ISSUES, SPIKES, NOISES

Tagged: Factor stompboxes

This topic has 22 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 4 months, 2 weeks ago by tbskoglund
Eventide Staff
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- October 30, 2015 at 11:48 am #112988
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Hey everybody at Eventide !
  
  Lot of issues, unfortunately.
  
  I REALLY NEED TO SOLVE AL OF THESE PROBLEM ASAP, BECAUSE I CAN’T WORK !!!
  
  Please !
  
  Thank you everybody.
  
  Have a nice day !
  
  Dario Vero
  
  Hi guys. This is Dario Vero from Rome, Italy. I’m writing you because unfortunately I am having lot of troubles with my pedals. I’ve already wrote to you during this summer, but you never answered to me. I have the 4 factor pedals. I always use my pedals in studio/television (not for live shows/gigs). No trips, no airplane. In a smoke free studio. I’ve updated my pedals to the last OS and….SPIKES, ISSUES, NOISES !!! The very first time was this summer during a very important session at Forward Studio. I also bought the power factor 2 ( at funky junk Italy, the authorized dealer, that is also one of the distributors I work for as a musician for demos). I tried to power this pedals with the original power supplies insead of the Power Fatcor 2. Everytime it’s the same. But the question is that I can’t work with all this spikes !! It’s impossible ! Alberto, Mario and all the guys from Funky Junky Italy said that the best is to write to you. Can you help me ? What I should do ? I have Eventide since I started as a pro. Now it’s more then 15 years with you, and I really don’t want to change and switch to Strymon, Boss or other brands. Believe me guys, I really like the way Eventide’s pedals/racks sounds. Now I need to solve my problem asap. I’ve lot of studio sessions and on January I’ll probably be in tour with an important european band. Do you have an official engineer/technician in Italy ? Rome ? Europe ? Or maybe I’ve to send you all my pedals ? How much is it ? What can I do here ? What you suggest me to do ?
  
  In these days I’m seriously thinking about the insane idea of buying an H9 Max just to work without noises for the studio sessions and stuff like that.
  
  Just to continue my work in studio. So, please let me know asap. Thank you in advance. Have a nice day. Dario Vero verodario@gmail.com
- October 30, 2015 at 11:59 am #141372
  
  gkellum
  Participant
  
  Hi Dario,
  
  You need to give us a bit more detail about the problem(s) you've been having for us to be able to help you. You wrote, "spikes, issues, noises".
  
  (1) By "spikes" I assume you mean volume spikes. Is this when switching presets or at other times too?
  
  (2) Issues? What issues specifically?
  
  (3) Noises. Are you saying that you're hearing unexpected noises when playing? This isn't normal, or something I can say we've heard about from other customers. Could you try to isolate the problem to a particular unit?
  
  Generally speaking, if you could describe specific problems you're having with particular pedals (preferably that you can reliably reproduce), we should be able to help you a lot more at that point. Sometimes making a quick cellphone video showing a problem is helpful too.
- October 30, 2015 at 4:59 pm #141375
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Hi Dan. 2 Videos for you folks !!!
  
  this first one is from my iphone 4
  
  The second is from a Pro Tools’s bounce
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpU6WSjPyDU
  
  https://youtu.be/5DGDXzQvn68
- October 31, 2015 at 5:47 pm #141380
  
  gkellum
  Participant
  
  Hi Dario,
  
  Yeah, I could clearly hear the scratchiness that you described after you enabled the TimeFactor. I've heard that sort of scratchiness in two cases in the past. (1) a unit has bad memory or (2) after updating a device the update didn't install correctly. Since you said that this problem only started happening after you installed the latest TimeFactor release, just reinstalling the release again might fix the problem. When you turn your TimeFactor on, does the display come on immediately by the way, or is there a 10 second delay before the display comes on? The reason that I ask is that there have been cases where the software that actually handles the installation of updates gets corrupted, and if it is corrupted, there's a 10 second delay before the display turns on. That could be one reason why an update didn't install correctly.
  - October 31, 2015 at 6:39 pm #141381
    
    verodario
    Participant
    
    Hi Dan. Thank you for your time !
    No delays. Tomorrow I’ll try to install again the firmware.
    All my factor pedals were the very first pedal that you released for Europe. I had the entire Factor suite just in time for the italian preview.
    Are them a sort of beta version ?
    I say that because I can heard a some little issues also on the other pedals. Especially if I use the stompboxes for hours.
    Let me know asap. I can send you my pedalboard on monday (with Funky Junk Italy).
    
