WoW
Hey thanks everyone!
It seems a fairly common phenomenon. It is something someone would remember if they experienced it on a regular basis, especially with something you like doing such as listening to your tube amp. It seems to take away some of that joy.
I have not had time to listen to it today because of work but have heeded some of your suggestions.
I keep a wooden handled knife nearby of which I will try using to touch the volume control knob before adjusting the volume or turning the amp off.
Some good suggestions. I may also hunt around for the antic static spray as suggested by Ian.
Hopefully this is a case of the weather. It has been around 100df here and very dry.
I wont be wearing a tin hat and thanks but cant justify a humidifier. I had a beautiful one in NZ but it cost $1000.00! but it was justifed there. I have central air and heat here, obviously using AC now.
And 2inch shag in Sibera? wow, can understand that but in a recording studio? I can see the possibilities of static electricity.
Anyway, I will report back on my experiments to eliminate this pesty problem.
Thanks to all
Cheers
Will
Hey thanks everyone!
It seems a fairly common phenomenon. It is something someone would remember if they experienced it on a regular basis, especially with something you like doing such as listening to your tube amp. It seems to take away some of that joy.
I have not had time to listen to it today because of work but have heeded some of your suggestions.
I keep a wooden handled knife nearby of which I will try using to touch the volume control knob before adjusting the volume or turning the amp off.
Some good suggestions. I may also hunt around for the antic static spray as suggested by Ian.
Hopefully this is a case of the weather. It has been around 100df here and very dry.
I wont be wearing a tin hat and thanks but cant justify a humidifier. I had a beautiful one in NZ but it cost $1000.00! but it was justifed there. I have central air and heat here, obviously using AC now.
And 2inch shag in Sibera? wow, can understand that but in a recording studio? I can see the possibilities of static electricity.
Anyway, I will report back on my experiments to eliminate this pesty problem.
Thanks to all
Cheers
Will
hdlcx2 said:
Won't work. You are building up a static charge from rubbing against your chair, and you need to be discharged before you touch the grounded chassis of the amp. The wooden handle will keep you insulated.
You want to hold a metal object in your hand and touch it to the amp. Pointy objects are more inclined to discharge with less of a ZOT! than rounded objects.
Ty_Bower said:
If it is just static, Ty's advice is good. I use a screwdriver (a key is too short) or fork and grip it tightly.
Well, I've been using the wooden handled knife and touching the volume control knob first, then adjusting the volume, and that seems to work. I've not been shocked during the whole of Albert Kings 11 song CD as well as Hedda Lanes Too CD. Not that any particular artist made any difference, but the trick of using a conductive instrument to discharge the static electricity does seem to work.
That a relief🙄
Thanks everyone😀
That a relief🙄
Thanks everyone😀
Wait a second Wills, You say that the first time you touch it you get a shock then if you touch it immediately after you don't and that it takes a couple of minutes to build up. What are you doing for that two minutes?
You have that problem with no other grounded conductors in the house?
What kind of amp and CD player are you using?
If it turns out that it really is solely static buildup on your own person and your particular environment makes it impossible to get rid of completely you might want to check out this page. and look at Remote Systems . The Alps remote might be an answer though the PRM Solo and stuff in the link below it OEM/DIY Tap Modules are cool to. I've seen them up close and they're really neat.
You have that problem with no other grounded conductors in the house?
What kind of amp and CD player are you using?
If it turns out that it really is solely static buildup on your own person and your particular environment makes it impossible to get rid of completely you might want to check out this page. and look at Remote Systems . The Alps remote might be an answer though the PRM Solo and stuff in the link below it OEM/DIY Tap Modules are cool to. I've seen them up close and they're really neat.
hdlcx2 said:
No, it was the real Siberia where there are cold winters and hot summers with myriads of mosquitoes in the forest, it was not a Hollywood version of Siberia where it is always snow and guys are always wearing long-eared caps. 😀
The shag was there to acoustically damp reflections. In such quiet environment it was impossible to run humidifiers, i believe, so they all suffered...
You know what I did?
The next time I brought 2W 1 MOhm resistor with one leg bent around my wending ring.
Your problem is extremely likely to go away when the weather ceases its hot dry spell.
Wavebourns idea of a 1M resistor with 1 leg under his wedding ring is good too.
Those antistatic wrist straps we techs use when working on computer gear are simply that - 1 Megohm to 0V which keeps us "discharged".
Cheers,
Ian
Wavebourns idea of a 1M resistor with 1 leg under his wedding ring is good too.
Those antistatic wrist straps we techs use when working on computer gear are simply that - 1 Megohm to 0V which keeps us "discharged".
Cheers,
Ian
Thanks guys
Hearinspace
Thanks for your link. That is very cool.
I have thought about an attenuator, not necessarily for this amp but for when I start to build my own.
The only holdback I would have about using one is of course having something like that incorporated into an otherwise pure and attempted clean circuit. I've not seen any information regarding any drawbacks but wouild think there would be some, especially when it comes to tube amps.
Personally, I am for modern technology such as remotes as I am basically lazy and like to constantly adjust the volume (Plus I don't like getting shocked!) as long as it does not hinder the final sound.
