Noticing some hiss from my AR MK2

When listening through my headphones as I turn up the volume I start hearing some hiss… Its not a lot but noticeable because my A4 MK2 has none…

Could you please specify. Do you hear hiss only when you adjust Volume knob?

The higher the volume, the louder the hiss… its not super loud it’s just there… My A4 MK2 doesn’t have it at all…

Okay, then your problem is different. I can hear hiss only when I adjust Volume.

The VCA compressor in the AR is a little noisy; I almost always notice at least some noise in headphones. Before I worried too much, I’d mess around with compressor settings to see if that’s the issue.

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Awesome, thanks for the heads up… I’ll check the compressor and see if that’s it…

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jefferymac pointed the good thing… it has been discussed on MK1… and it seems like every analog compressor introduced noise regarding settings. It should not be an issue LIVE… If someone arrange a track and get signals from the RYTM to work on his track on a DAW I suggest to avoid the AR Compressor and use Plugins after in the DAW.

Cool… Thanks William, I really appreciate your response… The hiss isn’t loud just present… I was comparing it to my A4 MK2 which of course doesn’t have a compressor there for not having that little hiss…

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Embrace the noise and turn up the RYTM , turn up distortion and destroy your sound system!

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Absolutely nothing to offer…lol

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Try reducing the decay time on each track. Maybe it helps…

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I second checking the Decay. I was getting a similar hiss until I realized that Decay was set to infinite. They’re not joking when they say it’s infinite. It took ahwile for me to notice because of my tinnitus. :stuck_out_tongue:

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okay okay ill help :3! I had this same problem when i first got my rytm mki … go to COMP and turn it off //turn of Legacy FX send on every track ,// go to DIST and make sure its off or at 0. /// also when you load a track hit stop twice and everything should be pretty silent.//// also what monocon said reduce the decays and make sure the decays are down on every track on AMP. after this you should have a huge improvement. p.s. save all these settings globally so it starts this way on your future projects.

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This is a good method but i strongly suggest getting comfortable with RYTMs compressor as it is very powerful.

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For a proper limiter:

ATK: 30
REL: .1
RAT: MAX
SEQ: HIT

Adjust THReshold, MakeUP gain, and MIX to taste. Mind the VU indicator on the right side of the screen.

Edit: I definitely got it wrong. These are transient shaping parameters more-so than “limiting” parameters. Limiters eliminate stray transients through a short attack. What I suggested actually accentuates transients (through a large ATK value). It is still possible to bring up the sustain by adjusting ATK and REL and setting the MIX carefully.

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Also, I had this exact question about my MKi and it was the makeup gain in the compressor section. The noise went away as soon as I turned it down. I didn’t experience the instrument decay issue, but I wouldn’t discount it.

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I agree regarding gloom’s tip – learn to love the compressor, especially if you play live and use only the stereo outs. Sure, it’s a little noisy, but the way it glues together RYTM patterns is just :facepunch::facepunch::facepunch:.

One of my ongoing challenges in the studio is figuring out how to get multi-tracked RYTM drums recorded via Overbridge to match the warmth and creaminess that I hear from the main stereo outs when using the compressor. It’s never quite the same…

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Agreed. I don’t bother with overbridge on the Rytm anymore for that reason.

I’ve also developed a huge love for the distortion amount and symmetry cranked up high. With a light compressor touch the treble gets a nice crispy crackle but the sound doesn’t quite break. The noise level is noticeable when there’s no other sound, but disappears as soon as you send something through.

Some of the main parameters that affect noise floor I think would be:
Amp decay
Overdrive
Distortion
Reverb “pre” compressor

And on the compressor
-high makeup gain
-low threshold/high ratio (combined with the makeup gain)

Depending on kit, my Rytm mk1 can be pretty super quite and silent really, or I can have an extreme distorted, compressed, and heavily raised noise floor… Or anywhere in between…

Turning the compressor off I can get a super silent signal, but also a pretty super quite signal can be had with compressor on %100 if the threshold isn’t too low and the makeup gain isn’t too high, along with tame setting for the above parameters…

I do have a few kits where the overdrive and distortion are cranked, reverb is pre-compressor, it’s heavily compressed but then brought back up with make up gain…
Sounds killer when it’s playing but if I stop it I have a wall of distorted hiss… :slight_smile:
I don’t mind at all, I rather enjoy having it as an option…

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Headphone ports.