Noises, crackles, why?

Hey Redcloud,

I’ll just clarify since I recorded those MODFather Pedalboard videos. The dropouts that are present in the video are due to the way we captured the video. It’s basically a sync issue in OBS studio. We were using a pretty underpowered laptop (2015 lenovo yoga) to record a fairly complicated set up. We set up OBS to capture 3 video sources (2 USB capture cards and a window capture) and 2 audio sources (a behringer interface and the audio over HDMI feeding from the capture card from the camera). The 2 audio sources are separate devices with different sample rates so the computer and OBS struggle to keep them in sync which means sometimes you get this buffer dropout. Not to mention it was a windows machine and windows does not handle aggregate audio devices very well.

In short, these cracks in the video are only present in the capture from the laptop but are not present when direct monitoring the Dwarf through the speakers.

I don’t think it makes sense to take an audio only recording because it won’t prove much if you can’t see where the audio is coming from. We are planning to upgrade the studio a bit with a better interface with more inputs and a dedicated recording and streaming PC, then you will see better quality audio in future videos and also hopefully livestreams :blush:

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Thanks James, I understand about the drops (these are likely to happen with the setup you described) but I hear some pops too that are similar to the issue raised by T-Pulse. Same kind of pops I’ve experienced on Mooer products. Anyway, I’ll wait to receive my Dwarf unit in order to make more in depth tests. Thanks!

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I must say, these cracks in the orignal post are not something I have heard on the device. It could be an issue with the cab sim but hearing how similar it sounds to the sync issues in our videos, I wonder whether it could also be an interface issue. I think the only way the device itself could make this sound is if the CPU was being hit really hard but with one plugin it’s not going to happen. We need to try to replicate it here I think

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Thank you! I hadn’t realised that the Dwarf was a balanced out signal, I will get a balanced cable and see what happens - I’m guessing that the noise will go.

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Let us know when you get it the results of your test. It will certainly helps out finding out what is really happening with @T-Pulse device.

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O̶k̶a̶y̶,̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶p̶l̶u̶g̶g̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶w̶a̶r̶f̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶p̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶m̶p̶ ̶I̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶a̶r̶t̶h̶ ̶b̶u̶z̶z̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶r̶e̶d̶u̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶!̶ ̶ ̶I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶i̶c̶e̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶t̶r̶e̶m̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶n̶n̶o̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶d̶i̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶(̶e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶b̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶v̶o̶u̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶p̶h̶r̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶"̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶u̶z̶z̶i̶n̶g̶"̶)̶.̶ ̶ ̶I̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶D̶.̶I̶.̶ ̶b̶o̶x̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶n̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶w̶!̶ ̶ ̶I̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶h̶u̶m̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶e̶n̶d̶e̶n̶c̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶i̶l̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶.̶ ̶ ̶I̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶t̶r̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶o̶l̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶o̶n̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶b̶l̶e̶m̶.̶ ̶ CORRECTION - I’M AN IDIOT. The noise was coming from the reverb that I had loaded just making a slight hum. With a clean pedalboard there is no noise at all when I use a balanced cable, I feel much happier with the world, and with my Dwarf (I never really believed that there would be a noise problem from such a nice device!). I reckon that it would be a good idea to put, in big letters, that the outputs are balanced, and that without either a balanced cable or something that would get rid of hum (a DI or hum destroyer) it might appear noisy!

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Thanks for checking!

Edit: thanks for the update :smiley:

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Useful thread! Thanks as I don’t have my Dwarf yet but useful to know all this.

So we need to use a balanced cable from the output even if the destination isn’t balanced??

I don’t think that that would work, but you can use a hum destroyer which works as well. Or have a look at getting rid of ground loops online. I use a balanced cable when I use my amp with a balanced input and a hum destroyer in other circumstances - this one: Behringer | Product | HD400 which allows the use of normal guitar cables. If you have a DI box (or any other device with ground lift) that would work as well.

It seems odd. Why does the Mod Dwarf need all this extra stuff to avoid noise where my HXfx and every other processor I’ve used on guitar is fine.

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I think noise pops out when you use the Dwarf with high voltage devices in the chain. When used standalone it should be more than ok.

Hmm ok. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see when mine arrives. After such a massively long wait, I hope this thing is worth it. Hah.

I have some pretty serious noise (discussed in this thread: [solved] High noise level at all times) with only my Dwarf and my amp (no other effects, even no input connected to the Dwarf).

I plan to do some extensive troubleshooting Monday, but I’m hoping other people’s experience doesn’t mirror my own.

Same here, I finally hope that it is my unit which dysfunctions, MOD is working on this and send us a beta but actually it does not fix my pb.
I am curious to know if any one, directly plugging its Dwarf, even without effect in board, in an amp (tube or not), has no noise added vs a direct guitar connection ?

I must add that there are crackles when I turn buttons for input/output adjustment.

Experiencing the same general issues. Contacted support.

Just received mine, I hear pops here and there like I’ve already experienced with Mooer. I own a Boss GT-1000core too and no clicks and pops with it (same guitar, cables, mixer).

Guys I got my Dwarf today, plugged directly into a monitor and used a box to kill the ground loop and for the crackles I adjusted the INPUT level. The rest is great, I made my first pedal board which I still want to modify and I learned how to assign switches B and C and I find it all very useful.

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Which box are you using to “kill the ground loop”?

https://www.vinteck.com/p16-ground-loop-killer-stereo.html