Noisy HT1RH

[mx-phil]

Hi everybody

I bought an HT1RH with the HTV112 and it works fine at low level, but when I rise the volume and / or gain over the middle it becomes to be very noisy (I don't know the english word for this noise in french we say the same as "breath" but it's more like Dark Vador breath ^^) so loud that it's impossible to run it full gas.
And it's even worse on the overdrive channel.
I bought it at the french distributor but received no invoice, they don't answer my mails and for the waranty I don't know how to do !

Do you think a tube failure can be the problem ?
I have no spare tubes and nowhere on the web I can find a schematic of the amp.

Is the headphones plug is between the preamp and the power amp ? Because when I plug the headphones there is not this noise, at full volume and gain I can only hear the snore of the 220 volt.
If the headphones is between the preamp and the power amp, can my power tube be nearly dead and make the noise ?

My cab is plug with a cab wire and not a guitar jack, and plugged in the same power socket my Peavey royal 8 is quiet even at full volume and gain, so I don't think it's an electricity problem. Shall I try to change both tubes or at least the power one ?
If yes what tubes can I install inside for the best clear sound (Sovtek, EH, JJ Tung Sol...) even if I lose a quarter of watt ?

Thanks for reading and more thanks if you have an idea that can help me to play this little monster wide open

Have a nice week
Phil.

[ronnie robinson]

Ive never used one but on clean the Amp should be very quiet even when turned up .....it is only 1 watt so likely to be turned up most of the time....

Could be a valve but more likely something else



I'd forget about emails and ring the company you got it from directly ....although it may be worth emailing Blackstar

[mx-phil]

HI

I tried another thing today, with no jack in the input the amp is quiet, always the snore of the 220v but no more "breath" even wide open, so I don't think the tubes fail, but something on the way of the signal, but what ?

It's a good advice to call the dealer and mail to Blackstar I'll do this !
Thanks for the answer Ronnie.

Cheers

[bluesoverdrive]

I finally did some tests with my HT-1R, the amp is very noisy on the drive channel when the gain is past noon. VERY noisy. The noise is not a ground problem nor it is single coil hum, I've tried 2 guitars, the humbucker guitar get the same loud noise all over on the dirt channel.

To make the amp usable on drive channel, try this: Gain:11 o'clock, Volume: 4 o'clock. This way there's very little hum/noise and you can go clean turning down the guitar volume. For even more drive, turn the guitar volume all the way up and try a booster in front of it. Got some great tones this way

[bharris22]

I agree with bluesoverdrive. After a few hours playing with my new HT-1R, I think the sound of this amp is fantastic, but it really cannot handle large amounts of overdrive (nor is it meant to). Keeping the gain at noon or below while adjusting the volume gets some really good hard rock tones. More than that, though, there is almost too much noise to make it worthwhile, especially if the volume is past noon as well.

The amp is very good for what it does (overdriven tube sounds at low volumes), but it is not meant as a high gain amp and falls down in this area. This is not a knock against the amp, but personally I have had more enjoyment out of it when keeping my expectations in line with what it can deliver.

[Classicplayer]

I will be getting my HT1R combo back later this week. My tech installed a new volume control and also the gain pot. I was getting scratchy noises on both channels and hum on the clean channel when the volume was more than 3/4 of the way up. I don't think tubes were the culprit as they were new and installed less than a month ago.

The HT1R does not have lots of headroom as it is only one watt. I don't play it so loud that you cannot talk over the volume I like to play at.

Try these settings: I used two Les Pauls. One is a Studio Deluxe with a 496R/Burstbucker Pro (uncovered) and the other a Classic with a '59 Duncan (uncovered) pair.

Studio Deluxe on clean channel Vol. 11:00 o'clock; Gain near 1:00 o'clock ISF just above 9:00 o'clock
Guitar Vols. between 7 and 8. On the gain channel: Vol. just above 9:00 o'clock; Gain between 10:00 and 11:00 o'clock.

Classic: Gain channel only (I don't use the Classic on Clean channel) Guitar volumes 2 to 3 (with these pickups). Vol. just above 9:00 o'clock; Gain just above 11:00 o'clock; ISF between 9 and 10 o'clock.

I get volumes that you can talk over, yet loud enough to produce some good tones. The settings that Blackstar gives don't seem to be realistic to me in my practice room. Get the amp off of the floor and about ear level and try positioning yourself about 6 feet from the speaker. I just installed a Celestion Eight Fifteen which gives a flatter response over the stock Blackbird. Using either speaker, the amp does not do its' best at excessive volume and gain settings.

Classicplayer

[Classicplayer]

Here's my progress report after getting back my HT1R combo with a new gain and volume pot. With the Tung-Sol ECC82 and ECC83, the amp's gain and volume pots could only be used below 9:00am on their dials. The tubes were only a month old. I could not use more than a 2 setting on the Les Paul's volume controls either.
The amp does have a Celestion Eight 15 in place of the stock Blackbird 8" speaker. Raising the amp controls past noon produced very loud hum and background noise...... un-useable at that level.

I enquired from my tech/repair man and he suggested putting in the stock tubes that I'd saved. In went the Sovtek and TAD originals, and low and behold, no hum and minimal noise on both amp channels. It does make a difference what's in those tube sockets. I'm not sure if it is the pre-amp tube or the power tube (both Tung-Sols) design or if one was faulty.

Classicplayer