I am currently using a Music Angel 6P1 with a basic Luxman CD Player and only travel a few feet (3-4) from listening position to the amp and have never had any proplems with static shock before. The power outlets as well as the amp power cord are both grounded.
The knife is working, but it is not ideal as you can imagine but it's working and I am now singing along.😉
Hearinspace
Thanks for your link. That is very cool.
I have thought about an attenuator, not necessarily for this amp but for when I start to build my own.
The only holdback I would have about using one is of course having something like that incorporated into an otherwise pure and attempted clean circuit. I've not seen any information regarding any drawbacks but wouild think there would be some, especially when it comes to tube amps.
Personally, I am for modern technology such as remotes as I am basically lazy and like to constantly adjust the volume (Plus I don't like getting shocked!) as long as it does not hinder the final sound.
I am currently using a Music Angel 6P1 with a basic Luxman CD Player and only travel a few feet (3-4) from listening position to the amp and have never had any proplems with static shock before. The power outlets as well as the amp power cord are both grounded.
The knife is working, but it is not ideal as you can imagine but it's working and I am now singing along.😉
Wills,
I was very skeptical too when I first ran into audio gear made using "industrial tech stuff". Relays were modern engineering from a hell where no-one had ever heard a beautiful sound. Then I heard them and all that thinking disappeared. They're really good. When you think about it , a well made relay is completely sealed so not subject to any dust or oils or smoke particles EVER getting between the two contacts. I think they're now rated for something ridiculous like a billion cycles.For small signal, they're likely better than any other kind of switch as long as you don't cause them to arc with too high a voltage, something that wouldn't happen when only switching line level AC signals through resistors.
But about your shock, I was going to ask you if you had a Chinese amp. (And no I don't have a problem with the Chinese!) It's just that it doesn't make sense to me that it's a problem with static when the only grounded object you get a shock from in your whole house is the amp. When some of the Chinese tube amp manufacturers were starting out they occasionally made design decisions that didn't account for possible problem issues that are by and large eliminated by the standards we take for granted in so called developed countries. I wondered if there was some sort of capacitive build up happening there . (By the way , have you tried touching the chassis first before you touch the knob?) And one more thing, until you're 100% sure that it's static, just use your right hand when touching the chassis or knob..
I was very skeptical too when I first ran into audio gear made using "industrial tech stuff". Relays were modern engineering from a hell where no-one had ever heard a beautiful sound. Then I heard them and all that thinking disappeared. They're really good. When you think about it , a well made relay is completely sealed so not subject to any dust or oils or smoke particles EVER getting between the two contacts. I think they're now rated for something ridiculous like a billion cycles.For small signal, they're likely better than any other kind of switch as long as you don't cause them to arc with too high a voltage, something that wouldn't happen when only switching line level AC signals through resistors.
But about your shock, I was going to ask you if you had a Chinese amp. (And no I don't have a problem with the Chinese!) It's just that it doesn't make sense to me that it's a problem with static when the only grounded object you get a shock from in your whole house is the amp. When some of the Chinese tube amp manufacturers were starting out they occasionally made design decisions that didn't account for possible problem issues that are by and large eliminated by the standards we take for granted in so called developed countries. I wondered if there was some sort of capacitive build up happening there . (By the way , have you tried touching the chassis first before you touch the knob?) And one more thing, until you're 100% sure that it's static, just use your right hand when touching the chassis or knob..
Hi Hearinspace
Yea I know that attenuators are pretty much hermatically sealed but a good point.
I had a good mate that had a problem on on his Pioneer system (the rest of his system was good gear!) and it cost hiim about $150.00 NZD to replace it. Verty expensive.
He was not a DIY.
I also had one on a similair Pioneer systen which was a home theater system. It performed well and I had no problem with it, however, there's no camparision between the sound on my current system and that of that home theatre system.
At the moment, I am striving to get back to my roots, so to speak, and get a pure sound.
But as you say, the technology has improved so much that even something lile an atenuator or volume control can possibly have little effect as you pointed out the curent ones are totally sealed and possibly passive.
Unless I am in the dark on this then please respond.
Thank you 😉
Yea I know that attenuators are pretty much hermatically sealed but a good point.
I had a good mate that had a problem on on his Pioneer system (the rest of his system was good gear!) and it cost hiim about $150.00 NZD to replace it. Verty expensive.
He was not a DIY.
I also had one on a similair Pioneer systen which was a home theater system. It performed well and I had no problem with it, however, there's no camparision between the sound on my current system and that of that home theatre system.
At the moment, I am striving to get back to my roots, so to speak, and get a pure sound.
But as you say, the technology has improved so much that even something lile an atenuator or volume control can possibly have little effect as you pointed out the curent ones are totally sealed and possibly passive.
Unless I am in the dark on this then please respond.
Thank you 😉
Electro Static Discharge. Happens to me often when touching dad's old amplifier. Not the same problem with my HK amp. And ofc i have serious problems at the gym with all the metal stuff in there...
The dry winter air makes it easier to build up ESD. Ofcourse your clothes and the floor plays a big role in this.
You could make your air a little more moisty to reduce the build up of ESD.
The dry winter air makes it easier to build up ESD. Ofcourse your clothes and the floor plays a big role in this.
You could make your air a little more moisty to reduce the build up of ESD.
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