Amp question?

Icelander53

Icelander53

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I have a Behringer 15 watt acoustic and a Vox Mini 5. I just got a new electric uke and something strange is happening. When I play on the Vox and I let the Low G string just sustain after playing it it gets louder and then starts buzzing. This didn't happen when I started playing it yesterday, but just now today and to make it more confusing it doesn't happen at all on the Behringer. So I'm, guessing it's a Vox issue because that guy does make noise in general plugged in but on batteries is very quiet. I use batteries. Any ideas here??

UPDATE: So I just fiddled around with the settings on the Vox and the issue went bye bye. So I'm going to say that the issue is now a non starter but I'm going to have to keep and eye on that amp so it behaves.

I'm going to leave this up rather than deleting it just in case I'm wrong here. I'm a rank beginner when it comes to electric.
 
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Feedback on that one frequency. Fiddle with the EQ or notch filter and it should go away. Try moving away from the amp too.
 
Thanks I've got a lot to learn so there will be a stream of dumb questions for several weeks at least. :cheers:
 
I did mute the string by hand but then the buzz came back even louder when I removed my hand as softly as possible. Something was weird in that configuration of effects I choose because it seems to be ok now. I'll continue to monitor the situation.
 
Well then I've done something worthwhile for someone besides myself and for that I'm grateful. You know this is likely an age/experience thing. When young I'd prefer to live in ignorance rather than appear not to know something. I'm pretty much over that. Even with pretty women. I really am old I guess. :(

:D
 
I have a free audio spectrum analyzer app on my smartphone called Frequnsee. You can immediately see the culprit feedback frequency and notch it out using a device like a Behringer ADI21 or a graphic equalizer or parametric EQ. Ric
 
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To be honest, I don't think this is something that you need to "eliminate" per se. It's a normal part of playing electric instruments through amps.
It just takes a bit of common sense to keep it from affecting your performance, such as not positioning the ukulele too close in front of the speakers while playing and simply by being more accustomed to controlling the high level of gain and sustain steel-string electric instruments get through amplification.

It sounds to me that you're experiencing a bit of feedback. The sound from the amp matches the frequency at which your strings vibrate, and thus a kind of feedback loop is created. I highly doubt it is worth manipulating the sound with active DI's is going to be worth the time and effort of "fixing" anything, and you will also be changing the tone you want to have.

From my experience with that particular amp and the Risa electrics - they sound fine just the way they are without using an active DI pedal in between. Adding a DI pedal like the AD121 just complicates the sound equation, when you have all the dials and knobs you need on the amp itself (not to mention, you also have enough dials on the Les Paul itself).

It's like, why fix something that isn't broke, but electric guitarists accept as a part of life?



As for the VOX amp "humming" when plugged in to mains power, but not humming when on batteries, check out this old topic I wrote regarding the matter:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...rs-of-Amplifier-Hum-trouble-SOLVED-last-night!

Basically, I have found that the stock adapter that comes with the Vox amp may be hum-prone.
I was lucky enough to find a generic adapter that is 100% hum free...
 
Well I also discovered that fact that the Vox adaptor sucks and Vox actually knows that from my talks with them. I hope it was worth all the shitty reviews they got. Other than than though it's a fun little amp. And I'm pretty sure you are right in pointing to my lack of experience in figuring this out and understanding a fix. I have admitted to almost total ignorance but I'm learning fast thanks to posts like yours. Thanks much. :bowdown:
 
If it's something Icelander53 wants to clean up out of his sound, being able to notch a central offending frequency back does not substantially detract from the tone and timbre of the instrument. I can do a lot of that from my mixing console, but the adjustable sweeps on the ADI21 are a much less expensive way to get the job done. This is not to negate that Kissing prefers the "electric" sound. Everyone's a little different when it comes to how they like their sound, otherwise I would not need these:

Mixers.jpg


kissing said:
To be honest, I don't think this is something that you need to "eliminate" per se. It's a normal part of playing electric instruments through amps.
It just takes a bit of common sense to keep it from affecting your performance, such as not positioning the ukulele too close in front of the speakers while playing and simply by being more accustomed to controlling the high level of gain and sustain steel-string electric instruments get through amplification.

It sounds to me that you're experiencing a bit of feedback. The sound from the amp matches the frequency at which your strings vibrate, and thus a kind of feedback loop is created. I highly doubt it is worth manipulating the sound with active DI's is going to be worth the time and effort of "fixing" anything, and you will also be changing the tone you want to have.

From my experience with that particular amp and the Risa electrics - they sound fine just the way they are without using an active DI pedal in between. Adding a DI pedal like the AD121 just complicates the sound equation, when you have all the dials and knobs you need on the amp itself (not to mention, you also have enough dials on the Les Paul itself).

It's like, why fix something that isn't broke, but electric guitarists accept as a part of life?



As for the VOX amp "humming" when plugged in to mains power, but not humming when on batteries, check out this old topic I wrote regarding the matter:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...rs-of-Amplifier-Hum-trouble-SOLVED-last-night!

Basically, I have found that the stock adapter that comes with the Vox amp may be hum-prone.
I was lucky enough to find a generic adapter that is 100% hum free...
Click to expand...
 
Electric instruments and their amplification is still very much a raw analog process. I think its little quirks can be easily controlled with technique, rather than adding another variable to what is otherwise a simple equation.

I do have the Behringer pedals - all 3 of them (electric, bass, acoustic). I would find them great if I was going to play live and I had nothing but a PA to plug into. Not particularly useful if I have my own instrument amplifier that shapes the sound for me already :)

Each to their own. I have lots of respect for your experience, and I have benefitted a lot from advice you have given :)
 
Mutual respect for you also, Kissing. As a live sound engineer it's a balance of what the artist wants, what sounds good and intelligible, feedback control, coverage, noise levels and other challenges. As a performer, I keep my personal gear pretty basic. Ric
 
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