should I buy a power conditioner?

[neil55]

It sounds to me like a ground loop, and a power conditioner will not fix it. Are you patching the signal with high Z cables? If so, the shield is completing the loop circuit and cannot be cut since it's also part of the signal path, so try lifting the amplifier ground with a ground lift block. Don't lift the whole power strip, but lift only the amp. If your connectivity is low Z, you can sever the shield in the connector(s) without having to lift the ground on the amp.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for being ignorant here, but I'm kind of confused by what you said. What is a ground lift block and how do I lift my amp?

Also I'm not too keen as to the difference between high Z and low Z. The plug that I am using to connect the mixer and the boomerang is this: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--HOSCPR20 I think its low Z, but I'm not exactly sure. I'm planning on upgrading that cord though to this one: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MONMDJCR

And these are the cables that I use to hook the boomerang up to the amp, via the effect send/return: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MONS100I

Not sure if any of those are high Z or low Z?

 

[ggunn]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for being ignorant here, but I'm kind of confused by what you said. What is a ground lift block and how do I lift my amp?

Also I'm not too keen as to the difference between high Z and low Z. The plug that I am using to connect the mixer and the boomerang is this: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--HOSCPR20 I think its low Z, but I'm not exactly sure. I'm planning on upgrading that cord though to this one: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MONMDJCR

And these are the cables that I use to hook the boomerang up to the amp, via the effect send/return: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MONS100I

Not sure if any of those are high Z or low Z?

If they are RCA, then they are high Z. RCA connectors have only two conductors, while low Z have three. Low Z connectors come in two main flavors, XLR (sometimes called "cannon") and 1/4"TRS (tip ring sleeve - like a stereo headphone plug).

A ground lift block is just a little plastic or rubber block that has a male AC plug without a ground (round third prong) and a female three prong AC socket. Most grocery stores that have a hardware/electrical dept has them for a buck or so.

A word of caution - when you lift the ground on an amp (or anything), you are circumventing a safety measure. If your equipment is working correctly and your AC supply is wired to code, there's not much risk, but in the event that there is a problem with either the unit that you are groundlifting or the wiring in the supply, there can be dangerous voltages on the shields. Unfortunately, when connecting audio components with high Z connections, sometimes groundlifting is the only way I know of to get rid of ground loop noise.

BTW, (and some will disagree, I'm sure) I wouldn't spend a bunch of money on expensive cables, especially not those made by Monster. In addition to the hype about "signal clarity", "transparency", "warmth", etc. which is, IMO, pure BS, Monster's business practices alone are enough for me to never spend a dime on their cables.

 

[Piluszewska]

Use ground lifts (3 prong to 2 prong adapters) on everything in your guitar chain that has three prong power cords except for your amp. Then there is only one path to ground. This should do the trick.