Did I Create My Own Hum Hell?

[MusicESP]

I've been using my BBE Wah pedal for several weeks, and loving it. That is until I picked up a new Gator pedal tote, which is a smaller pedalboard, with space underneath for a power supply.

To facilitate easy velcroing, I decided to remove the feet from the wah, and since the screws weren't holding the bottom plate tightly, I opted to just remove it all together. So with the pedal now safely velcroed to the board, I flipped over the pedalboard and installed my BBE Super Charger power supply underneath (little big, but that's for a different thread).

With the rest of the board wired up, and working fine, I kicked in my formerly quiet BBE Wah to test, and now I get this god awful hum when the pedal is engaged. Pedal position doesn't matter, the hum is constant. Also, the pedal after it in the chain now has a loud pop when engaged.
Bear in mind, that all of these pedals were working fine while on the floor with the power supply off to the side.

Can removing the bottom cover on the wah be allowing the power supply underneath, direct access to the wah inductor and causing hum?

 

[rickenbackerkid]

Pretty much. Power supplies and wah pedals should be as far away from each other as possible.

 

[aziltz]

you removed the bottom plate? that would mean that the wah guts are not properly sheilded to rf and power supply noise and other baddies. put the bottom cover back on.

 

[dk123123dk]

My wah is permanently mounted to my pedalboard. I took the plate off the bottom as well. I use a 1 spot with no issues. I would assume that your power supply is the issue. Good luck.

dk

 

[MusicESP]

I'm gonna stick the bottom plate on tonight. I had to find some shorter screw which would securely hold the bottom plate. Without the rubber feet, the orginal screws were too long.

Actually, I'm in the market for a smaller power supply. I really like the BBE, with it's regulated, and isolated, outputs, but it's slighlty too tall to fit under my little Gator pedal tote.

Anyone want to trade a DC Brick?

 

[aziltz]

check out the wah plates at www.stompin-ground.com

they let you use the original screws, and the original bottom plate, but add velcro. very helpful. And you don't have to screw it down.

 

[stinkfoot]

Any circuit will need proper shielding to stay quiet. And wahs in particular, as they are notoriously sensitive to electromagnetic fields (even with the shielding intact). Removing the bottom plate left the wah essentially unshielded, which isn't a good idea

In general, the power supply should be placed as far from the wah as possible. Underneath or on top of the board shouldn't matter, as long as it is kept away from the wah (and the wah has its bottom plate in place ).

/Andreas

 

[RussB]

I just used small screws to attach the plate on my (Budda) Wah

 

[MusicESP]

Thank for the replies everyone. Here's what I've found after a little experimentation.

The problem is definitely the placement of the BBE Super Charger underneath the wah pedal. I started by reinstalling the bottom plate for the wah, after finding some smaller screws. Then, I fired everything up, and kicked in the wah. Sure enough. Hum City. I then un-velcroed the SuperCharger from the bottom and as I slowly backed it away from the pedalboard, the hum slowly began to die away to zero. I then began experimenting with different areas to mount the power supply. Eventually, I found an area underneath, away from and parallel to the wah, which was completely silent.

Unfortunately, with the BBE underneath in this position, it's got my little pedalboard rocking like Grandma Ellis on a spring morning.

I'm assuming this is also what was causing one of my pedals to pop loudly when engaged.

Oh well, time for something smaller. Anyone want to trade?

 

[jlagrassa]

Yeah, you can shield a wah all you want but if the power supply is to close to the wah pedal ...hum city! I'm using a one spot these days and its super quiet!

 

[MusicESP]

I have a One Spot, but I ordered one of these last night. Looks interesting, especially considering the price. 2 of the outputs are voltage adjustable.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ARTEC-SPB-8-POWER-BRICK-EFFECTS-POWER-STATION_W0QQitemZ250395332427QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item250395332427&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

 

[charmboy]

check out the wah plates at www.stompin-ground.com

they let you use the original screws, and the original bottom plate, but add velcro. very helpful. And you don't have to screw it down.

+1 here... simple but incredibly useful idea!

 

[ecaace]

You need a power supply with isolated outputs like the voodoo lab ones.

 

[Jahn]

try this trick - put the feet back on your wah. but between the feet and screw, put a square of velcro and screw through it. bingo, velcro'd feet! just stick that wherever you like, now your bottom is shielded, and your wah is back to a good rocking angle too (if your feet helped with the angle).

i use 3M dual lock for this, so even a tiny square does the trick. if you have less sticky velcro, use two strips and stretch it across so it's anchored by the two top feet, and two bottom feet.

 

[MusicESP]

Picked up the correct screws at my local hardware store, so it's now mounted with the plate and without the feet.

That is a great idea.

try this trick - put the feet back on your wah. but between the feet and screw, put a square of velcro and screw through it. bingo, velcro'd feet! just stick that wherever you like, now your bottom is shielded, and your wah is back to a good rocking angle too (if your feet helped with the angle).

i use 3M dual lock for this, so even a tiny square does the trick. if you have less sticky velcro, use two strips and stretch it across so it's anchored by the two top feet, and two bottom feet.

 

[MusicESP]

Yeah, the BBE that I have now has isolated outputs, just a little too large to fit under my Gator pedal tote.

The Artec mentioned above has regulated and hum filtered outputs, so we''l give it a try. I'll report back afterwards.

You need a power supply with isolated outputs like the voodoo lab ones.

 

[stinkfoot]

The Artec does not have isolated outputs. Its outputs are individually regulated, but not isolated. It may emit a smaller electro-magnetic field, though, as it doesn't have any mains transformer (it's powered from a switching type wall wart).

/Andreas

 

[MusicESP]

No, my current BBE has isolated outputs. The Artec is sold as regulated and hum filtered outputs.

The Artec does not have isolated outputs. Its outputs are individually regulated, but not isolated. It may emit a smaller electro-magnetic field, though, as it doesn't have any mains transformer (it's powered from a switching type wall wart).

/Andreas