Crackling/Popping Screamer

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:59 pm

So my brand new ts808 makes popping and crackling noises when disengaged. I also use my TS in front of the OD channel. I noticed that my guitars are also unusually noisy. The walls in my japanese apartment are made out of paper. Do you thinks its electrical interference in my apartment? I notice that the crackling goes away when the pedal is turned on. It also goes away when the pedal is disengaged and my guitar volume is turned up full throw. The crackling/popping starts when the pedal is off and my guitar volume is off.Do you think it's my pedal? Thanks!

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:11 pm

if it never did this before u got the pedal then yes its the pedal..... u said it was new so take it back.... it could be a multitude of things wrong in there and is not worth scratching ur head over when u can just return it

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:11 pm

Your post doesn't really make clear when the problem occurs or what the problem really is but to me it sounds like a problem with your volume pot.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:15 pm

johnnyseven wrote:Your post doesn't really make clear when the problem occurs or what the problem really is but to me it sounds like a problem with your volume pot.

if it is going away when the volume pot is full tilt its an issue that goes away when the signal is hot enough..... aka pedal is on no issue cuz the signal is boosted and when axe vol is full tilt its getting a hotter signal....

try it on a different amp.....

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:35 pm

The reason I suggested what I did was that I recently had an issue with my volume pot in that it would crackle, pop or cut out but only at full volume - it seemed to me that this problem was kind of the reverse in that it only happens when the volume is not at full volume. Replacing my volume pot sorted it.

Have you tried other pedals to see if you have the same problem when using them?

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:21 pm

SGJarrod wrote:..... u said it was new so take it back.... it could be a multitude of things wrong in there and is not worth scratching ur head over when u can just return it

This. ^

What are you using to power it? Does it do it when powered by a battery?

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:06 pm

You are getting some grund loop issues, they will pop up when something new to the chain is introduced. Try moving things to dfferent outlets, if your amp has a ground toggle then switch that around [mainly vintage amps have this]. The big question is what other pedals are in your chain and what are you using to power them. If its a cheap power supply and you narrow it down to that then look into an isolated power solution [other than batteries, please!]

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:40 pm

Valves in your amp can crackle and pop when warming up.

avj · Post by **avj** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:53 pm

Haze wrote:You are getting some grund loop issues, they will pop up when something new to the chain is introduced. Try moving things to dfferent outlets, if your amp has a ground toggle then switch that around [mainly vintage amps have this]. The big question is what other pedals are in your chain and what are you using to power them. If its a cheap power supply and you narrow it down to that then look into an isolated power solution [other than batteries, please!]

That switch should be completely defeated if a qualified person installed and properly connected a three-prong plug. Only vintage amps have it because it was necessary back when outlets were neither grounded nor polarized.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:06 pm

well, I'm currently using the pedal in front of my jamvox monitor. I'm also using batteries to power the pedal currently. When the pedal is off, and my guitar volume is off...i hear crackling/popping noises. When my guitar volume is up...or when the pedal is on...the noises go away! Very strange indeed....Also some more bad news, i think i lost the receipt.

avj · Post by **avj** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:09 pm

Does this happen with every guitar you have?

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:50 pm

Well actually, the pedal is dead quiet this morning

...am i going insane? Too many quakes and too much nuclear fallout fear?

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:01 pm

And tonight it's doing it again!!

avj · Post by **avj** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:05 pm

Evacuate the premises at once! But seriously, hope you're plenty safe.

I feel like there's so much to troubleshoot here, and eliminating as many variables as possible is a good place to start, but I'm not sure what your exhaustive list of Try This! consists of yet.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:18 pm

Yeah, i think i'm just going to try and return it tomorrow. Unfortunately i think i accidentally put the receipt into a tsunami donations box. I also lack the japanese skills to explain "the pedal makes crackling/popping noises while disengaged with my guitar volume on 0. I'ts hard enough to explain in english. Even if my guitar volume is on 1, the noise goes away. It does this with my les paul and my musicman. When i plug in my wah pedal instead of the ts808 there are also no problems. This is obviously a big problem, since the noise will be much louder while playing at band volume. Plus theres some sickening about spending 15,000 yen on a pedal that pops and crackles.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:34 pm

In the UK you're entitled to exchange a faulty item even if you don't have a receipt. If that doesn't work you could buy another one and then return the faulty one for refund with the receipt for the one you've just bought a day or so later. This'll only work if you want another one though. Failing that, contact the manufacturer/distributor.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 3:20 pm

Thanks i appreciate the help. I've armed myself with a few new japanese phrases and i'm preparing for an adventurous return/exchange. It's a shame because i think the ts808 is a great sounding pedal. It was also the last one they had in stock

. I know this a completely, ludicrous question to ask but...do you think another tubescreamer 808 or ts9 would do the same thing? The Noah's ark "green midori" overdrive pedal never have this problem.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 3:38 pm

If they haven't got another then you're in a good position to get a refund or exchange for something else.