Stagebug Sb1 active box or...
 

Hello everyone, this is my problem: I play and electro acoustic guitar, Gretsch. I play with a band in my church (keyboard, bass, drums and acoustic guitar). Not a large place (Don't know if that even matters). I have been using an active DI box I bought about 7 years ago but it is currently giving me problems. When I connect it and turn the volume up on my guitar and the sound guy turns the volume up from the soundboard. it makes a horrible noise and it only stops when I touch the end of the cable where the input hole is. So I am thinking it is the box that is making false contact or something. I tried another cable, and the same thing happens. I am hoping is not the guitar. The way the guitar is connected is guitar to DI box and box to audio snake. good? So I am considering buying another DI box.

I am not sure though if the Stagebug SB1 from Radial brand is only for personal use like with small amp and my guitar kind of thing. Would the PRO48 be better same brand? Which one would you recommend?

The stage bug is designed for instrument use and is small enough to fit in a case or gig bag. The PRO48 is a “normal” size DI.

What DI are you using at the moment? Does it have a ground lift? It may be a grounding issue as the hum disappears when you touch the metal contact of the cable. The Stage bug doesn’t have a ground lift and it may be this that is causing the problem.

Ok, think I know more or less what your problem is. You may be facing a grounding issue. You may be using a hollow body electric guitar with magnetic pickup(s), which can induce a nasty buzzing noise when there are ground issues. When you touch the end of the cable you are effectively grounding yourself, and absorbing interference, which cuts noise.
I have been there.
Your di may or may not be going out.
I have the sb1 and I love it. I too play with magnetic pickups.
It does have a ground lift which sometimes helps.
Best thing I ended up doing was grounding my strings. I don't have noise issues every time I play but on days that I do the hum goes away as soon as I touch the (grounded) strings.

Hope this helps

my guitar has a fishman pickup installed. I can control the volume and it has an equalizer (bass, treble, middle) It needs a 9 volt battery in order to work. So it is not a magnetic pickup. The sound it makes is an extremely loud noise. Not a hum. Sometimes I can fix it by "accommodating" the cable and the sound stops. Like wrapping the cable around the DI box worked. But only lasted with four songs. The sound was back when playing the last song and my guitar was unmuted from the soundboard. Maybe if the guitar wouldn't have been muted and then unmuted for me to play, probably the sound wouldn't have come back (just thinking) But anyway I couldn't play the last song lol. And last thing, the first time that scratchy, blowing, loud noise sounded, I change the pickup's battery and it completely stopped. That was only for two sundays and now it is back. I'll have my guitar checked.

If it is an under saddle pickup is there any way the pickup’s shielding could have been damaged? All it takes is a tiny scratch and that would cause the issues you have (though it wouldn’t be cured by a new battery...). All the other precautions you are taking may help to preserve the shielding and grounding of the pickup somehow...

On the other hand if it went away for a couple of weeks with a new battery maybe something has gone bad in the preamp section.

I borrowed a small amp and tested the guitar. I plugged it straight to the amp without a DI box. Everything is ok. No weird loud noise except for a constant buzzing sound even when the cable is not plugged into the guitar. What I mean is that the buzzing sound is there when the guitar cable is plugged into the input jack of the amp but not the other end- to the guitar. It stops when I touch the other end of the cable (not the point, but on the middle of the metal).
I am sure everything is different when connecting to an audio snake, DI Box etc and the rest of the instruments. More feedback, different ground etc. But a music store can check my guitar anyway right? Just to check.

If you end up going the new DI route, depending on what the actual problem ends up being... if your guitar has an active system (battery operated preamp w/ EQ on the guitar), consider looking at the SB-2 passive DI instead. If your guitar's preamp output is good and hot, you might not need the extra gain stage that an active DI provides.

Great advice

I’ve re-read though your posts and our responses and it is a bit of a confusing situation!

I am still wondering if the pickup element had got damaged somehow. Hearing a noise that disappears when you touch the outside of the plug suggests a grounding and/or interference issue. That there is a bit of noise when the cable is connected to the amp but not the guitar doesn’t really help, the system is designed to be all connected together and the noise you are hearing would probably disappear when connected to a (noise free) guitar. Touching the shaft of the plug is grounding the signal (I think) which is why it disappears.

What DI are you using when you get this problem?

Yes, it is a bit confusing but thanks everyone for your replies and advices.
"The cable connected to an amp but not guitar"- I was just curious if the buzz sound came only when guitar was connected. But it wasn't the guitar only, it was the amp with cable connected and also with guitar connected, both same sound only when volume was up. I was just testing the guitar in general if it those loud sounds that happen the other day at church. But nothing happen everything was good.

http://i63.tinypic.com/2uzthjb.jpg

this is the DI box I have been using all these years. It doesn't say the brand. I don't remember

http://i67.tinypic.com/2lb2n0z.jpg

other side

thanks! now I am more confuses lol. I did send and email to Radial company becuase the sb1 and pro048 are recommended for acoustic guitars. But I'll take your advice into consideration.

thanks! now I am more confused lol. I did send and email to Radial company becuase the sb1 and pro048 are recommended for acoustic guitars. But I'll take your advice into consideration.

I had replied before but it didn't show to who...

It looks like a BSS DI that can be run from phantom power or a battery. They are usually quite ok. Did the ground lift make any difference to the noise?