    gkellum wrote:
    
    Hi Dario,
    
    Yeah, I could clearly hear the scratchiness that you described after you enabled the TimeFactor. I've heard that sort of scratchiness in two cases in the past. (1) a unit has bad memory or (2) after updating a device the update didn't install correctly. Since you said that this problem only started happening after you installed the latest TimeFactor release, just reinstalling the release again might fix the problem. When you turn your TimeFactor on, does the display come on immediately by the way, or is there a 10 second delay before the display comes on? The reason that I ask is that there have been cases where the software that actually handles the installation of updates gets corrupted, and if it is corrupted, there's a 10 second delay before the display turns on. That could be one reason why an update didn't install correctly.
- October 31, 2015 at 6:39 pm #141382
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Hi Dan. Thank you for your time !
  No delays. Tomorrow I’ll try to install again the firmware.
  All my factor pedals were the very first pedal that you released for Europe. I had the entire Factor suite just in time for the italian preview.
  Are them a sort of beta version ?
  I say that because I can heard a some little issues also on the other pedals. Especially if I use the stompboxes for hours.
  Let me know asap. I can send you my pedalboard on monday (with Funky Junk Italy).
  - October 31, 2015 at 9:10 pm #141383
    
    gkellum
    Participant
    
    verodario wrote:
    
    Are they a sort of beta version ? I say that because I can heard a some little issues also on the other pedals.
    
    Yes, all of the current v5.2 releases are beta releases. If you are seeing other "little issues" as you say, please let us know what they are or make a video showing them if you can. If people don't tell us about what little issues they're seeing, they'll never get fixed. If they're keeping you from working though, you can always reinstall the earlier official releases.
- November 1, 2015 at 8:14 pm #141394
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Ok.
  
  But what I need to know is: what IF my issues, after reinstalling the firmware or downgrading the firmware, will still remain ?
  
  Do you change my stompboxes for free? Should I pay for this ? I don’t want to seem stingy, but after buying all this pedals, the racks, all the plug ins, and also the accessories (Ciocks) it would be really absurd to spend more money !! I’am an Eventide user since I was a pro…and, as I already said, I don’t want to change and switch to Tc, Strymon, Fractal and stuff like that. Both for the studio that for the live.
  
  then, WHY I have this noises ? And, about our topic on the “beta version”, I wasn’t talking about the firmware or the software…I’m talking about the hardware. Are my factor pedals a first release/beta version/prototype ?
  
  Then, just in case, how is possible to damage all the memories chips of all this 4 pedals ?
  
  I always used this stompboxes in studio with their original power supplies. Then I’ve buyed the Coicks’s PF (the brand new one)
  
  So, please let me know. Tomorrow I’ll try with the downgrade and I’ll let you know.
  
  Thank you for your time !
  
  All the best in music.
  
  Dario Vero
- November 2, 2015 at 5:37 pm #141411
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Hi Dan !!!
  
  Just downgraded my Tf machine.
  
  Sounds better. But unfortunately clicks are still in the feedback.
  
  It’s a sort of digital clpi (but is not !! on the Pt meters everything goes ok).
  
  Especially when I stroke hard. (every peak is a issue)
  
  Anyway, with this downgrade the noises are 50% less then when I’ve mouned the5.2 frimware. So:
  
  1)For years no issues…now issues because of a software !?!?! Is that a joke !?
  
  2) ok now I have less clicks, but…they still are in the delays (and when the dsp is on).
  
  3) I’d like to have an upgradable machine !!!
  
  4) before this upgrade everything was perfect.
  
  5) I made a phone call to Funky Junk. They say that for a pedal only it’s about 230 € more or less (with shipping) !!!!!! I hope this charge and all the repair will be yours !!!
  
