EHX Hum debugger

[stevo58]

It’s a comb filter, and it needs an AC power supply to analyze the current state. If you look at the adapter, you’ll see it puts out AC, which is unusual. If you used filtered power, or a DC source like a battery, it wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t have the data it needs to do its job.

I used one heavily for several years when I was in a band whose rehearsal room was in an industrial building. We had a serious hum problem in there. We measured the inductivity in the room once and I don’t remember the value, but it was very high; maybe 40-50 Henries. I use for the most part Telecasters and an ES-125TDC, and the P90s were a particular problem. The HD made it bearable. In that room I had to use the high setting, but there are definite artifacts. I compromised on the low setting, which still left some hum, but doesn’t cause that unpleasant ‘metallic’ sound.

steven

[John A.]

Having been using this thing now for going on 2 1/2 years, my experience is:

- P 90 clean amp, no OD -- no noticeable artifacts on either setting in my home, the pub where I go to jam sessions, the restaurant where I had a monthly gig (a what?), other people's homes, or rehearsal studios. These are all spaces where there is electrical buzzing, and it makes a huge difference in the buzzing. When I say "real world" I mean while actually playing with other people. If I play all by myself, without other frequencies in the air, cymbal wash, etc., and am completely focused on just the sound of my instrument, there's a slight tinniness added on the "strong setting" but that can mostly be dialed out by tone controls, and/or I stop noticing once I'm focused on music rather than tone.

- Strat clean amp, no OD -- ditto

- Strat, clean amp, OD pedal -- the artifacts are more noticeable, a lot more so on the strong setting and in one setting it was ugly enough that I lived with the buzz instead. At home (where the issue is light dimmers in one room), that hasn't been a problem, so when I've done things like use my Strat with an overdriven sound on a recording, the Hum Debugger works pretty much transparently, but it doesn't fully solve the problem in some particularly problematic spaces where I'm playing music that calls for OD.

Conclusion: great solution for clean sounds in rooms that have electrical hum problems. Not always a solution for distortion sounds in very buzzy rooms (TBH, there probably is no good real solution for that).

John

[TPMCD]

Having been using this thing now for going on 2 1/2 years, my experience is:

- P 90 clean amp, no OD -- no noticeable artifacts on either setting in my home, the pub where I go to jam sessions, the restaurant where I had a monthly gig (a what?), other people's homes, or rehearsal studios. These are all spaces where there is electrical buzzing, and it makes a huge difference in the buzzing. When I say "real world" I mean while actually playing with other people. If I play all by myself, without other frequencies in the air, cymbal wash, etc., and am completely focused on just the sound of my instrument, there's a slight tinniness added on the "strong setting" but that can mostly be dialed out by tone controls, and/or I stop noticing once I'm focused on music rather than tone.

- Strat clean amp, no OD -- ditto

- Strat, clean amp, OD pedal -- the artifacts are more noticeable, a lot more so on the strong setting and in one setting it was ugly enough that I lived with the buzz instead. At home (where the issue is light dimmers in one room), that hasn't been a problem, so when I've done things like use my Strat with an overdriven sound on a recording, the Hum Debugger works pretty much transparently, but it doesn't fully solve the problem in some particularly problematic spaces where I'm playing music that calls for OD.

Conclusion: great solution for clean sounds in rooms that have electrical hum problems. Not always a solution for distortion sounds in very buzzy rooms (TBH, there probably is no good real solution for that).

John

Thanks for all your observations on this pedal; been looking to get one and your posts were helpful.

Tom