The quick and dirty is that my experience was dismal. Those of you who chastized me for buying a Vertex product were right. The device failed within weeks, and I got zero help from Vertex. It developed very loud buzzing, popping and crackling that was intermittent but becoming more frequent by the day - and it made the device unusuable. The owner actually told me he needed videos of it to evaluate the noise, so I finally had to get them on stage during performances. They're all below. Mason told me it was RFI. Since it's exactly the same in multiple locations and buildings, it's clearly not RFI. I responded with this plus two more videos of it making the same noise in two different locations with two different amps and two different power lines. He never responded. I would never ever ever buy another Vertex product or anything made by a company connected in any way with Mason Marangella.
To their credit, The Sound Parcel's owner offerred to give me store credit for it. But I was finally able to get my $ back from my credit card company. I wouldn't stick the owner of Sound Parcel when he's trying to do the right thing for me.
Here's the full story with all the emails, if you're interested:
From me to Vertex on Tuesday Sept 19 at 11:15 AM:
"Hi -
I bought a new SSS SRV from Sound Parcel back in June and have enjoyed it a lot. Here's the thread I started about it on Jazz Guitar Online. Last week it became intermittently noisy with a loud "white noise" hiss / whoosh that lasts for seconds to minutes and disappears as suddenly as it begins. Unplugging my guitar from it does not change or eliminate it, and the pedal is normal between these episodes. The noise is coming from the Supreme channel and disappears when I switch the Supreme side off. It is the same whether the Steel String side is on or off. This has now happened a few times on 2 gigs, and I cannot use it until it is fixed. Sound Parcel told me to contact you about this. What do I need to do to get it repaired or replaced? Thanks!"
The response was this:
"Hey David, Sorry to hear you're having some issues! Can you send in a video of the pedal? How is it being powered up?
Best Regards,
Customer Service
Vertex Effects, Inc"
I sent this back:
Hi -Thanks for the prompt response! It's the only effect I use and it'spowered by a standard 2A supply:
I did use another identical PS on Sunday's gig to see if that stopped thenoise, but it did not. It occurred twice during a 3 hour gig. Are you asking me to sit and watch it until it acts up, so I can make a video of it when the noise is present? I obviously can't do that on stage. If that's what you really want, I'll have to devote an afternoon to sitting with it. D
When I got no response, I sent this message to them:
"I really need some help here. I responded immediately yesterday with a pic of the PS, but if you did reply to my second message I haven't received it. I'd be very grateful if you'd communicate with me so I can get this pedal fixed or replaced as you see fit. I'm at the end of the 3 monthparts warranty this week, and I will not be happy if I'm charged to repair this after a delay from waiting for a chance to video it when it misbehaves.
I obviously can't stop on stage in the middle of a tune to video it when it starts to make noise. Are you actually asking me to leave it on all day, stay close to it, and wait for it to make the noise so I can video it for you? If so, I'll try to make that happen - but it's the strangest request I've ever gotten when seeking technical support or warranty service for the very few things I've owned that needed it over the years. D"
After getting no response for a few days, I sent this:
"I was finally able to capture the noise in 2 videos. I left it on all day while at home but was not able to catch it misbehaving. So I had no choice but to use it on gigs last Thursday and yesterday. I told the audience what I had to do and why, and I apologized for having to interrupt the shows. We ended the song as soon as the noise started so I could video it, and I put it away after that. To be sure I got enough video for you, I did the same thing on the Sunday gig. The noise is now in both channels, as you will see. The gain pot does make it louder, but I didn't have time to check each control while on stage. It happens whether or not a guitar is plugged in, through different amps, and in different locations. And it happens with all 3 of my power supplies. In addition to the whooshing noise (which is heard better in video #2), it now pops and crackles loudly as you can plainly hear in video#1.
[These have been converted by YouTube to "shorts", which cannot be embedded. You have to click the links to view & hear the content.]
https://youtube.com/shorts/gQRYy3i_P...ilmPz7stp1YkjS
https://youtube.com/shorts/mS3-zG-uX...fiZfwsBWpDZhJf
At their request, I copied the dealer from whom I bought it (The SoundParcel in Easton, PA). The noise began a few weeks ago, at which point I assumed it was RFI. But as it became louder and occurred in multiple places, I realized the problem was in the pedal. It is not usable with this noise. Please tell me how I get it repaired or replaced. Thank you."
"David, This is electrical interference that’s airborne in your space. If you have the pedal near a computer or a phone this is what happens. This will also happen with a tube amp if you were to put your phone on the cabinet for example. Where does the pedal normally live? Pedalboard? Free floating?
Best regards,
Mason Marangella
Vertex Effects, Inc"
And here's my last response to him. I never heard back from him.
"Hi, Mason -
We're in luck this morning. It's now making the
exact same noises here in my home as it has in two separate venues, so here are two more videos. One is in my den through my Quilter Superblock and the other is in my living room through a DV Mark EG250. There are no connected electrical devices near the pedal or amp in my den or the living room and there is absolutely no noise through my other effects, my Henriksen Blu, the Quilter or the DV Mark in either of these locations. Sorry about the crappy playing - I was bent like a pretzel trying to capture, play, and not drop my guitar.
[The severe noise starts at about 30 seconds into the first video and at 1:32 in the second]
The first two videos I sent you were made through my Vibrolux at gigs, again with different cables. The pedal sits next to me (on a small table away from any other devices) so I can adjust and switch it during sets, since I play sitting on a high stool.
In the same locations, there has never been any such noise through any of my amplifiers or other effects, including the Wampler Tumnus Deluxe I was hoping to replace with the SSS and the Rowin Dumbler I carry as a backup. I'm the house band leader at a small club, and none of the artists we've backed has had a noise problem like this on the same stages using the same power lines and amplifiers. My bass player has no such noise through his amps and pedals. The white noiselike hissing that began all this is bad enough - and there was none of that when I bought it, or I wouldn't have bought it.
So with all due respect, I strongly disagree with you that it's electrical interference. How could there be multiple episodes of identical interference at multiple locations separated by many miles? Why would such interference not affect any other similar device, and why would it have started as a rare event 2 months after I got it and progressed over a few weeks to being constant now? The problem has to be within the pedal. Please help me resolve this. Three months after putting out $250 for it in good faith from an authorized dealer, I cannot use, sell or trade it. It now makes the same noise everywhere I take it. Please help me with this. Thank you! David
Originally Posted by DawgBone
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