  6) I’d like to know, now or after you will fix/change the pedal, if I’ll be able to upraade all the other pedals ! As I said, I really want a regular pedal; not a “beta hardware” that is not updatable !!!
  
  Tomorrow I’ll do another test. I’ll switch on all the pedals at 9 ‘o’clock. Then at 2 P.M. I’ll start playing.
  
  Let see what will happen. Anyway, now it’s seems like a problem of the Time Factor only, not the others.
  
  Thank you in advance.
  
  Please let me know because tomorrow (evening Italy time) I’ll have to send you the pedal/s from Funky Junk Italy-Rome.
  
  Have a nice day.
  
  Dario Vero
  - November 2, 2015 at 6:33 pm #141412
    
    gkellum
    Participant
    
    verodario wrote:
    
    Just downgraded my Tf machine.
    
    Sounds better. But unfortunately clicks are still in the feedback.
    
    It's a sort of digital clpi (but is not !! on the Pt meters everything goes ok).
    
    Especially when I stroke hard. (every peak is a issue)
    
    Well, it sounds like you're just clipping the signal when you go into the TimeFactor. If so, you'll want to make sure that the TimeFactor is set to expect a line level signal if you're sending it a line level signal, and if that's set correctly, you'll want to see if you can reduce the gain of the signal going into the TimeFactor. But of course without a video showing the problem, we can only guess what the problem actually is.
    
    If you do want to send your TimeFactor in for us to take a look at, you'll need to write support@eventide.com for an RMA, or you could take it to Funky Junk. If your TimeFactor is still under warranty, repairs are covered by the warranty. Otherwise, Eventide just like every other electronic manufacturer charges a repair fee; you can ask support@eventide.com or the distributor what the fee is.
    
    I would suggest that you make an effort to determine whether your TimeFactor is just clipping before you send it in, because sending it in will be a waste of time if it's just clipping.
  - November 2, 2015 at 7:50 pm #141415
    
    verodario
    Participant
    
    I’ve already sent a mail to support@eventide.com.
    
    It was august…the first time. I resent it 5 or 6 days ago. So, please Dan, could you tell me how much is it ? Or maybe you could copy paste this comments and explain the situation to a member of EventideAudio-Support ?
    
    I tell you that because I don’t want to waiste my time !
    
    Thank you for your work.
    
    Let me know, if is possible.
    
    Have a nice day.
    
    Dario
    
    gkellum wrote:
    
    verodario wrote:
    
    Just downgraded my Tf machine.
    
    Sounds better. But unfortunately clicks are still in the feedback.
    
    It’s a sort of digital clpi (but is not !! on the Pt meters everything goes ok).
    
    Especially when I stroke hard. (every peak is a issue)
    
    Well, it sounds like you’re just clipping the signal when you go into the TimeFactor. If so, you’ll want to make sure that the TimeFactor is set to expect a line level signal if you’re sending it a line level signal, and if that’s set correctly, you’ll want to see if you can reduce the gain of the signal going into the TimeFactor. But of course without a video showing the problem, we can only guess what the problem actually is.
    
    If you do want to send your TimeFactor in for us to take a look at, you’ll need to write support@eventide.com for an RMA, or you could take it to Funky Junk. If your TimeFactor is still under warranty, repairs are covered by the warranty. Otherwise, Eventide just like every other electronic manufacturer charges a repair fee; you can ask support@eventide.com or the distributor what the fee is.
    
    I would suggest that you make an effort to determine whether your TimeFactor is just clipping before you send it in, because sending it in will be a waste of time if it’s just clipping.
- November 2, 2015 at 7:49 pm #141414
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  I’ve already sent a mail to support@eventide.com.
  
  It was august…the first time. I resent it 5 or 6 days ago. So, please Dan, could you tell me how much is it ? Or maybe you could copy paste this comments and explain the situation to a member of EventideAudio-Support ?
  
  I tell you that because I don’t want to waiste my time !
  
  Thank you for your work.
  
  Let me know, if is possible.
  
