Smooth Hound Innovations Digital Wireless Guitar System

[Chienmortbb]

On 25/03/2017 at 21:45, Woodinblack said:

It is - but an isolated supply like the Harley Benton Jr sorts that out nicely. I just got a new power supply off ebay that works well with it, when i put these things on a pedaltrain.

Yes you have to be sure that you use a  true isolated supply. The £25-30 ones around say they are isolated but that is only for protection.The problem occurs with digital pedals and seems worse when two are used such as a Zoom and a Smoothound. Also be aware that the Smoothound uses positive centre in the power. Most pedals use centre negative sadly. 

 

[Woodinblack]

21 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Yes you have to be sure that you use a  true isolated supply. The £25-30 ones around say they are isolated but that is only for protection.The problem occurs with digital pedals and seems worse when two are used such as a Zoom and a Smoothound. Also be aware that the Smoothound uses positive centre in the power. Most pedals use centre negative sadly.

Nope, they are genuinely isolated. Back (probably when I wrote that), I had the zoom B3 and the Smoothhound. They could not co-exist on a non isolated board. I still have the smoothound, but the zoom is gone, and have a helix. Can't get that powered off anything other than its own supply so now a bit irrelevant.

[dave_bass5]

3 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

be aware that the Smoothound uses positive centre in the power. Most pedals use centre negative sadly. 

 

That has been stated many times,  i dont think its a problem for anyone. 

[EBS_freak]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/303094485053

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

That has been stated many times,  i dont think its a problem for anyone. 

 

33 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/303094485053

They come with an adaptor in the box.

[Chienmortbb]

3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

That has been stated many times,  i dont think its a problem for anyone. 

No but it is relevant as we were discussing power supplies. 

[dave_bass5]

7 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

No but it is relevant as we were discussing power supplies. 

Well yeah, and during those discussions its been mentioned loads of times. Thats all I meant. Its not something that anyone doesnt already know if they have been reading the thread,  and not just jumping in at the end of it.

[Chienmortbb]

11 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Well yeah, and during those discussions its been mentioned loads of times. Thats all I meant. Its not something that anyone doesnt already know if they have been reading the thread,  and not just jumping in at the end of it.

I have read the thread and thought it was relevant considering we were discussing power supplies.

[Chienmortbb]

The power supplies I was refering to are these. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caline-Electric-guitar-Effect-Pedal-Board-10-Way-Power-Supply-9V-12V-18V-Output/402268232124?hash=item5da90e19bc:g:u2oAAOSwNbZd4Jgs

These, and other similar ones, are not isolated and do not remove the noise carried on the power rails from mone pedal to another. It would be easy to blame the Zoom, Smoothound et al for these problems. However the design of many analogue pedals pays no heed to the need for proper power supply rejection. It is the responsibiluity os a manufacturer to both reduce the interferenxce that their product produces and also to protect their own product from the effects of that interference.

[Woodinblack]

 

12 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

The power supplies I was refering to are these. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caline-Electric-guitar-Effect-Pedal-Board-10-Way-Power-Supply-9V-12V-18V-Output/402268232124?hash=item5da90e19bc:g:u2oAAOSwNbZd4Jgs

That isn't an isolated supply though, it doesn't even claim it is an isolated supply. That is just a multiway power supply, like many others.

As I said in my 3 year old post you quoted, I got an isolated supply and it sorted the noise out.

 

 

[Chienmortbb]

2 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

That isn't an isolated supply though, it doesn't even claim it is an isolated supply. That is just a multiway power supply, like many others.

As I said in my 3 year old post you quoted, I got an isolated supply and it sorted the noise out.

 

 

You are right, I seelcted the wrong ad. Most sellers claim that model to be isolated.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Effects-Pedal-Power-Supply-Board-10-Way-Isolated-9V-12V-18V-Output-UKPlug/353170164284?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D228436%26meid%3D0352a74b39c040e79d38ebd2332abcb2%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D402268232124%26itm%3D353170164284%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV1Filter%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Edited August 20, 2020 by Chienmortbb

[Woodinblack]

1 minute ago, Chienmortbb said:

You are right, I seelcted the wrong ad. Most sellers claimthat model to be isolated.

