Excessive hum and static.
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I turned on my amp and got a horrible static frequency like sound. I tired factory resetting and it didn’t do the trick. Also when I plug my guitar in, I get no sound.
The sound goes away when I turn the output down to zero. Bluetooth audio seems to be working fine.
Tried searching for any existing topics regarding this problem but couldn’t find anything. Nothing on YouTube either.
Does anyone know how to fix this?
I’ve already submitted a ticket to PG with a video clip.
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@thien26 Have you updated the firmware?
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It should be a grounding issue. I had the same on the headphone plug in my Spark. They sent me a new, 3-pins, grounded power supply unit and the problem is gone. I think you should try this and I'd expect them to send you a new grounded PSU. :)
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I have the same issue of excessive hum - its so loud its unusable. I did replace the power source with a 19V battery and all the static/hum went away. Definitely points to a problem with the un-grounded (two prong) power supply.
I waited 3 months to get this amp. I have raised a ticket. Concerned about how long it will take to get this fixed. -
@dhbailey How is firmware checked and updated ?
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@drbaroni said in Excessive hum and static.:
It should be a grounding issue. I had the same on the headphone plug in my Spark. They sent me a new, 3-pins, grounded power supply unit and the problem is gone. I think you should try this and I'd expect them to send you a new grounded PSU. :)
Received mine yesterday, same issue with two different guitars. The power supply is extremely poor quality and should have been shipped with a 3-pin, grounded power supply in the first place. I hope they will supply us all soon!
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Submit a support ticket, they'll send a replaement. Mine took 6 days to arrive. Issue now solved.
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@k-mcg Doing that now. Is this the proper link to do it? https://help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/requests/new I can't find an actual e-mail address for such things.
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Experienced the same issue. Submitted a support request and they responded requesting a video of the issue. Provided a short video and they say they are sending me a new power supply. Hope it is quicker than the amp itself. Still haven't received the bag that was supposed to come with the amp either.
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Yep, thats the proper link. Explain to them that the hum goes away when you ground the amp through a PC. They need to know that you know what you're complaining about and you know what needs to happen to fix it.
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If you dont want to wait, this one works great. NO HUM at all (USA)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z4T115Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -
thanks for the feedback. added the replacement to my wish list just in case. Don't want to take any chances with the PG warranty just yet.
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@nwfungi said in Excessive hum and static.:
If you dont want to wait, this one works great. NO HUM at all (USA)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z4T115Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Fungi,
On day three with my Spark 40 and have started experiencing crispy sounding static noise, whether I’m playing my guitar or not. I’m assuming this is due to the cheap non-grounded power supply PG sent with the Spark. Why it didn’t show up the first two days, I don’t know.
Question for you. How well does the Allitove 3 prong power supply you suggest connect to the Spark? I noticed it’s a 90 degree connector and the power supply provided with the Spark has a straight connector. Also, is it a nice tight and snug fit?
Thanks!
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Thanks for the response everyone.
I submitted a ticket just before making this post. It took a couple days to get a response. They asked me to repack the amp and send a picture of the serial number.
He replied again after a couple days telling me that he’s working on getting me a shipping return slip and a replacement. I’m still waiting on the response.
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@kekotorres56 It fits like the factory one,, a little loose but fine, the 90 deg actually works better for me. I have ZERO humm and buzz.
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Do you guys think this would be a good grounded power supply for the spark: 19V 2.5A DC Switching Power Supply Adapter with 2.1 x 5.5mm Center (+) ?
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@ezanker I can confirm the power supply you refer to fits the Spark perfectly and has the same Volt/Amp specs as the original. In addition it is indeed grounded and has a ferrite bead on the output lead as well.
I cannot confirm if it will correct any hum issues though as I am lucky in that I had no hum issues using the original ungrounded power supply that came with my Spark amp other than the typical hum you get when using the very high gain presets (nothing that I don't also get when using an actual high gain tube or solid state amp in my house).
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@k-mcg said in Excessive hum and static.:
Submit a support ticket, they'll send a replaement. Mine took 6 days to arrive. Issue now solved.
@K-McG Hey, out of curiosity, did they make you return the old PS? Thanks Keoki
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I have the same issue, after waiting 204 days (almost 7 months) for this thing to arrive it's a bit disappointing. I found that plugging in the USB cable completes the ground circuit through my desktop computer and cancels out the hum, but I can't carry the computer everywhere that I want to use the amp! :-
Filled in a support ticket, so I guess I'll just have to wait even longer to get what was promised. -
@ezanker As a follow-up. In my case I can now say that this particular power supply did not resolve any hum or noise issues (turns out I did have the issue after all when I use an instrument cable rather than wireless between my guitar and the Spark). It will power the amp just fine, but even though it has a three-prong AC plug it does not perform any better than the stock power supply with regards to noise/hum. Also, I can confirm that the correct fit for the connector on the Spark is 5.5x2.1mm. 5.5x2.5mm fits and will still work, but it's not a very secure fit.
