I am curious as to how much noise you all get at idle/floor noise playing at levels that you would play at when at home? In other words, the guitar is plugged in and all the volumes/controls set to play both on guitar and amp ………….. what kind of noise level is there?
I have heard a few YouTube or sound clip demos of Dumbles or D clones that possibly seemed like there was considerable idle/floor noise?
IF you had a description of the amount of idle noise you have, how would you describe it? I admit this is subjective and I can't offer a good standard or reference point. In my own thinking, I want any amp I build to be as quiet and preferably quieter then the original 1976 PR that I had.
- quiet enough on the clean channel that you could accidently forget it's on and walk away leaving it on
- about the same as a quiet ceiling fan
- about the same level of noise that single coil pickups would produce over humbuckers
- playing at home with same volume as a Princeton Reverb …………. maybe comparable idle noise as the PR
- yeah, you can hear the idle noise and wished it were quieter but as soon as you start playing, the playing easily drowns it and it become insignificant
- in a small night club, playing at moderate levels for that size club with your band …………. people in the audience would easily hear your amp's idle noise between songs
- obnoxious level of noise but the amp sounds so good that's it's worth the idle/floor noise
OR …………… some other descriptor. Just making ones up to start a conversation. I am also presuming that it would not be possible to dime all the controls and not have oscillation?
With respect, 10thtx
Idle/floor noise level
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norburybrook
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Re: Idle/floor noise level
On the clean channel with a humbucker or on a strat with a reverse wound middle there is very little noise IMHO, if you're in OD at a reasonable level then there's noise 
I would say 'normal' expected noise levels. All my ODS are fairly quiet amp's I'd say in clean mode.
I'm in a quiet studio so my noise floor is low. Tube amps are inherently 'noisy' . If you've ever stood next to Brian May's AC30 stack you'll have a whole new perspective on tube amp 'noise' however once the band kicks in no one would notice so it's not a problem.
Master volume amps like the ODS are the quietest amps, amps like the Trainwrecks are a lot noisier as they have no master.
M
I would say 'normal' expected noise levels. All my ODS are fairly quiet amp's I'd say in clean mode.I'm in a quiet studio so my noise floor is low. Tube amps are inherently 'noisy' . If you've ever stood next to Brian May's AC30 stack you'll have a whole new perspective on tube amp 'noise'
however once the band kicks in no one would notice so it's not a problem.Master volume amps like the ODS are the quietest amps, amps like the Trainwrecks are a lot noisier as they have no master.
M
Re: Idle/floor noise level
I would say quiet enough on the clean channel that you could accidently forget it's on and walk away leaving it on. This has happenend. My amp is always the one with the least noise at gigs or studio. This was one of the suprises of the ODS.
Best,
Eric
Best,
Eric
Re: Idle/floor noise level
My #183 and newer BluesMaster (the one for which JazzGuitarGimp made my PCB) are so quiet at idle I have to lean down and put my ear to the cone.
I build and repair tube amps. http://amps.monkeymatic.com
Re: Idle/floor noise level
Jeff
Here is a simple test always do. Grab a guitar and a 6ft cable. Plug in and set the amp for whatever volume you would normally play. Walk to the end of the cable and turn the guitar down, turn around and from there can you tell if the amp is on?. If not that's what I would consider to be a"quiet" amp. (If you put your ear down right in front of the speaker and you still cannot tell if the amp is on that is what I would call a "Dead Quiet" amp or you are deaf..
At 6ft away if I can just make out enough noise that the amp is on but is not a distracting buzz or any 60 cycle hum, I consider this acceptable level of noise. (this is generally the noise level of most tube amps)
Another test I'll cover the on light and when my wife (or someone else) comes into the shop ask them? is that amp on or off? just to get another set of ears involved.
Generally, I expect to hear amps with built-in tube reverb and efx loops to have a bit more static noise than ones without and the amps with overdrive to have some level of hiss (depending on gain settings,types of resistors and noise levels of the preamp tubes).
If you are building amps for the general population that's another story.
You can also have a situation where the amp is quiet and the environment you are in is causing the noise issues. Happens all the time. If you work on tube amps for a long time you get a baseline for what is normal and what is not normal. Tube amps are really thermonuclear devices and are inherently noisy
BTW.I have run across a few BF Fenders that were dead Quiet. Although this would be a rare amp.
Tony
Here is a simple test always do. Grab a guitar and a 6ft cable. Plug in and set the amp for whatever volume you would normally play. Walk to the end of the cable and turn the guitar down, turn around and from there can you tell if the amp is on?. If not that's what I would consider to be a"quiet" amp. (If you put your ear down right in front of the speaker and you still cannot tell if the amp is on that is what I would call a "Dead Quiet" amp or you are deaf..
At 6ft away if I can just make out enough noise that the amp is on but is not a distracting buzz or any 60 cycle hum, I consider this acceptable level of noise. (this is generally the noise level of most tube amps)
Another test I'll cover the on light and when my wife (or someone else) comes into the shop ask them? is that amp on or off? just to get another set of ears involved.
Generally, I expect to hear amps with built-in tube reverb and efx loops to have a bit more static noise than ones without and the amps with overdrive to have some level of hiss (depending on gain settings,types of resistors and noise levels of the preamp tubes).
If you are building amps for the general population that's another story.
You can also have a situation where the amp is quiet and the environment you are in is causing the noise issues. Happens all the time. If you work on tube amps for a long time you get a baseline for what is normal and what is not normal. Tube amps are really thermonuclear devices and are inherently noisy
BTW.I have run across a few BF Fenders that were dead Quiet. Although this would be a rare amp.
Tony
" The psychics on my bench is the same as Dumble'"
Re: Idle/floor noise level
Tony,
That's a fantastic and insightful answer and an extremely helpful reference point! Thanks for taking the time to share. I've got 3 amps all of them either with on board active FX or on board reverb . Two meet that criteria for a quiet amp and one does not.
With respect, 10thtx Jeff
That's a fantastic and insightful answer and an extremely helpful reference point! Thanks for taking the time to share. I've got 3 amps all of them either with on board active FX or on board reverb . Two meet that criteria for a quiet amp and one does not.
With respect, 10thtx Jeff