Musket fuzz noise

[zedguitar]

Hey all. I tried emailing blackout but haven't received a response.

I finally replaced my EHX Little Big Muff with a Musket. My initial reaction was that is exactly what I needed. I love how I can keep some amount of definition yet have a nice, thick fuzz tone. The focus knob is particularly useful and the mids is a nice touch to cut through the mix better. The pedal has metal knobs, the latest graphics and is serial 1211.

The one, big drawback is the noise. Its very noisy. The EHX pedal, in comparison, is dead quiet. The noise is a real problem for me. I was expecting much better that this, especially from a boutique pedal builder. I don't see myself using the Blackout Musket live or in the studio because of this. When using the pedal in front of a clean channel, the noise is very present and fairly loud. When in front of an already distorted amp, its too loud.

I'd really like to know whether there is a mod I can do to improve the noise floor or whether I can buy one of the newer boards and retrofit it in my current pedal housing. Apparently, the newer boards are quieter.

[zedguitar]

I tried to get in touch with Blackout but I have received little feedback and I'm still having this noise problem.

I've tried different quality power supplies and the pedal on its own and the problem persists.

After a little experimentation, I noticed that the problem (noise) is only really present when I use the pre control. With the pre @ "0", the noise level is totally acceptable, even with decent amounts of fuzz going on. As soon as the pre goes up, the noise is just too much, even with low fuzz levels.

Is there a better way of getting some customer support from Blackout? I'm about to give up on this pedal.

[Clean Channel]

I'm pretty sure the 'pre' an extra feature that BE puts in the circuit. It's a boost before the fuzz circuit. That means if there is any noise in your chain, it will amplify it, and that can be noisy. You might find that you prefer the pre on zero with some rigs (usually very quiet ones), and with others you may like to crank it up.

Muffs are noisy by nature, and using the pre can make it noisier still.

Personally, I normally use noiseless pickups, so I find the pre quite useful. When using one of my single coil guitars I keep the pre at zero.

If you want to cut back on the noise further, try the BE Blunderbuss. It's an updated Musket that has a slight gate in the circuit. For several reasons (not just the gate) I find I prefer it over the Musket.

Hope that helps a bit!

[zedguitar]

I totally understand that a fuzz circuit can be noisy. I've been playing guitar for 30years in different styles, some using quite a bit of gain both from amps and pedals.

What I'm saying is that I believe that the PRE control is introducing a LOT of noise, too much noise into the signal. In a band context, especially live, I can't really use this pedal as is.

I tried the pedal isolated, with different guitars, with different amps, in different locations. The noise I'm complaining about is not being picked up by the guitar or a bad lead. Even with nothing plugged in, the fuzz all the way down and the pre at 9:00, the noise is very present.

It appears as though the V2 version of this pedal has addressed the noise issue on the PRE control to some extent so it was seen as being a problem at some point.
http://www.blackouteffectors.com/wp-con ... et_web.pdf

I'm not sure whether I have a V1 or V2 musket. Regardless, I wonder whether the pedal is defective. Perhaps there's a noisy component in there... I've the pedal for almost a month now and still haven't really gotten much help from Blackout. They don't have a phone number and email is slow (haven't heard from them in 2 weeks).

[blackout_kyle]

The PRE section of the circuit is just a clean, quiet boost, running into the front of the muff part of the circuit. Being a gainstage, it will exacerbate greatly any incoming noise on your signal though, so with single coil guitars we recommend keeping it set very low. That said, if you're looking to run the PRE high, you should be looking to terrorize your audience with over-the-top fuzz and squeal (hello NSA). It's designed to be unruly and maybe even ungodly. Using one of the power supplies I recommended will also eliminate a lot of grief. If you really think something is wonky with yours you can send it to us and we'll happily have a look. If you want to try out a Blunderbuss (which is a bit more gated) just send us your Musket and we'll swap you a Bbuss.

[zedguitar]

The noise is not a single coil vs humbucker/noiseless issue. I've tried regular single coils, 'buckers and noiseless singles as well as nothing plugged in. I do think that something is wonky with the pedal.

In terms of power supplies, I tried different ones to be certain that they are not the issue. To be 100% certain, I'l rig up an adapter wire to a 9v battery. If its still noisy, then its not the PSU.

I was originally running the PRE @ 12:00 o'clock but took it down to just under 9:00 o'clock to make the noise is little more bearable.

If I send the pedal in, do I simply attach my name and return address? The noise is a bit of a low freq hum. To me, it almost sounds like there's a bad piece of silicon in there.

[blackout_kyle]

The noise is not a single coil vs humbucker/noiseless issue. I've tried regular single coils, 'buckers and noiseless singles as well as nothing plugged in. I do think that something is wonky with the pedal.

In terms of power supplies, I tried enough different ones to be certain that they are not the issue. To be 100% certain, I'l rig up an adapter wire to a 9v battery. If its still noisy, then its not the PSU.

I was originally running the PRE @ 12:00 o'clock but took it down to just under 9:00 o'clock to make the noise is little more bearable.

If I send the pedal in, do I simply attach my name and return address? The noise is a bit of a low freq hum. To me, it almost sounds like there's a bad piece of silicon in there.

Yep, but also include a little reminder of why its being sent in.

Blackout Effectors
98 N Lexington Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801

[zedguitar]

ok - I did the battery test and there was no noise, which means that the pedal is NOT at fault.

I went back to the BBE Supa Charger supply and the noise was back. I tried all the outputs on the PSU and the noise goes away when I use outputs 7 & 8. How odd. Again, with the other fuzzes and OD pedals, the BBE Supa Charge works fine on all outputs but not the musket. There must be something different about those two outputs on the BBE.

Thanks to all that helped. I think I might swap out the BBE for a CIOX power supply. They have a very good reputation and they support higher current 12vdc outputs.

[Clean Channel]

Glad you're starting to make some progress!

I have a Cioks power supply, as well as a few Voodoo Lab PP2+s, and they all work really well.

[AndyTran]

If you want to try out a Blunderbuss (which is a bit more gated) just send us your Musket and we'll swap you a Bbuss.

This is godly customer service.