  Have a nice day.
  
  Dario
- November 2, 2015 at 10:53 pm #141418
  
  nickrose
  Moderator
  Eventide Staff
  
  Dario – a couple of thoughts.
  
  1) If you have trouble following an upgrade, re-initialize the unit as described in the UM.
  
  2) These products are guitar pedals, and can easily be overdriven if connected to a DAW or suchlike. It is your responsibility if using it as anything other than a guitar pedal to make sure that the levels are correct.
  
  3) It sounds like you have a complex setup that may well have its own problems. I myself suspect that there is nothing wrong with the pedals, and that the problem may well be how they are being used. If this is the case there is no point spending your time and money returning them.
  
  4) If you believe that the pedals are indeed faulty, it would be good if you can set them up in a simple way to prove this. Example: guitar – pedal – amp. My concern is that you will go to all the trouble to send them to us and we will find nothing wrong.
- November 2, 2015 at 10:58 pm #141419
  
  verodario
  Participant
  
  Listen to this and tell me what do you think, onestly.
  
  I also use this pedal in send and return in my amp ! same orrible cracks !
  
  this is the audio :
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DGDXzQvn68
  - November 4, 2015 at 11:20 pm #141445
    
    gkellum
    Participant
    
    verodario wrote:
    
    Listen to this and tell me what do you think, honestly.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DGDXzQvn68
    
    That sounds pretty bad. Is that just a guitar running into the TimeFactor running into an amp? That could potentially be a problem with your TimeFactor's converters or with its memory, but it could also potentially be a problem with your set-up. If it is a problem with the TimeFactor's converters or its memory, the TimeFactors self tests should be able to confirm that.
    
    If you want to run the TimeFactors self tests, what you would need to do is connect its audio inputs to its outputs so that input 1 is connected to output 1 and input 2 is connected to output 2 and you would need to connect its MIDI input to its MIDI output. Then it will be able to test its converters by doing loopback tests. To start the tests, you turn your TimeFactor off and then turn it on again with the left footswitch pressed. The display will say 01 TEST and will scroll to say TEST ALL. If you press the algorithm selection encoder, that will start the tests. The screen initially will say P0E0T0. P is the number of passes. E is the number of errors on the current test and T is the total number of errors. There are about 20 tests, and if you just leave the TimeFactor running it will run these same 20 tests over and over again. If you don't mind doing this, please let us know what the display says after your let the tests run for an hour or so.
  - August 20, 2019 at 1:54 am #152577
    
    maxigtr
    Member
    
    gkellum wrote:
    
    verodario wrote:
    
    Listen to this and tell me what do you think, honestly.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DGDXzQvn68
    
    That sounds pretty bad. Is that just a guitar running into the TimeFactor running into an amp? That could potentially be a problem with your TimeFactor's converters or with its memory, but it could also potentially be a problem with your set-up. If it is a problem with the TimeFactor's converters or its memory, the TimeFactors self tests should be able to confirm that.
    
    If you want to run the TimeFactors self tests, what you would need to do is connect its audio inputs to its outputs so that input 1 is connected to output 1 and input 2 is connected to output 2 and you would need to connect its MIDI input to its MIDI output. Then it will be able to test its converters by doing loopback tests. To start the tests, you turn your TimeFactor off and then turn it on again with the left footswitch pressed. The display will say 01 TEST and will scroll to say TEST ALL. If you press the algorithm selection encoder, that will start the tests. The screen initially will say P0E0T0. P is the number of passes. E is the number of errors on the current test and T is the total number of errors. There are about 20 tests, and if you just leave the TimeFactor running it will run these same 20 tests over and over again. If you don't mind doing this, please let us know what the display says after your let the tests run for an hour or so.
    
    I have a problem of volume (too low in output 1 and higuera in output 2, bit not a good mix. Always 1 cable yo input and 1 yo output. Can i finde the problem with this test?
- April 11, 2019 at 2:46 pm #151682
  
  JCMFF
  Member
  
  Hi! My name is Julio and I´m from Brazil.
  
  I have the same problem in my Eventide Timefactor.
  
