KrispyDK

Hello there, I went and got myself an ART Tube MP Studio V3 preamp fairly cheap off the net and am wondering if I got a dud? My problem is the noise it makes. I've read a lot of reviews and obviously noise came up a lot. I wasn't expecting anything like top or even mid range quality from a cheap unit like this but I was hoping it would be usable! Here's my experience with it: I am plugging the unit into a small 25w peavey guitar amp without anything plugged into the V3's input. If I set both the input and output levels midway (12 o'clock) without its +20db button pressed in there is a small amount of hiss present with an occasional rustling noise creeping in. If I then switch the +20db pad on, the hiss becomes extreme. In fact, with +20db turned on, you cannot raise the output level above the first indicator without the unit becoming unusable due to it's hiss. Is this normal for the Studio V3? Have I got a dud? Is the valve dead (it doesn't seem to glow at all and I'm not sure whether I should expect it to?)? If anyone here owns one and will admit to it(!) I'd love to hear whether this is normal behaviour or if i need to return it. Thanks in advance...

Thanks Kev, tried a few different leads now with the same result so I think I can rule that out. Really, my query is - is it a 'fault' with the bass, should I expect it or should I go back to the shop and ask them to fix it? Of course, if I do go back to the shop the bloody thing probably won't buzz!

No, it doesn't stop when I touch the strings. It does stop if I touch the plug on the lead at the guitar end. Also, it's not consistent - only happens in certain areas of the room, i.e. near the light switch. Haven't yet sussed all the knobs out on the bass yet but it gets louder when I turn one of them all the way up. It's either the high freq tone or the pickup blend knob.

My bass is making a terrible buzz. A clever man told me it maybe to do with other electrical appliances that are on the same circuit. I turned everything from the pc to the fridge off to try and prove that theory. The last thing left to turn off (besides the bass amp) were the lights. It was the bloody lights! So, my question is, is that normal or should I expect more from my bass in terms of shielding? It wasn't mega expensive but it wasn't cheap either - £300 active bass. What do you think?