Digital noise from PC being picked up by Kemper

  • Hi all,


    I have an odd issue with my Kemper that is becoming increasingly problematic as I've started layering multiple guitars. When I use certain profiles, cranking the distortion results in a very unpleasant amount of digital noise that gets worse (and different) the closer I move my guitar to my PC. Here's a clip:


    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.…kwc86vy/untitled.mp3?dl=0


    In the beginning I turn the noise gate all the way down and then back to around 5 or 6. Starting at around :23, I bring the guitar near the GPU of the computer, and then around the front. At the end I click the mouse a few times, which also makes a short noise.


    The sound goes away if I turn the volume on the guitar down all the way. If I use a clean or low-gain profile, the sound is much reduced (but still present); some component of the noise is nearly eliminated by turning down the Definition setting on the KPA. I have ruled out:



    * My audio interface (unplugging it and monitoring through headphones on the KPA makes no difference)
    * Monitor (switched to a brand new monitor just today)
    * Instruments (my bass and guitar both have the same issue; guitar has active EMGs and bass has passive pickups)
    * The instrument cable (moving it/putting it directly on top of the PC case makes no difference)
    * Studio monitors (on/off makes no difference)
    * Pickups (have tried the pickup switch on both instruments)
    * Displayport vs HDMI for my monitor
    * Lights in the room on/off
    * Toggling ground loop switch on the KPA and audio interface


    Any thoughts? It's not unbearable, but if I quad-track my guitars and let the note ring out it is definitely noticeable in the recording. Thanks in advance for your replies :)

  • The forum isn't letting my edit my post for some reason, but I've also noticed that a significant portion of the noise is apparently coming from read/write processes on my hard drive (SSD).

  • The noise is very likely from your monitor, there isn't much you can about it except turn the monitor off when tracking or have your back to the monitor. Guitar pickups regardless of type will pickup this type of noise from computer monitor.

  • The forum isn't letting my edit my post for some reason, but I've also noticed that a significant portion of the noise is apparently coming from read/write processes on my hard drive (SSD).

    Was it indeed a case of SSD reads/writes @PatJ? I am experiencing bad noises also sometimes, don't have idea what is the source.

  • @PatJ Did you ever found out what was causing this noise? I'm also experiencing the exact noise you're getting :(

    Hi @fannar182 - I'm not sure if I had the same kind of noise, but it was similar, kind of "scratchy".


    I would never expect what was the reason.


    I had a laptop in other room and the noise (quite bizarre) was caused by the AC adapter in this laptop. Kind of bad, dirty current cause in electrical installation by this thing.....


    Noise was only present when laptop was powered on (Windows running). When AC adapter was plugged in AC socket, but laptop was powered off, there was no noise at all.


    It took me a while to figure out this!


    Sample (without Kemper playing, though)


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