Hum/noise when kicking on pedals

[Mr. C]

I was just reading another post which reminded me of a problem I've been having. While playing just through my amp without the pedals on everything sounds fine. As soon as I kick on my Keeley DS-1 or my Boss ME-50 (distortion/overdrive setting) the extraneous noise is annoying. Short of just not using these pedals what can I do to stop the hum? By the way the ME-50sounds just fine until I go to overdrive/distortion. I realize there would be some hum/noise being distortion, but I just think this is more than it should be.

 

[guitarplayr82]

Ways to eliminate hum:

Turn the gain/treble down on your amp/pedals.
Single-coil pickups tend to be noisy. Look for an alternative to use when you play with distortion.
Get a noise reduction pedal such as the ISP decimator or the Boss NS-2. I personally use the NS-2.
Check all your cables and all the jacks on your pedals. The slightest amount of hum on a clean tone can become a big problem when you switch on distortion or overdrive.
Check your power. Are you running the pedals on batteries? Make sure they're fresh. Are you using a third-party wall wart? Make sure it fits all the pedal specifications or get an adapter recommended by the manufacturer. Are you running your pedals through a pedal power box? Make sure you have each pedal plugged into the correct voltage and mA readings. It might also be necessary to get a power conditioner.

If all else fails then you might want to ship the pedals back to be looked at. If there is really a huge amount of buzz there might be a problem with the pedal itself. Good luck bro.

 

[Tobe]

The most obvious answer is to get an amp that delivers the saturated sound you want. You will get hum, but it will sound musical.

The problem with pedals is that they use solid state and/or digital technology to simulate the honest musicality of a noisy valve pre-amp.

I recon a valve amp with both dirty and clean chanells that you can select with a foot switch is the most satisfying route.