Visual sound H20 (Version 1) Glitch? SOUNDCLIP INCLUDED

[soma89]

OK, So I`m a big newb when it comes to chorus pedals. I noticed my VS H20 has a little spitting sound in the background of when I`m playing (it sounds like little chirps) and they get faster when I adjust the speed of the chorus, as you can probably hear in the clip. Is this common in chorus pedals? Can it be something wrong with the pedal?

DivShare File - h20 chorus sound.mp3

Thanks a lot!

 

[lux_interior]

Mine does that too, but I am guessing it is normal. Are you powering it with a Visual Sound One Spot?

 

[NHBluesMan]

not sure why it's doing that.... if you email Dana Weaver (Support@VisualSound.net) he can help you out... he's also on the forum here... can't remember his name though

 

[soma89]

Mine does that too, but I am guessing it is normal. Are you powering it with a Visual Sound One Spot?

yup!

 

[lux_interior]

I believe this is noise that is sometimes present when using an adaptor which does not provide isolated power to each pedal in your chain. Some effects, particularly digital ones (don't ask me why, I don't know) will present this, even though the chorus side of the H2O is fully analog. For example, I've heard that it also happens with a One Spot powering a Boss Space Echo, and that it goes away when you use an adaptor with isolated supply like the Voodoo Labs ones.

 

[NHBluesMan]

I believe this is noise that is sometimes present when using an adaptor which does not provide isolated power to each pedal in your chain. Some effects, particularly digital ones (don't ask me why, I don't know) will present this, even though the chorus side of the H2O is fully analog. For example, I've heard that it also happens with a One Spot powering a Boss Space Echo, and that it goes away when you use an adaptor with isolated supply like the Voodoo Labs ones.

the only thing with this is that the chorus side of the H2O is analog, not digital

 

[lux_interior]

Yes, I already said that and you quoted it! Maybe it gets some interference from other digital effects that are daisy-chained to it. Plus, I believe that the echo side of the H2O is digital, so when not true-bypassed it might do this, or other effects might be responsible, or just random unfiltered noise coming in.

 

[earthtonesaudio]

I've experienced this sound on some of my DIY builds. Usually it is an opamp-based LFO drawing a current spike when the output tries to quickly slew from positive to negative (or neg to pos). Some solutions that have worked for me:
-using a lower-power opamp
-more power supply isolation between audio and LFO sections
-regulating both audio and LFO sections separately
-slowing the slew rate of the opamp (often requires significant circuitry changes)

The problem is that sometimes just one of these is sufficient to fix it, and sometimes you have to pull out all the stops.


[edit]
The "chirping" sound is very distinctive, and it could indeed come from a HF clock whose frequency briefly drops into the audio range.

If you have multiple HF clocks in one system (as in this case), there is always a chance for heterodyning or getting a beat frequency. However since this particular problem is synchronized with the LFO that still points to the LFO itself being the instigator.

It could simply be that the LFO is stealing current away from the HF clock momentarily, which causes the speed of the HF clock to momentarily sag. With a BBD this would come through the delay line itself since the sample rate is not changing smoothly like it should.

I would still recommend swapping the LFO opamp for a lower power version, and also increase the power supply filter caps (especially on the BBD and LFO sections).

 

[NHBluesMan]

Yes, I already said that and you quoted it! Maybe it gets some interference from other digital effects that are daisy-chained to it. Plus, I believe that the echo side of the H2O is digital, so when not true-bypassed it might do this, or other effects might be responsible, or just random unfiltered noise coming in.

my bad, missed that somehow....


are there any 1-spot plugs that aren't being used? Sometimes if they're open or uncovered it can create noise

 

[soma89]

Let me just say that I`m using a one spot and NO OTHER pedals..just the H20. I also always thought that the h20 was digital..atlease the version I have (V1)

 

[NHBluesMan]

Let me just say that I`m using a one spot and NO OTHER pedals..just the H20. I also always thought that the h20 was digital..atlease the version I have (V1)

delay side is digital, chorus side is analog

 

[R.G.]

The H2O works quietly with a 1Spot in general. There are some possible exceptions, which amount to:
- the H2O could be defective
- the 1Spot could be defective
- there could be interference from other pedals

Using an H2O alone on a 1Spot eliminates the third possibility, so that leave the others.

At a guess, it may be that the timing on the clock of the chorus is wandering down into audio, as mentioned.

A heterodyne (interacting high frequencies producing an audible lower frequency) is possible any time you have two different oscillators that can possibly get together. The internal design and layout of the conductors on the H2O PCB had quite a bit of thought put into keeping the two apart for this very reason.

A couple of questions come up in my head:
- has it always done this?
- if not, did it come on slowly or show up full-born one day?
- does it do it with a battery?
- how old are each respective unit?

 

[lareplus]

The H2O is wonderful, in my opinion. . .I'm just saying. . . a perfect blend of clean, clear chorus with a crystal echo. .

 

[lux_interior]

Mine was always doing this, but this noise is very low and doesn't bother me - certainly not in a way that justifies shipping it to the US for repair... I haven't tried it with a battery or with its own One Spot - I will do that soon. My own unit was bought around 2006.

 

[soma89]

The H2O works quietly with a 1Spot in general. There are some possible exceptions, which amount to:
- the H2O could be defective
- the 1Spot could be defective
- there could be interference from other pedals

Using an H2O alone on a 1Spot eliminates the third possibility, so that leave the others.

At a guess, it may be that the timing on the clock of the chorus is wandering down into audio, as mentioned.

A heterodyne (interacting high frequencies producing an audible lower frequency) is possible any time you have two different oscillators that can possibly get together. The internal design and layout of the conductors on the H2O PCB had quite a bit of thought put into keeping the two apart for this very reason.

A couple of questions come up in my head:
- has it always done this?
- if not, did it come on slowly or show up full-born one day?
- does it do it with a battery?
- how old are each respective unit?

I believe it has been doing this all along.
I have yet to try it with a battery but I will soon, hopefully.
They are both roughly from around 2006.
I know there are 2 versions of the first h20`s and mine would be the one with the white indicators on the black knobs as opposed to the blue marks on the knobs that I think came out earlier (?).

 

[mockoman]

I own 3;one of each version. I've always used a VoodooLabs power supply,and none of them has done this.