the shocking truth about ground loops

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When power cables and signal paths tangle, the results can be noisy. Here are some easy fixes.

In my previous State of the Stomp ["The Shocking Truth About Ground Loops," October 2021], I discussed how ground loops can be formed between the amplifiers in a multiple amp setup, and how to safely address them with an isolation transformer. As a brief reminder, a ground loop is created whenever two electrical circuits that theoretically have the same ground potential actually have a non-zero potential between them in practice, and that often results in hums and buzzes that are harmonically related to the mains voltage frequency in your part of the world.

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Just say no to cheaters!

Catching an unintended buzz with your two-amp set up? Here's why, and what to do about it.

Ground loops are all around us. They exist almost everywhere electrical circuits are connected. Most go completely unnoticed, but your guitar rig has dozens (maybe hundreds, depending on the sharpness of your pencil), and, when provoked, they can cause or contribute to all sorts of bad behaviors. Fixing a ground loop in your pedalboard rig incorrectly can be hazardous to your health.

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TC Electronic had an instant hit with Ditto, a one-shot looper with minimal controls. The recently introduced Ditto X2 adds reverse and half-speed modes plus the ability to export your creations.

Whether you use a simple one-shot looper or a complex multitrack model, these tips can enliven your loop-based performances.

Looping means many things to many players. For some, a looper is simply a handy composition tool, great for devising parts that work well together. Others use looper pedals for textural variation in an otherwise non-looped performance. And some ambitious players create entire concerts from loops.

Today’s looping devices reflect this range of applications. On the simple side, there are compact one-shot, single-track loopers such as TC Electronic’s Ditto and Hotone’s Wally. Single-track looping also appears on digital multi-effectors such as Line 6’s DL4 and TC Electronic’s Flashback 4. On the opposite end of the spectrum are elaborate multitrack loopers such as Boomerang III, Electro-Harmonix’s 45000, and Boss’s RC-300. Checking in between those extremes are such gizmos as Pigtronix’s Infinity Looper and Vox’s Lil’ Looper, both of which offer two tracks of looping for not much more than you’d spend on a single-track model.

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