I think I mention mine somewhere around here, it was a Vitos 8 or something? has 6  9v, and a 12/18v switchable. It is pretty good, but what I woudl really like is a mains powered one, rather than a 'wall wart' power supply, I have already lost one of those by the singer jumping on it.

I have a separate box where I took the power supply apart and embedded it under the case so now it is fed by an IEC cable, but now I also have to plug the helix in too, as after a couple of hours if I power it from any power supply i have, it dies.

Is it too much ask to have a mains powered isolated 4-6 9v 300ma, 9v 1a, 1 12v 1a, one 12v 2a power supply for less than £100? Seems it is!

[Woodinblack]

Don't see it mentioned on here, although I am sure I wrote about it, I notice in previous posts on here I mentioned that my smoothhound jack plug was loose. Well, it fell apart leaving a gig when I was tearing down. The side of the plug came out.

Talked to chris at smoothound and for £20 he replaced all the metalwork and sent it back to me. it is perfect now.

[Chienmortbb]

3 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I think I mention mine somewhere around here, it was a Vitos 8 or something? has 6  9v, and a 12/18v switchable. It is pretty good, but what I woudl really like is a mains powered one, rather than a 'wall wart' power supply, I have already lost one of those by the singer jumping on it.

I have a separate box where I took the power supply apart and embedded it under the case so now it is fed by an IEC cable, but now I also have to plug the helix in too, as after a couple of hours if I power it from any power supply i have, it dies.

Is it too much ask to have a mains powered isolated 4-6 9v 300ma, 9v 1a, 1 12v 1a, one 12v 2a power supply for less than £100? Seems it is!

Whether you choose a straight mains step down transformer or design a Switch Mode Power Supply with multiple isolated outputs, the transfomers are non standard and hence expensive. However not every output needs to be isolated. For example on my board I have a Zoom B1ON pedal and a Smoothound as well as a Marshall ED1 Compressor (with mods for bass) Plus a Behringer BD-I21. If both the Zoom and Smoothound are connected to the power supply, there is noise. If either is removed and powered by another power supply, the noise is reduced.

So two or more isolated banks would cure the problem and that is much easier. However your power requirement would need a transformer of about 100VA and that is both big and weighty unless you apply some sort  of contentiion ratio where you assume that not all outputs  will be at fullpower al the time.

[mcnach]

20 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Well yeah, and during those discussions its been mentioned loads of times. Thats all I meant. Its not something that anyone doesnt already know if they have been reading the thread,  and not just jumping in at the end of it.

 

well, I missed that, so I'm glad it was mentioned here again. 

It's an important detail, for me especially, as I tend to put away any power supplies that come with any pedals etc and use a separate multi power supply for everything.

[MikeStockport]

I bought a Smooth Hound system towards the end of last year. In rehearsals: no problem. But in my first two gigs since the easing of lockdown restrictions last weekend, I had a number of interference problems. A previous poster noticed that all three columns of LED lights flashed. The same thing happened to me. Some of the time the signal cut out completely, most embarrassingly during my bass solo during "Wish You Were Here". Is it just due to an overabundance of wifi transmitters in a pub or small club, which I can do nothing about, or is there a solution? @SmoothHoundChrisIncidentally, I don't stand more than five feet from the receiver. I play an active Ibanez bass if that makes a difference. I was using fully-charged rechargeable AAA batteries in the transmitter.

