What's The Fix For Fizzy Sounds On Distortion Decay?

[smrybacki]

Alright, I finally really hard a serious fizzy tone that occurs as a distorted tone is decaying. It's sounds almost like a torn speaker. I have not really critically listened to my rig until this week as I prepare for practice with a new band. I had been satisfied just noodling around occasionally and more often playing my analog rig which is not really geared toward the Classic Rock this band will be playing.

 

The models I am hearing this with are using the Marshall Plexi, the Doctor Z, and in one case a Fender Deluxe Reverb with a tube screamer up front. I don't use high gain much at all, but I checked a few there and hear it as well. I play a JTV59 into a POD HD500 and out to a pair of Tech 21 Power Engines. On clean patches, I don't really notice anything.

 

Is there any fix for this or is this a "wink wink, nod nod" pretend it's not really there thing? Like all such phenomena, once you hear it, you can't help but hear it after that.

[smrybacki]

can you provide to the forum an audio demo clip of what you are speaking about?

 

Not easily I'm afraid. I have it packed away for practice tomorrow right now because it is right after work. I was going to try it there with the other guitarist and see how it sounds in that environment. But I can tell you that it happens as the guitar sustain is dropping off and then there is a ragged sound that blooms from that point until I stop the strings from vibrating completely.

[smrybacki]

if you listen only with headphones do you notice the same issue?

Yes.

[Brazzy]

Sometimes I just turn the decay all the way down in the cab parameters and noise gate and resonance up seems to help me comtrol some of that.

[smrybacki]

did you try the single input approach?..

 

if yes, doing so do you have still the same issue?..

  

I always set my inputs to Variax and mic to avoid overloading the front end of the amp models. This is something different than that I'm afraid.

 

Sometimes I just turn the decay all the way down in the cab parameters and noise gate and resonance up seems to help me comtrol some of that.

Tomorrow at practice, time permitting, I will try to adjust that a bit and see if it helps.

[DeanDinosaur]

It could be string buzzing against the frets, how low is your action? it also could be the pickups being very close to the strings.  It's not necessarily the POD but if it is, for high gain, I personally use the Input impedance settings to minimize undesirable fizz. Go down to 32 or even  22k and see how much fizz is gone.

[stumblinman]

It's a common, well-documented issue.  There is no fix.  Some have said turning the tube bias DEP to Class A will lessen it, as people have tried to claim it's "properly modeled crossover distortion".  This falls short though, when you use only the preamp models into a DT25 and STILL can hear it.  A few patches ago, it went away for me after a reflash of the firmware.  It's back now though. The probably more honest answer is "digital artifacts, but it sounds better if we claim we did it on purpose".  In a live setting, nobody will notice, but it's pretty damn annoying when building tones.  I've learned to ignore it.

[Koldunya]

adjusting the noise gate helps with it a lot. I typically set it to 'decay' and around 35% or so. It's like the gate is chopping into the signal as it starts dropping off in volume. Makes me miss my Ibanez Thermion, it was one of the best high-gain tube amps I've gotten the chance to play when it comes to noise/hum. I never even owned a noise gate when I used it.

 

But I can't jam out with a 120W tube head anymore >.>

[arislaf]

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/eq#fizzy

[Palico]

Is possible to put EQ after the Amp model and cut a bit somewhere around the 9k to 10k mark? Usually the fizz is around that mark. 

[Brazzy]

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/eq#fizzy

 

This is always good reading.

 

Is possible to put EQ after the Amp model and cut a bit somewhere around the 9k to 10k mark? Usually the fizz is around that mark. 

 

It's worth a try. Really the goal is to basically adjust the knobs till you get what you want, logic doesn't always seem to work but It's a good start when ever your trying to narrow your choices down to save time.

[stumblinman]

What he's talking about is a second audio signal, not something on top of the notes in a specific frequency. It's almost a ghost note with distortion fading out behind the note you are playing.

[Brazzy]

What he's talking about is a second audio signal, not something on top of the notes in a specific frequency. It's almost a ghost note with distortion fading out behind the note you are playing.

 

Oh, I seem to remember something about these ghost notes pertaining to the full amp model, I think someone descibed it as the natural sound of an amp with power tubes. Is it only with the full amp models? I haven't really run into this.

 

if the problem is due to the ghost notes that you can hear with some models, the solution is to turn down to zero the HUM amp's dep parameter

 

I'm going to have to remember to try this out sometime.

[smrybacki]

Reading through these suggestions and I thank you all all. I have about 10 minutes before I head out and I'll get what I can remember tonight and really dig in on Saturday...Tomorrow night my son graduates from college so I'll be busy cheering then!

[arislaf]

Also for the EQ i found this helpful 

[smrybacki]

Ok report time... The POD actually sounded ok in the band situation, but then it's not really a critical listening situation. In any event, it would appear that I won't be staying in this band as they are more looking for a bass and keyboard player.

 

I look forward to figuring this out though and thank you all for your suggestions.

[cjb2002]

Hello all, I am glad to find someone with the same issues as I do. Before starting, I tried both headphones and monitors (HS80M) with direct output.

 

I got the HD500X a week ago, and I've been trying to find a good distorted sounds since then. I managed for high gain + medium-soft playing (DT-like), even though the fizz is still there.

 

However, the distortion decay fizz is _really_ annoying and unnatural. I have a digitech RP2000 (yes, pretty old stuff, 15 years old), and it doesn't do it at all. With the RP2000 I get a smooth and warm decay, even with its not-so-good cab simulation. On the other hand, the HD500X drives me crazy in this sense. I like the unit and the effects, and even some of the amp models, but the fizz decays in a very 'disturbing' way when playing low.

 

I will try to record an example tonight, but you can try this by taking an empty patch and adding a Treadplate amp, 60% gain. Set your guitar volume knob to half, then play something soft. Wait until the distortion decays.... disaster!

 

I tried DEP parameters, which somehow alleviate it, but I cannot make it go away. I am even considering replacing it for digitech's new line, as long as that fizz is gone. Any help is very well appreciated ;)

 

Thanks!

[cjb2002]

I managed to record an example of what I was describing in the previous post. I am attaching it.

The patch for the HD500X can be found here http://line6.com/customtone/tone/478652/ 

 

testhd500xfizz.mp3

[billlorentzen]

I've never heard the fizz. Is it a high gain phenomenon? I don't use much high gain, so that may be why I never heard it. Or it's because I lost a bunch of high end hearing over the years!

[Brazzy]

I've never heard the fizz. Is it a high gain phenomenon? I don't use much high gain, so that may be why I never heard it. Or it's because I lost a bunch of high end hearing over the years!

 

I think it's a high gain thing mostly. If your playing a Strat with single coils it doesn't help unless your using those two positions that are noise canceled. High gain amps have some noise floor (fizz) associated with them normally so the amp models won't be any different.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Brazzy