Hi guys,
What does a whistling sound from a hardware reverb mean? I saw in some forum that his hardware compressor (on the other hand) has whistling. So I thought it may have a common culprit.
I was recently handed an old hardware reverb (A.R.T.). The most of the finish has peeled off, but the board inside looks A-okay. It has a custom PSU and new BR2325 battery.
However, there's a whistling sound when the output is turned up. My workaround is is to max the input and minimize the output, and the overall gain is able to hover way above the whistling sound. Also, my mix console is able to phase-out hums and hisses. I can hear it audibly when I hit PFL on the effects return channel.
Any clues would be great, so I can bring it to the repair shop!
Whistling sound from hardware reverb
Moderator: Moderators
Whistling sound from hardware reverb
-
- wearashirt
Regular -
Posts: 122 Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:18 am
Location: Manila, Philippines
Contact:
Re: Whistling sound from hardware reverb
If you can record some of the noise and upload to say Soundcloud and give us a link, that would help.
It could well be a ground loop issue, which taking it to be repaired won't solve. But without an example of the sound, it's very hard to say.
It could well be a ground loop issue, which taking it to be repaired won't solve. But without an example of the sound, it's very hard to say.
Reliably fallible.
Re: Whistling sound from hardware reverb
wearashirt wrote:However, there's a whistling sound when the output is turned up.
The usual cause for a whistling sound is some form of oscillation. Either the output is getting back into the input through inappropriate signal routing (either external to the unit, or internal) -- known as a howl round -- or the electronics have become unstable due to a fault and are self-oscillating
- Hugh Robjohns
Moderator -
Posts: 38835 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Worcestershire, UK
Contact:
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Whistling sound from hardware reverb
It may be worth saying that old budget hardware reverbs were never known for being quiet though they were normally hissy rather than whistling.
- James Perrett
Moderator -
Posts: 14250 Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2001 12:00 am
Location: The wilds of Hampshire
Contact:
JRP Music - Audio Mastering and Restoration. JRP Music Facebook Page
Re: Whistling sound from hardware reverb
Check that you haven’t inadvertently turned up any aux sends on the effects return channel, especially the one that your reverb is on, as Hugh said, outputs back to inputs, can cause oscillations, check your routing.