HX Effects Noise

LionAquaLooper · February 2023

Anybody using an HX Effects unit and are you getting a loud hum/static noise when using its OD/Dist/Fuzz effects? It's not 60 cycle hum because it also happens on my humbucker guitars. I'm running it into a low watt tube amp set to clean already and it's annoying! It becomes even more unbearable when stacking 2x dirt effects. Definitely not the amp because I've used other multi fx on it and it's silent.

Wazmeister · February 2023

How are you powering it ?

LionAquaLooper · February 2023

Straight to a wall socket using the standard adapter.
And I've tried 2 different wall sockets already.

jellybelly · February 2023

Have you some other dirt pedals to test that it's not the amp? Could also be a dodgy cable and the noise is getting amplified by the distortion circuits as they up the gain so much. HX should be pretty quiet.

Musicwolf · February 2023

Always difficult to diagnose these things remotely so it’s probably a case of going through every possible culprit one at a time.

Is this a new fault, i.e. it was working fine and then something changed, or have you noticed this the first time that you tried to use the distortion effects?

Have you tried the system in other locations (different rooms or different buildings)?

Are both HX and amp plugged into the same wall socket / extension block?

You have obviously tried different guitars, do you have the chance to try another amp?

Have you any way to record the noise?

If you can export the pre-set (in HX Edit it’s File>Export Preset or Ctrl+E on PC) you could forward it to me and I can try it on my Helix (HX presets can be imported into a Helix).

LionAquaLooper · February 2023

Yes I've run an EHX Big Muff Pi, Bad Monkey, Screamin Blues, Boss OD 3 into the amp and they were fine.

Forgot to mention in running HX into my amp using 4 cable method, though I'm not sure if that's even relevant.

Musicwolf · February 2023

LionAquaLooper said:

Yes I've run an EHX Big Muff Pi, Bad Monkey, Screamin Blues, Boss OD 3 into the amp and they were fine.

I'd picked up that you'd run other effects into the amp without problems - but that's not what I was asking. Does the HX play nicely with other amps?

LionAquaLooper · February 2023

Musicwolf said:

Always difficult to diagnose these things remotely so it’s probably a case of going through every possible culprit one at a time.

Is this a new fault, i.e. it was working fine and then something changed, or have you noticed this the first time that you tried to use the distortion effects?

Have you tried the system in other locations (different rooms or different buildings)?

Are both HX and amp plugged into the same wall socket / extension block?

You have obviously tried different guitars, do you have the chance to try another amp?

Have you any way to record the noise?

If you can export the pre-set (in HX Edit it’s File>Export Preset or Ctrl+E on PC) you could forward it to me and I can try it on my Helix (HX presets can be imported into a Helix).

Not a new fault. Bought this 2nd hand recently. Maybe why the guy sold it!

Tried different rooms, not different buildings.

Amp and HX plugged into same socket block on the wall, separate sockets.

Tried it using my Boss Katana Mini and same noise.

I'll try to record the noise later and post it here.

I can send you the preset as well, but can you tell me on your side, if you try the Legendary Drive for example, is it quiet? Which HX do you have?

Musicwolf · February 2023

LionAquaLooper said:

I can send you the preset as well, but can you tell me on your side, if you try the Legendary Drive for example, is it quiet? Which HX do you have?

I'm on a full-fat Helix but the algorithms are exactly the same. A bandmate has an HX Effects but I won’t be seeing him until end of next week.

I hadn’t tried the Legendary Drive until now and, having loaded it up, it’s fair to say that I probably won’t be using it ever again. Aside from it not being my kind of sound, as it loads up (with the drive at 7.7), it is very noisy. I was using it with a humbucker equipped guitar but I don’t think that matters – it is just noisy. It might be ok within the context of a mix but it definitely needs a noise gate in the chain.

How are the other drive effects?

jellybelly · February 2023

Musicwolf said:

LionAquaLooper said:

I can send you the preset as well, but can you tell me on your side, if you try the Legendary Drive for example, is it quiet? Which HX do you have?

I'm on a full-fax Helix but the algorithms are exactly the same. A bandmate has an HX Effects but I won’t be seeing him until end of next week.

I hadn’t tried the Legendary Drive until now and, having loaded it up, it’s fair to say that I probably won’t be using it ever again. Aside from it not being my kind of sound, as it loads up (with the drive at 7.7), it is very noisy. I was using it with a humbucker equipped guitar but I don’t think that matters – it is just noisy. It might be ok within the context of a mix but it definitely needs a noise gate in the chain.

How are the other drive effects?

As an aside - don't write off Legendary Drive just yet. I went through all my analog effects to try and get the HX in the same ballpark. This model was nearly indistinguishable from a D*A*M Meathead fuzz with the right settings! Noisy though, like the real thing.

LionAquaLooper · February 2023

The mild ODs have a slight hiss. Example being the 808 Tube screamer, but it's bearable. But when I stack that with another OD like I do with analogs then it's trouble. But it's really the heavy drives and fuzzes that emit the most hiss/hum.
Is it a case of Line 6 making these things TOO realistic??

TimmyO · February 2023

Try different cables

bobeffect · February 2023

I'm sure there were problems with early HXFX's having noise problems when in 4cm. I reckon you'll find it on L6's website forums. This might be old news to you OP.

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