Third Take

My tube amp, a late 90s Mesa/Boogie DC-3, developed a crackle. I searched the internet, but couldn’t find any information that directly corresponded to the problem I was experiencing. So, while this is not specifically home-recording related, I decided to add my experience to the internet in hopes it will help someone else.

The problem was a low-volume intermittent crackle coming through the speaker. It was not a hum, hiss, or pop – it sounded similar to a faulty cable or connection, but more subtle and less urgent. It would crackle for several seconds and then stop. As time progressed, over several months, it got worse. Interestingly, the crackle did not get louder if you turned up the volume. No matter how loud or quiet the amp volume was, the crackle was the same level.

I tried all the diagnostics I could, and nothing pointed toward the problem. I swapped pre-amp tubes one-by-one with known good ones. I tapped on the power tubes with a pencil. I checked the speaker connection. As a last resort, I replaced all four power tubes with new ones, and that finally fixed it. It was a $40 gamble, but it paid off.

So, internet, absorb my knowledge: if your tube amp gets the crackle, replace the power tubes.

Electric guitar is one of the easiest instruments to record. Maybe it’s because I’m a guitar player and I know what I want a guitar to sound like, but I’ve never had a lot of trouble getting good electric guitar sounds recorded. Even so, there is a difference between good and great – here are five tips that have improved my recordings. Read more

Acoustic guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to record. I haven’t come close to mastering the art, but I have figured some things out along the way that I think are worth passing on to other home recorders. Some of these are sure to be controversial, and other people may have had great results with other techniques. However, after reading everything I could find and applying it in my own home studio, this is what has worked for me. Read more