Unbelievable amount of buzz coming from Helix

[Aaron571]

Any help here would be great:

 

I run a Helix into a UAD arrow into a Macbook Pro, coming through Adam TV5's. A couple of days ago, after returning from work, it was producing an unbearable amount of what I perceived to be ground hum (see videos attached). Tried all the classics (different guitars, cables, and moved into a different room and played through headphones). None of this solved the problem. Oddly, one of my presets (still has an amp sim on), is silent, with no buzz? 

 

I had an electrician round to inspect, and we noticed there is still a large amount of hum if I DI into the UAD Arrow. He pointed out, that none of my equipment has been running through power surge protection (like a fool, all my equipment (ten or so power outs) is ran through crap extension cables, with no surge protection). He suggested obviously getting surge protection, and that the interface has possibly been damaged. Could the Helix have been damaged by this self inflicted incompetence also?

 

Final thought: even if I run the Helix through headphones, and push the headphone gain, the buzz still comes through the monitors, despite not being attached?

 

Any thoughts would be very welcome, as I find myself in a real mess.

 

The videos are in a WeTransfer: https://we.tl/t-SQQeV07K6C

[datacommando]

11 hours ago, Aaron571 said:

Any help here would be great:

 

I run a Helix into a UAD arrow into a Macbook Pro, coming through Adam TV5's. A couple of days ago, after returning from work, it was producing an unbearable amount of what I perceived to be ground hum (see videos attached). Tried all the classics (different guitars, cables, and moved into a different room and played through headphones). None of this solved the problem. Oddly, one of my presets (still has an amp sim on), is silent, with no buzz? 

 

I had an electrician round to inspect, and we noticed there is still a large amount of hum if I DI into the UAD Arrow. He pointed out, that none of my equipment has been running through power surge protection (like a fool, all my equipment (ten or so power outs) is ran through crap extension cables, with no surge protection). He suggested obviously getting surge protection, and that the interface has possibly been damaged. Could the Helix have been damaged by this self inflicted incompetence also?

 

Final thought: even if I run the Helix through headphones, and push the headphone gain, the buzz still comes through the monitors, despite not being attached?

 

Any thoughts would be very welcome, as I find myself in a real mess.

 

The videos are in a WeTransfer: https://we.tl/t-SQQeV07K6C

 

I guess the sparky that you had in to check the wiring was just a regular electrician not a specialist in audio? That sounds like a bad earth somewhere, and not having clean power supply is not going to help. The guy was right about surge protection and filtered mains. Although, that thing with the phones volume knob is plain weird - something is not wired up right!

 

It's difficult to tell from your quick video clips, but is that a a single XLR cable exiting the rear panel of your Helix? If it is, then where the hell is it going? It looks to me as if, other than that, the guitar cable going in that's the only other connection on the Helix. First off physically disconnect the Helix from whatever else, then plug in some decent headphones and hook up your guitar. Make sure you check your Helix Global Prefs for Headphone Monitor (for this simple test set it to Multi.) Use your headphones, select clean preset and strum. If there is no crackling, hum or buzzing that should basically eliminate the Helix for the moment. Now using good quality XLR cables, connect your Adam TV monitors to the XLR outputs on the rear of the Helix. Make sure the Global outs are set to XLR Line and Volume Knob Control is XLR,  select clean preset and strum once more. Clean - then continue. Buzzing or Hum, stop and try to figure where it's coming from.  Now connect your guitar to the UAD interface and speakers to see if the buzz occurs while using that. Basically, rinse and repeat, because what I would like you to do is eliminate possible suspects one by one. If they all work fine independently the problem will be with how they all connect and communicate with each other. What you will be left with is whatever is causing the problem.

 

There are quite a few UAD users on here who might have some more specific ideas to help you out. I don't know that much about the Arrow, but I understand that the software that comes with it has the ability to change the impedance of the hardware. Better check that you haven't inadvertently changed something in that box.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

Edited September 20, 2020 by datacommando
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