Judo Chop Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 I bought one of these Ampeg analog pre amp pedals in January and it sounds really nice, only it's got quite a low output and it's extremely noisy when switched on. This isn't a problem for me when I'm just playing through my amp but when I try to record with it it really sticks out, I have to crank the volume control to make up for how quiet it is which in turn makes the hissing and noise stand out a lot more. Turning the mids and treble up makes it even worse, and the Ultra Hi switch just adds to that. Has anyone else had one of these pedals and did you have similar problems or do I just have a dodgy unit? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 From what I read about their SCR DI pedal it can be noisy when the power is dropping, maybe all their pedals have this, are you using a battery and if so is it new/the pedal always been like this since you bought it? If using a power supply is it the right spec? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 2, 2021 Author Share Posted July 2, 2021 46 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: From what I read about their SCR DI pedal it can be noisy when the power is dropping, maybe all their pedals have this, are you using a battery and if so is it new/the pedal always been like this since you bought it? If using a power supply is it the right spec? I'm using batteries currently, changing them hasn't helped and it's been noisy since day one. Do you think a power supply might sort it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 It might be worth a try, tho with brand new batteries you shouldn’t have problems. The mention of low output is also something of concern, how high on the volume control do you have to set it so that it’s the same as before you switch it on? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osiris Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 On 02/07/2021 at 01:18, Judo Chop said: I bought one of these Ampeg analog pre amp pedals in January and it sounds really nice, only it's got quite a low output and it's extremely noisy when switched on. This isn't a problem for me when I'm just playing through my amp but when I try to record with it it really sticks out, I have to crank the volume control to make up for how quiet it is which in turn makes the hissing and noise stand out a lot more. Turning the mids and treble up makes it even worse, and the Ultra Hi switch just adds to that. Has anyone else had one of these pedals and did you have similar problems or do I just have a dodgy unit? Cheers! That doesn't sound quite right to me. Although I've not had one of these Ampeg units I have had a few different pre-amps over the years and none have been excessively noisy, IMO. Obviously if you start adding high gain drive and lots of high end then things get inherently noisier but at clean and low gain settings you shouldn't really be having the problems you describe. And all the pre's that I've used have had plenty of volume boost available too, even with clean sounds, so if you're having to crank it to reach unity then it sounds like something's not right. If you bought it new there should be at least a 12 month manufacturers warranty so drop the retailer a line about getting it replaced. If you bought used there's not a lot you can do about it, unfortunately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 23 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: It might be worth a try, tho with brand new batteries you shouldn’t have problems. The mention of low output is also something of concern, how high on the volume control do you have to set it so that it’s the same as before you switch it on? I'll try another new battery and order a power supply today. I have to turn the volume to around 2 to 3 o'clock before it matches the raw bass signal, I've never had a pedal with that much difference in it before which is making me lean towards dodgy unit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 9 minutes ago, Osiris said: That doesn't sound quite right to me. Although I've not had one of these Ampeg units I have had a few different pre-amps over the years and none have been excessively noisy, IMO. Obviously if you start adding high gain drive and lots of high end then things get inherently noisier but at clean and low gain settings you shouldn't really be having the problems you describe. And all the pre's that I've used have had plenty of volume boost available too, even with clean sounds, so if you're having to crank it to reach unity then it sounds like something's not right. If you bought it new there should be at least a 12 month manufacturers warranty so drop the retailer a line about getting it replaced. If you bought used there's not a lot you can do about it, unfortunately. Luckily I bought it new so I can return it if the batteries or power supply don't help. Is there a way to upload sound files on here? It would probably be easier to record a short A/B clip to show you both rather than describing the sounds to you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osiris Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 16 minutes ago, Judo Chop said: Luckily I bought it new so I can return it if the batteries or power supply don't help. Is there a way to upload sound files on here? It would probably be easier to record a short A/B clip to show you both rather than describing the sounds to you You can upload sound files, other users have done it, but it's not something that I've done myself so although I'm not certain I'd guess you just upload it as you would a picture using the Choose files option. That's on the desktop version of the site, I'm not sure if it works the same on the mobile version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 8 minutes ago, Osiris said: You can upload sound files, other users have done it, but it's not something that I've done myself so although I'm not certain I'd guess you just upload it as you would a picture using the Choose files option. That's on the desktop version of the site, I'm not sure if it works the same on the mobile version. Ah thanks, I'll have a look in a bit and make a short recording if I figure it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 One would hope you have a dud. Can you test it with a known clean input to confirm the noise is coming from the unit? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 Just now, Downunderwonder said: One would hope you have a dud. Can you test it with a known clean input to confirm the noise is coming from the unit? I'll try running my keyboard through it and check, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 I made a short video comparing the noise levels of the Ampeg, a Boss EQ and a Big Muff. All pedals had fresh batteries before I started recording and use the same cables and interface settings. The Ampeg gets really noisy as soon as you engage it or add mids /treble, while the other two stay relatively noiseless however you set the controls. I'm leaning towards a dodgy unit, what do you reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Sounds faulty I have the SCR-DI which is very quiet and has unity output around 12 0 clock on the volume dial I run mine using a Truetone 1 spot Have you checked that the jumper inside isn’t set on -15db for active basses ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 34 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said: Sounds faulty I have the SCR-DI which is very quiet and has unity output around 12 0 clock on the volume dial I run mine using a Truetone 1 spot Have you checked that the jumper inside isn’t set on -15db for active basses ? Yeah I've already checked that and it's set for passive, looks like it's knackered then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 What are you plugging it into? For example I get a lot of noise with some preamps if I’m plugged into my PJB Bighead running on battery power, but that goes away if I plug in the USB cable to charge it. I suppose doing so grounds it. You could therefore possibly get the same issue trying to record from a laptop or iPad that isn’t plugged into the wall. If the noise changes a lot when touching the strings or putting your hand near the pickup, that would also indicate a grounding issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Sounds just like a noisy pedal to me. Especially as the noise reduces with settings. I’ve had compressors which make noise like that - just send it back and try something else I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 On 04/07/2021 at 02:09, dannybuoy said: What are you plugging it into? For example I get a lot of noise with some preamps if I’m plugged into my PJB Bighead running on battery power, but that goes away if I plug in the USB cable to charge it. I suppose doing so grounds it. You could therefore possibly get the same issue trying to record from a laptop or iPad that isn’t plugged into the wall. If the noise changes a lot when touching the strings or putting your hand near the pickup, that would also indicate a grounding issue. I'm plugging the bass into the pedal (battery power) which goes into a DI box which goes into my interface, which goes into my PC via some noise reduction gizmo, I haven't tried it with a power supply yet so that's my next step. I think ped is right in saying it's probably just a noisy pedal because every other one I've tried is fine on battery power. Hopefully a power supply sorts it but if not I'll have to buy myself a Sansamp or something, what a shame 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niigagta Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 I also use Ampeg preamp classic. And I'm concerned about noise. I plug it into the return of the amp. I used an external noise gate effector to eliminate noise when not playing. I solved the problem of noise being added to the sound being played by drastically cutting the treble of this stomp. Adjustment of the treble range is controlled by the knob on the bass body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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