Slight Hissing Through Headphones?

    Hey guys, just thought I'd throw this out there. I tried using headphones with my Kemper for the first time this weekend and noticed there was a slight hissing whenever a string was played or even touched. But as soon as I muted the strings, the hissing went away. Completely quiet.


    I don't notice it through my monitor at all - I'm guessing it's just because my headphones were really loud and picked up on the subtle sound. But I'm also guessing the hissing is part of the modeling? I tried it on all kinds of profiles - stock Kemper ones, as well as Amp Factory profiles. They all give off the hiss - which again, is more like what you'd hear at very loud volumes... more like a background ambient type of hiss. Like a hot mic picking up on ambient noise.


    Is this normal? Thoughts?

    Do you hear this sound with low gain amps, or just gainy amps? If you turn the input gate completely off, is the noise there all the time - when you are not touching the strings? If so, it is coming from your guitar/FX/room.


    If not, turn up a tube amp in the same room, with your guitar plugged into it, as relatively loud as your headphones sound appeared to be in your ears, with a comparable amount of gain. Any hiss/buzz/hum coming from the speakers?

    I believe I checked more gainy amps - but definitely the sound was NOT there when I was muting the strings. It was almost like the hiss/buzz is more a feature of the amp "digital reproduction"... when the strings are muted, I don't hear a single sound or background anything. Just when the guitar is at loud volumes. I will check on quieter clean amps, but I'm guessing it will still be there...

    I'm picky enough about extraneous sound that I don't let the tremolo springs vibrate freely on guitars - I use foam to keep them from vibrating on all my trem guitars. I've not noticed any artificial artifacts from the Kemper, and play pretty loud onstage. I've not noticed anything in the studio either - but, high gain sounds, played extremely loud in headphones are likely to have as much noise as the original amps did.

    Quote from Amaze-B

    Hey guys, just thought I'd throw this out there. I tried using headphones with my Kemper for the first time this weekend and noticed there was a slight hissing whenever a string was played or even touched. But as soon as I muted the strings, the hissing went away. Completely quiet.


    I don't notice it through my monitor at all - I'm guessing it's just because my headphones were really loud and picked up on the subtle sound. But I'm also guessing the hissing is part of the modeling? I tried it on all kinds of profiles - stock Kemper ones, as well as Amp Factory profiles. They all give off the hiss - which again, is more like what you'd hear at very loud volumes... more like a background ambient type of hiss. Like a hot mic picking up on ambient noise.


    Is this normal? Thoughts?


    Yes, this is normal.
    The hiss is coming from your guitar, a very analog hiss :)
    The noise gate cuts it.

    Thanks CKemp! Wow, I got a response from the man himself!


    Well, I did do a check with other guitars and with clean amps. I also tested with noise gates and while the noise gate definitely works well by cutting off any amp hum/hiss, I still get the same slight hiss whenever a string is touched gently. I managed to get a recording of the sound through my headphones (no direct signal, but literally a recording I made with the cans facing outward). In the recording, I used the AC30 Top Boost from Amp Factory with a Les Paul. Mind you, I played quietly over very high volume using headphones - I couldn't hear this over a powered FRFR amp. And... the hiss is still there. I'm guessing it has to do with the "modeling" of amps as when the hiss occurs, it gives definition and creates "space" whereas when the strings are muted, I hear absolutely nothing. Oh, also I removed stomps one by one and replaced them with noise gates and tested them as I added them - so with 4 noise gates turned on or off, I still hear it.


    I tried to PM DonPeterson, but I haven't gotten a response yet... I uploaded the recording to my DropBox account, so if anyone wants to hear it, PM me with an email address and I will add you so you can hear it. Since I recorded with my iPhone, there is a constant background noise, but you can definitely hear the hiss when the strings are played or when the string is left to vibrate.

    This is definitely EM noise. I believe, as you suggested, that the HPs reveal it but it's present in the monitors as well.


    • Does it change if you move away from your Profiler or turn slightly around yourself?

    If yes, it's the electric circuit of your guitar not shielded. This is what happens when I face my peavey bandit with the guitar in my avatar by too close.


    • Does it take place regardless any neon lit lights? Is it the same by day and night?

    If not, it's lights interference with your guitar.


    • Does the noise stop when you touch the strings with your hands, or just with your pick (no contact by skin at all)?

    If the former, try and press the ground lift buttons on the rear of the Profiler, all of them but one. Try and leave each of them unpressed, one at a time.


    Let us know!


    :)

    So, I tested the KPA for EM noise as viabcroce suggested... I tested the ground/lift switches in different combinations and orders and there is still no difference. I also moved further away from the KPA with my headphones on and again, no difference. I also tested to make sure the hiss/hum whether I used a pick or my fingers, and again, the hiss/hum is still there... what else could it be?

    No, the noise gate does not affect this hiss/hum at all. The noise gate works, but I tested this with 1 noise gate and then eventually added 3 more noise gates in the other stomp sections. It didn't matter if I had 4 all on, it had the same effect of just 1 noise gate. This hiss does seem like it could be as a result of EM noise. I will try again later today - it could be because my KPA is close to my computer.

    Yes, move it and see what happens. Also, try and change mains socket, and then room as well.
    Last, it would be great if you could try the Profiler in a different building. Some weird interferences may be related for example to the plumber at the ground level using a professional electromechanical saw and injecting the engine's pulse into the whole building's network... go figure. :|


    :)

    So I finally got a chance to try the Kemper in a different room. I feel like I hear a little less of the hiss, but I'm even more convinced that it's just related to the profiled amp sound. The next step is to try in a different building, which I should be able to this weekend.

    <p>Where you ever able to figure this out?</p>


    <p>I have the same behaviour with my KPA going through an Atomic CLR. &nbsp;I haven't tried headphones yet to see if it's the same, but I've tried a variety of noise gate configs and the ground lift switches on the back of the KPA with no change in the hiss.</p>


    <p>I'll try it in a different room tonight to see if it makes a difference.</p>

    Quote from Amaze-B

    No, the noise gate does not affect this hiss/hum at all. The noise gate works, but I tested this with 1 noise gate and then eventually added 3 more noise gates in the other stomp sections. It didn't matter if I had 4 all on, it had the same effect of just 1 noise gate. This hiss does seem like it could be as a result of EM noise. I will try again later today - it could be because my KPA is close to my computer.


    Noise Gate is only cutting a signal out bellow threshold - so if you turn off the noise gate you should hear the hiss all the time. And if you unther the tereshold level the hiss is passing withe guitar signal. Noise gate is not the same as noise reduction .
    You have KPA close to the PC - turn off PC and monitor and see if that helped.
    What kind of pickups do you have in guitar?