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Thoughts on mobile phone interference through your bass/amp&cab - could it be company-specific? e.g. O2

Mike

By Mike,
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Mike Experienced

Mike

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Hi all.

My main bass is a Sadowsky Metro UV70 4 string - it's pretty much everything I want in a jazz bass. Sounds and plays beautifully.

However, I've always had a problem with it - it's always been susceptible to mobile phone interference. You know that percussive, buzzy noise (quaver/semiquaver/semiquaver rhythm!) that comes pounding through your amp? That. I am getting to the point where I get tired of asking everyone within 5 metres to turn their phone off on stage, or in the orchestra pit. It's a nightmare when I play with a big band! I've used different amps/cables etc and am pretty sure it's the bass that's picking it up. I have had the electronics and shielding checked and there appear to be no problems. It's come to a head where it's making me nervous on professional gigs and that's just really difficult.

A colleague of mine suggested rather than any phone causing this interference, perhaps it's a specific company's signal - I'm on O2. This got me thinking -when I use my iPhone in the car, I sometimes get interference when I lose 3G and it goes to WAP internet. My wife's phone doesn't seem to make any sound - and she's not on O2.

I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts on this - anyone on O2 having problems? Any ways round it?

Frustratedly,

Mike

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longtimefred Community Regular

longtimefred

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iphones are terrible for signal interference, it may be that. If i go anywhere near an amp or have mine plugged into my car stereo it screams that nasty noise every time it changes signal strength. Never ever used to have a problem with that before having an iphone (on vodafone).

I could be wrong, but this is just my experience with it.

Luckily i'm getting rid of mine tomorrow so hopefully should not have that problem again.

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longtimefred Community Regular

longtimefred

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You could try disabling 3G next time you are around your gear and see what that does. An old band mate used to have the same problem with an old phone of his (samsung I think) and that stopped when he changed it so my guess it's the brand of mobile rather than network.

I am gonna miss some gadgets on mine for sure but as a phone (on vodafone) it's sh*te.

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icastle Veteran

icastle

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It's called a location update - the phone talks to the network periodically to let it know where it is (no point in sending a call for you around the entire network).
An unfortunate by product of this signalling is that it can (and often does) produce that telltale clicky hum noise.

It's not network specific so you can't get around it by using a different provider.

I turn mine off when I'm playing so I've not tried it, but I've heard that using a couple of ferrite rings on the amp mains cable does a good job at reducing the problem.

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Hector Enthusiast

Hector

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[quote name='Mike' timestamp='1317586532' post='1392167']
Problem is I love my iPhone dearly (as do many musicians with whom I work) so that's not really an option for me!
[/quote]

They're a fantastic tool, but I expect you were probably just as good a musician before you had one! You could always try turning onto Aeroplane Mode - then you have all the sweet apps (iRealB, tuner etc.) without actually sending/receiving annoying clickety signally things....

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bartelby Grand Master

bartelby

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I've had this sort of interference with iPhones, Samsungs, Nokias and Sony Ericssons. For me the iPhone is no worse than the other manufacturers.

But as [b]Hector[/b] says, switching to Aeroplane mode stops it. Of course, no one can send you a text or phone you either.

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Mike Experienced

Mike

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Hi all - yes, you're all absolutely right, but I don't think I've been clear. I always, as a matter of course, have my phone or airplane mode. The problem is that I'm picking up signals from other people's phones within about 5 metres, so on any functions or gigs I always have to get people to turn their phones off - and sometimes it's not possible, practical or polite to doublecheck everybody! The thing is, it seems my Sadowsky is FAR worse than ANY other bass I've had at picking up this signal - none of my other basses are remotely as bad. And the problem is that it's by far my favourite bass, and I don't want to sell it :)

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geoffbyrne Proficient

geoffbyrne

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Sounds like you need better shielding - as mentioned above.

Do you use foot pedals? They are notorious for picking up odd signals.

I used to have a Zoom FX pedal that literally picked up Radio Tokyo in Loughborough!!!! Yes, really.

If that one bass is worse than the others, it points to a problem with that bass - maybe get all the groundings resoldered?

G.

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bremen Mentor

bremen

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[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1317634118' post='1392426']
Sounds like you need better shielding - as mentioned above.

Do you use foot pedals? They are notorious for picking up odd signals.

I used to have a Zoom FX pedal that literally picked up Radio Tokyo in Loughborough!!!! Yes, really.

If that one bass is worse than the others, it points to a problem with that bass - maybe get all the groundings resoldered?

G.
[/quote]

Try a ferrite ring at the amp end of the guitar lead, as well as the mains lead as Icastle suggested. This is more likely to work if it's a passive bass.

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KevB Mentor

KevB

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I seem to occasionally have problems when I'm using either active instruments or my wireless system interfering with my phone, it seems to pick up signals that override the keypad lock which is OK when the phone isn't in my pocket but if it is I have come off stage and apparently sent texts to a whole bunch of people I'd no intention of sending them to! Really weird. Not as weird as playing a daytime gig at Nottingham University once and set up my wireless, switched on my backline and got a perfect signal from the University's own student radio station going through it - back to the cable!

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Gust0o Experienced

Gust0o

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[quote name='Mike' timestamp='1317628558' post='1392363']
Hi all - yes, you're all absolutely right, but I don't think I've been clear. I always, as a matter of course, have my phone or airplane mode. The problem is that I'm picking up signals from other people's phones within about 5 metres, so on any functions or gigs I always have to get people to turn their phones off - and sometimes it's not possible, practical or polite to doublecheck everybody! The thing is, it seems my Sadowsky is FAR worse than ANY other bass I've had at picking up this signal - none of my other basses are remotely as bad. And the problem is that it's by far my favourite bass, and I don't want to sell it :)
[/quote]

You'll have to watch out for this mate, you'll get chucked out of Spinal Tap if it goes on!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JiQCIzCZA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JiQCIzCZA[/url]

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icastle Veteran

icastle

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Well if the interferance is coming from the audience then it's not practical to ask them all to switch to plane mode (assuming they are all using iphones which they wont be).

Buy a handful of ferrite beads and see if you can suppress the noise at the equipment end.

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/ferrite-rings-and-beads-32792"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/ferrite-rings-and-beads-32792[/url]

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