the pedals modded and the op-amps may have been changed to lower noise ones already (the stock pedal is very noisy and the mod seems to have reduced it but it could do with being reduced some more), I don't think they've been piggy backed though - but not being skilled electronically I wouldn't fancy giving this a go.