  I alredy send an email from Support and I restore my pedal and the spikes and scretching still there.
  
  Someone can get help-me, please?
  
  Thanks!
  - April 11, 2019 at 6:56 pm #151683
    
    bohan
    Moderator
    Eventide Staff
    
    JCMFF wrote:
    
    I have the same problem in my Eventide Timefactor.
    
    I alredy send an email from Support and I restore my pedal and the spikes and scretching still there.
    
    Please read through this thread and see if there is any info helpful to you. If you're sure it is TimFactor's problem and restoring the unit or reinstalling the software couldn't fix it, you may need to send it back to your dealer or to us.
  - April 11, 2019 at 7:30 pm #151684
    
    JCMFF
    Member
    
    bohan wrote:
    
    JCMFF wrote:
    
    I have the same problem in my Eventide Timefactor.
    
    I alredy send an email from Support and I restore my pedal and the spikes and scretching still there.
    
    Please read through this thread and see if there is any info helpful to you. If you’re sure it is TimFactor’s problem and restoring the unit or reinstalling the software couldn’t fix it, you may need to send it back to your dealer or to us.
    
    Hi! I read the informations. I restore my unit and reinstalling the software. So, the problem is the hardware of the unit? Do you know which the problem?
    
    I noticed that issue beggining after a time to on the unit, about 5 or 10 minutes played with him. The spike looks like a clip on the signal.
    
    My cable and guitar is ok. I had another unit and don´t have no problem.
    
    If you can help me, I apreciate that!
- January 20, 2024 at 3:38 pm #177502
  
  oszillo
  Participant
  
  There is stuff Eventide wont tell anyone. With the Firmware Update 3.5.0[4] something went entirely wrong basically making the stomp box a brick that will not work anymore.
  
  It can only be two reasons, either the software renders the DSP and its controls leaking as heck and mounting up faults until it cant work anymore. Cause if it would be only memory, the memory would deliver wrong results and the sound would simply sound very ugly but thats all or the entire software would stall with some bad luck which it also does not. Instead the box turns all inputs off. Sometime switching cables to another input will lift the problem for a couple of seconds and again it will turn it off. So guessing here, it’s the code that controls the input gain and likely also fills the buffer. Apart from that the input peak meter does not work at all since the update which even points more to a software problem. It was working before just fine. If i turn the box off, the connectors transmit the in and out signal just fine, no crackles, or anything.. so it is for sure not my setup nor cables..
  
  Back in the days i emailed support with the friendly response that a repair would be needed and i have to pay almost the price the stomp box was worth at all. That was the day i decided i brick the entire company, cause thats not a deal but rather i see this as rip-off. Cause they obviously know exactly whats wrong.
  
  So why i am so confident it is a software problem? Well because it worked with the old firmware just fine and stopped working exactly after the update to 3.5..
- July 7, 2024 at 1:25 pm #183614
  
  AdrianM
  Participant
  
  Refreshing old thread. I’ve noticed that the links to YouTube video don’t work are private hence I can’t tell if it’s the same issue I’ve got with my pedal.
  it came with software 3.0 so pre 3.5 but I’ve installed FW 5.0.6 so I can control it with my phone.
  I’ve done self tests and nothing shows hence that makes me believe that there’s definitely something up with these pedals.
  
  I wonder if someone has came up with any solution?
  
  I don’t think company like Eventide really cares as H90 has a good sales so this pedal is rather old now for support.
  - July 8, 2024 at 10:36 am #183626
    
    tbskoglund
    Moderator
    Eventide Staff
    
    Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please email support@eventide.com and we can help you there.
- August 24, 2019 at 5:04 pm #152610
  
  nickrose
  Moderator
  Eventide Staff
  
  maxigtr wrote:
  
  Can i finde the problem with this test?
  
  Probably not. My guess is that the problem is somewhere in your setup, which this test cannot see.
  
  Try something easy – connect guitar-TF-amp (nothing else) and see if you have the same problem. If you do, rotate the cables (use different ones at each position) and try again.
  
  If you still have the problem, it's worth trying the self-test.
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