Guitar Buzzing while recording (ground problem?)

[Gerald Ross]

I just bought a Boss BR-8 Digital recorder.
When I plug in any of my guitars (humbucker or single-coil) for direct recording I get a lot of buzzing that ends up getting recorded. The buzzing is slightly diminished when I touch the strings. When I use a guitar with a piezo transducer, no buzzing.

Will a DI box with ground lift fix this problem? Any help?

This is primarily a recording concern. In live situations the buzzing is ignorable.

[db]

No, it is not a grounding problem.
(A "lifter" is only for opening a path in a ground loop.)
It is a pick-up problem.
You need a noise free pick-up.
Or a noise free environment.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by db on 19 March 2000 at 06:55 AM.]</p></FONT>

[Jack Stoner]

Check your interconnect cables. Make sure you don't have a bad cord with a bad ground and that you are using cords with grounded metal covers. If you are using the plastic molded type cords throw them away and get some with metal (grounded) barrels or shields. If you are using "imported" cords again throw them away and get some good cords.

If could also be the location where you are recording. Make sure you have good grounded AC power outlets and you are not in the vicinity of flourescent lighting, etc., which can introduce buzzing. Dimmer switches on lighting can also cause the interference.

In general clean everything up and then see what happens.

[Earnest Bovine]

The part that goes away when you touch the strings is a ground problem. Of course, that really doesn't matter since we always touch the strings when we play the thing.

Did you try turning the steel around while the volume is turned up high? You may find an orientation where the hum goes away. If you must play near a computer monitor or TV set, try to put your pickup directly in front of it. There is much less noise in front. I think the manufacturers do this because that is where the government measures the radiation, on the theory that sitting in front of a computer all day and being exposed to radiation may have harmful effects on your body. So they let all the harmful radiation come out the sides and back. Just a guess.

[Keith Hilton]

If you are really serious about getting rid of hum and noise, read the post by me on EMI and RFI, now posted in Electronics. Two web-sites were listed that have a host of information concerning this problem. It is a lot of printing, but I printed off all the information from the web-sites. I suggest you read what the web-sites say.
All manufacturers fight this problem. I am convinced that 95% of the noise comes in on power lines. If the grounding ,and electronic filters inside each piece of equipment does not get rid of it, it shows up as noise or hum. I'm talking about signals like cell phone, T.V. Radio, pager, repeater, and a million other powerful signals foating in the air nowdays. These powerful signals hit the power lines, and get in the electricity flow.
How could they help but get in, power lines are strung for miles like big annenas. I have been on a crusade to get rid of all this crap riding the electric current in the devices I make and sell. The only way you will ever find the exact problem ,is do a lot of work ,to find out the cause, and then try to figure out how to get rid of it. There is no "MAGIC" solution.

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