Here are some of the most common types of noises that you might hear when using a digital pedal. Don't worry, these are very common and can be easily eliminated:
- Hum - Ground loop
Ground loop occurs when there are multiple devices connected to a common ground. Since grounding is crucial for every electronic device, ground loop hum issue can be commonly found in your guitar equipment, especially with a stereo amplifier setup. Ground loop will generate a low frequency hum.
Below are a few tips that you can try when ground loop hum occurs:
a. With a stereo amplifier setup, lift the ground switch on one of the amplifiers. Usually, there will be a lift switch on the back of the amplifier. Alternatively, you can connect both amplifiers to the same power strip.
b. Try an isolated power supply for the pedal.
c. Connect a hum eliminator box between the pedal and the amplifier. - Digital Noise
When powering a digital pedal with a non-isolated power supply, the noise from the digital pedal will leak into the audio signal through other analog devices that share the same power supply.
You can solve this issue by simply using an isolated power supply to power all your pedals, or you can deploy two power supplies to power analog and digital pedals separately.