Edited August 9, 2021 by MikeStockport

[EBS_freak]

On 09/08/2021 at 12:39, MikeStockport said:

I bought a Smooth Hound system towards the end of last year. In rehearsals: no problem. But in my first two gigs since the easing of lockdown restrictions last weekend, I had a number of interference problems. A previous poster noticed that all three columns of LED lights flashed. The same thing happened to me. Some of the time the signal cut out completely, most embarrassingly during my bass solo during "Wish You Were Here". Is it just due to an overabundance of wifi transmitters in a pub or small club, which I can do nothing about, or is there a solution? @SmoothHoundChrisIncidentally, I don't stand more than five feet from the receiver. I play an active Ibanez bass if that makes a difference. I was using fully-charged rechargeable AAA batteries in the transmitter.

Is your receiver on the floor or behind you?

 

If it's behind you you may want to mount the transmitter on your strap behind your body. Your body does quite a good job of absorbing RF so, if you have your transmitter in line of sight to the receiver behind you (e.g. directly by your amp), you may find yourself in a better position.

 

If in doubt, always carry a cable.

[Woodinblack]

On 09/08/2021 at 12:39, MikeStockport said:

I bought a Smooth Hound system towards the end of last year. In rehearsals: no problem. But in my first two gigs since the easing of lockdown restrictions last weekend, I had a number of interference problems. A previous poster noticed that all three columns of LED lights flashed. The same thing happened to me. Some of the time the signal cut out completely, most embarrassingly during my bass solo during "Wish You Were Here". Is it just due to an overabundance of wifi transmitters in a pub or small club, which I can do nothing about, or is there a solution? @SmoothHoundChrisIncidentally, I don't stand more than five feet from the receiver. I play an active Ibanez bass if that makes a difference. I was using fully-charged rechargeable AAA batteries in the transmitter.

 

I have never had the flashing thing, and I also use wireless IEM, wireless from the iPad to the mixer (although now 5ghz as the IEM inteferes), on stage we also have wireless sax.

The only time I had any issues with the smoothhound was when I was powering it from a shared source and it wasn't getting enough power. I have been in wifi dense places too, (when you learn the lesson of using the X18 with its internal wifi!).

 

I always carry a cable and have it out in case of issues, but the one time I thought I had to use it it wasn't the wireless at all, it was a cable to the amp.

 

I am not far from the smoothhound as it is on my pedalboard, so by my feet (although I can wander quite a way on a big stage), and I also use an active ibanez bass.

 

All in all not much help, as long as the power is supplied ok?

[dmccombe7]

I've started using my mfx unit so receiver is now on floor but transmitter is on my strap near the bridge button end.

Hopefully it wont be an issue there.

Dave

[Chienmortbb]

17 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I have never had the flashing thing, and I also use wireless IEM, wireless from the iPad to the mixer (although now 5ghz as the IEM inteferes), on stage we also have wireless sax.

The only time I had any issues with the smoothhound was when I was powering it from a shared source and it wasn't getting enough power. I have been in wifi dense places too, (when you learn the lesson of using the X18 with its internal wifi!).

 

I always carry a cable and have it out in case of issues, but the one time I thought I had to use it it wasn't the wireless at all, it was a cable to the amp.

 

I am not far from the smoothhound as it is on my pedalboard, so by my feet (although I can wander quite a way on a big stage), and I also use an active ibanez bass.

 

All in all not much help, as long as the power is supplied ok?

Same here, reciever on pedal board, we also use and X18, if only that was as solid as the Smoothound. One thing, I use it on the longer latency setting. That gives more protection against interference. If you have set it to the shorter setting, maybe switch back?

[Woodinblack]

10 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Same here, reciever on pedal board, we also use and X18, if only that was as solid as the Smoothound. One thing, I use it on the longer latency setting. That gives more protection against interference. If you have set it to the shorter setting, maybe switch back?

 

My X18 is as solid as a rock, but obviously not using the internal wifi which is asking for trouble!

[Chienmortbb]

I hesitate to write this, but I have emailed and message Smoothound several times over the last few months and had no replies.

[fleabag]

Hasn't even logged in here since Feburary.

[fretmeister]

They've done their companies house filings for this year and that says Active.

 

[sirmuppet]

I was just about to come on and ask a question about wireless systems as I too haven't had any replies from Smooth Hound and am lost at an alternative.