sansamp hiss

[tc4b]

I know I've posted a lot about the sansamp (before and after purchase) and I wan you to know I've really appreciated your help thus far.

My problem is still noise. If I turn the treble or 'presence' up over 50%, I get a significant hiss. Is this something I just have to live with with a sansamp (rbi) or is something wrong with my unit? It makes this noise even without a bass plugged into it. I have heard it both through my digi 001 and my mackie 1202 mixer. Do I need special cables for this thing, or is it possibly too close to my computer monitors? Do I just suck it up and buy a noise reduction pedal? Thanks for help, and again, apologize if I'm beating a dead horse.

 

[tc4b]

Here's a sample.* The first time through, I'm recording through the pre on my digi 001. The second time I play through the RBI with the treble and presence up halfway (at the 12:00 position). Same settings on my bass both times. The place where the hiss really bugs the living shit out of me is while the last note is sustained. As the note fades away, the hiss intrudes. I hope it translates to the mp3, it's sure as hell evident in the original protools session.


http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=6698









*(Yes, I'm well aware I suck at bass, all I can say is I'm working on it)

 

[jonnyc]

I must be crazy, I didn't hear any hiss. I will say the IMHO the tone thru the rbi is multitudes better than thru the digi pre.

 

[travelin travis]

I hear very little hiss and considering it's a bass track, why would you give a crap? Why are you boosting the highs of a bass track any way?

 

[tc4b]

I hear very little hiss and considering it's a bass track, why would you give a crap? Why are you boosting the highs of a bass track any way?

That's reassuring, maybe I'm just crazy, wouldn't be the first time. Why boost the highs? I don't know, sometimes I just like it that way.

edit: wait... why wouldn't hiss matter in a bass track? Is it something about the way bass tracks are typically eq'd? I'm entirely self-taught as far a recording goes, so I might be missing something obvious. To me, hiss is hiss, and it's bad. Unless I'm doing a vocal in which I hiss.

 

[tc4b]

I must be crazy, I didn't hear any hiss. I will say the IMHO the tone thru the rbi is multitudes better than thru the digi pre.

I agree, that's why I bought it, for tone and shit. It just seems noisy, but I might be crazy. Thanks for giving a listen. I have to say the hiss is way more pronounced in the original session,.

 

[Fusioninspace]

I know the sans amps can get real noisy when you start pushing the overdrive settings, etc. I've started using a gate to get rid of the hiss when I'm not playing - As soon as you start playing, the gate opens and your signal over rides the background noise.

But this may not answer your questions. That's just how I deal with it.

 

[cellardweller]

There is a noticable hiss on my GT2 with high gain settings or with the highs anywhere near dimed....

 

[tc4b]

Hooray for tech21!

I found this e-mail very helpful. Turns out I just didn't know how to really use my RBI. This kind of help makes me want to stick with a company, ya know? I'm looking at their bass cabs as we speak...


[from tech21]

Dear tc4b,

Thanks for your RBI purchase. The frequencies effected by the Presence and the Treble controls are unfortunately the same frequencies as "hiss". Our controls typically work much more than those of other manufacturers, so you may not need to set them as high as you may be used to. Here are some tips to optimize the signal to noise ratio:

1. Set all eq @ 12:00. Set Drive and Presence and Blend @ 7:00. Set level control to unity gain (same volume level when unit is bypassed or engaged).
2. Set Volume control on instrument all the way up. If it is an active bass, set the EQ flat.
3. Turn the blend control past 12:00 to desired setting. You may hear the signal drop in level at this point. This is because the Drive is all the way down. Turn the Drive up while playing and set it for the desired amount. If you are looking for a clean sound, you should turn the Drive up to the point of distortion and then back it down until it cleans up. This optimizes the signal to noise ratio.
4. Presence control is not an EQ control, but a upper harmonic distortion control. The "flat" position is 7:00 or off, not 12:00. If you are looking for grind in the top end, then add it with this control. Since it is a "distortion" control, it will add hiss to the signal if there are high settings of the Drive and Presence.
5. Treble control flat position is 12:00. If you are hearing significant hiss when this control is at 12:00, that indicates that the noise is originating from earlier in the signal chain (active preamp in bass, noise from pedals in signal chain).
6. Just as the bass needs to be matched to the RBI for a good signal to noise ratio, the same is true when matching the output of the RBI to a mixer.

Best regards,
John Bednar, Technical Supervisor