Crackling noise in my Vh4 ch.3 (???)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joeytpg
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Joeytpg

Joeytpg

Active member
...I swapped all the preamp tubes in my VH4 (still gotta swap the power tubes once the kit bias probe gets here), but I'm getting a weird crackling soung in ch.3 ONLY.

This crackling happens when I'm hitting the strings very lighty in ch.3, and if I hit the strings hard then it goes away and the normal distortion sound comes. what could it be? :confused: it's annoying because It won't do it all the time, but does it quite often if I'm strumming lighty (when I say lightly I mean VERY lightly)

please lets hope I don't have to send it to Peter (the shippin' fees will kill me! :()
 
hm, have you tried another cab?

our bassist had exactly the same problem last rehearsal, he then tried another cab and no crackling at light strumming.
 
not really, I only have one cab, but it sounds perfectly fine with my Duesentrieb and my Einstein
 
Full guitar volume? If so it's probably just the natural gain from the channel. Try rolling the volume back and see if it does it, just a little, maybe to "7" or so and if it clears up try "5" and see if it clears up more, if it does then it's probably normal. I assume this because you say it sounds fine when you strum it normal, which sounds to me like break up more than something wrong.
 
just wanted to say the exact same thing. If you strum a chord hard and let it ring to silence you will hear some sizzling when it goes from overdriven tone to clean tone. That is absolutely normal and OK!
 
no, I mean is a crackling sound like when a cable is f-up and you move it.... you know what I'm talking about?
 
It is VERY possible it is a tube issue. I myself have had tube issues as well as issues with the pots in the past on amps and the description you have is similar to my experiences. If the pots are old, dirty, dusty, have been exposed to humidity.....ANYTHING, it can really mess things up. If they are cleaned up it could solve the problem or it could just be a tube. I hope it is nothing more but that is where I would look first. Check the fuses, tubes, pots first off. Does this happen at any volume? Does this happen immediately?...after the amp is good and warm?.....all the time or just sometimes?........only since the new tubes were installed?.....etc. Sadly, just because a tube is new doesn't mean it is a good tube. Depending on the tube itself, it (could) have a fairly high failure rate. Let me know what you find and I will help however I can :)
 
yea Tube issue, Which 12ax7 tube is for channel 3? V2? ...replace that one.
 
thanks guys.... I'm using some Tube-town 12ax7 classic, and I just changed all of the preamp tubes (need to change the power tubes still)

Duolos, it does it only in ch.3 and it does it like 50% of the time, specially if it's "cold".......once I've been playing for a while it'll still do it, but olnly like 30% of the time. And like I said, it does it if I'm strumming very lightly while in ch.3

I'll try to capture it.
 
Yeah man

that is a classic tube issue, the best way to check to see if it's a tube issue is turn the amp on standby, then let it warm up, then turn the amp on with NO cable or guitar plugged in, with NO noise gates or any other things attached and turn the volume up, if you hear the cracking noise you can narrow it down by tapping on the tube with a plastic pen.

Just because you oput NEw tubes in doesn't mean they are not microphonic.
Tubes get shipped and in transit thier internal parts shake around and can be damaged as they are VERY sensative. New tubes are NOT made to the same standards as older tubes.

C
 
alrighty then amma try that tomorrow morning...... thank for everything guys! :thumbsup:
 
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