Excessive hum with using magnetic pickups and models

[glanum3]

I have an issue with excessive hum and the jtv59.  I'm running guitar via VDI cable into a HD500. I'm using the magnetic pickups and the modelling at the same time and using a panner to switch between them. For example: Acoustic jmodels and panning into a heavy magnetic-based tone.  I'm running XLR right out to a EV monitor on stage and XLR left out to board. I'm getting a horrible hum now. It has happened before but seems to have gotten worse. I switched inputs in the presets in the pod to just the variax (right before the gig in a panic) and the buzz is gone. 

 

Trying to brainstorm causes and solutions. The hum sounds like a typical ground loop. I've tried the ground lift on the pod and it seems to have no effect. This venue has bad power (as does a lot of places we play). Getting a few furman SS-6B filtering power strips that may help. I could just run to the board and the send guitar back to wedge.

 

Thought about getting the pyle PHE400.

 

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/555-16055?scode=DD1443&trk_msg=5JJO54U26DJ4B18OSAJ6TRMJ1K&trk_contact=765CTN3VQE3OND4R5FLA07VMJO&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=555-16055&utm_campaign=DD1443

 

Thought that is maybe a grounding issue in the JTV.  If this was a normal guitar, I would gut it and foil and ground the pickup cavity. I'm a little hesitant to dig into it but will likely crack it open soon and take a look. I saw the pickup diagram that is flowing around.

 

Afterthought: I don't know if switching to the magnetics would bring hum back. That would be a great test. 

 

Any help would be most appreciated.

[Rewolf48]

If the hum is gone when you go to Models only then the pickups is the problem.

 

The cause is likely to be magnetic interference - probably exaggerated though a high gain patch.

 

Using VDI there is only a tiny amount of circuit before it gets converted into a digital signal. VDI also ensures that it is not ground loop noise as there is no analogue signal at that point - the only one would be from POD to amplification and that would happen all the time.

Grounding issues will also reduce when you ground the guitar through yourself - just touch the strings - if the hum gets less then there might be a case for looking at loose wires, but if nothing changes then it is Electro=Magnetic noise going into the pickups and there is very little you can do about it.

 

There is probably something in that room that is causing a lot of noise - strip lights perhaps, A/C?

 

You can reduce the noise level by turning down the gain on the patches or mask it by using a noise gate (adjust the gate threshold if you already have one on the patch) but I would try to work using Models only - I can't stand interference noise any more!