- Thread starter jdalbiac
- Start date
ozzyrules
Well-known member
I don't think so. I spoke with EBMM endorsed (Hamilton Loomis). He changed one pickup in his MM90 ASS & lost 'silent circuit' capability. I'll bet Dr. Kev knows.
Jimmyb
Well-known member
I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on television, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. I have a feeling that Beej may have done it on one of his guitars.
Jack FFR1846
Well-known member
The silent circuit takes signal from a coil inside the device. This senses only the noise and not the strings, since there is no magnet to detect string movement. This coil signal is essentially amplified and added into the ground side of each pickup.
Theoretically, if you had access to the gains of all the stages, you could use any pickup you want. The silent circuit only has one gain adjustment screw pot, so you set "the" gain and all of the pickups get the same treatment. If the pickups are all of a similar winding number and area for e fields to cross, then they would be able to use the silent circuit. If not (say an MM90 and a silo spec single coil), I don't think so.
However
You could put in another silent circuit and hook that into the different pickup. The each would have gain adjustments possible.
I can't get the uspto pictures to work for some reason, so am only going by the text of the patent and my recollection when I did look at the schematic.
Theoretically, if you had access to the gains of all the stages, you could use any pickup you want. The silent circuit only has one gain adjustment screw pot, so you set "the" gain and all of the pickups get the same treatment. If the pickups are all of a similar winding number and area for e fields to cross, then they would be able to use the silent circuit. If not (say an MM90 and a silo spec single coil), I don't think so.
However
You could put in another silent circuit and hook that into the different pickup. The each would have gain adjustments possible.
I can't get the uspto pictures to work for some reason, so am only going by the text of the patent and my recollection when I did look at the schematic.
DrKev
Moderator
Beej is the guy who'll know all of this: he'll pipe up when he's awake. But I'm pretty sure that if you have a stacked coils they will already be 'humbucking' and the silent circuit might only add noise to that situation. So, I would think that silent circuit would work best with non-stacked single coils.
Of course if I'm wrong Beej will not only correct me but ruthlessly make fun of me too. Stay tuned for fun!
Of course if I'm wrong Beej will not only correct me but ruthlessly make fun of me too. Stay tuned for fun!
beej
Moderator
The SC will work with any set of noisy pickups. (As Kev said ... you wouldn't need it with noiseless/humbuckers.)
The degree of noise cancellation will depend on the type of coil and how strong the noise is. Some pickups work better than others. As Jack has mentioned, you can tune the strength of the SC via the adjustment screw. There are also two outputs for noise- inverted and non-inverted, so you can use them with regular or RWRP pickups. I've used them with different sets, for coil splits, etc. Usually works like a charm.
Hope that helps!
The degree of noise cancellation will depend on the type of coil and how strong the noise is. Some pickups work better than others. As Jack has mentioned, you can tune the strength of the SC via the adjustment screw. There are also two outputs for noise- inverted and non-inverted, so you can use them with regular or RWRP pickups. I've used them with different sets, for coil splits, etc. Usually works like a charm.
Jack- there is actually a trick you can use to set the output levels for different pickups wired to the same SC. Involves wiring up trimpots for each switch position (using another set of poles). Works well.
Hope that helps!
Thank you all very much for your help
I didn't intend to use the SC with hum-cancelling pickups; I was just wondering whether or not I'd have to look into the market for only hum-cancelling pickups (I don't mind hum, but I'd rather do without).
There is nothing wrong with the stock DiMarzios, they're great. But I think I want a set of warmer/slightly hotter pickups.
I didn't intend to use the SC with hum-cancelling pickups; I was just wondering whether or not I'd have to look into the market for only hum-cancelling pickups (I don't mind hum, but I'd rather do without).
There is nothing wrong with the stock DiMarzios, they're great. But I think I want a set of warmer/slightly hotter pickups.
I'd be deeply grateful if Beej could describe his "trick" for setting output levels for different pickups wired to the same SC, with trimpots and a spare set of switch poles (two posts back, above). This is exactly what I find myself needing, and it would be a big relief to be able to do it. I am praying he sees this!
beej
Moderator
Hi Nick,
Sure- this is a trick that Dudley Gimpey (the genius at EBMM) shared with me a while back. You need a 5-way, 4-pole switch.
Basically, you find the the best setting on the SC to dial out the hum. Then, turn the pot further clockwise, so the hum cancellation isn't as pronounced, but not full up.
Connect the yellow wire of the SC to the common terminal on one set of poles. Then, on each terminal (corresponding to the various pickup positions), wire a resistor from that terminal to ground, with the optimum value to cancel hum.
Easy way is to wire up a series of trimpots for this, so you can adjust the amount of hum in each position (I used 500k trimmers). If you do find an optimal value, you can always measure it and replace with a fixed resistor value.
Anyhow, that will allow you to dial in the strength of the SC in each switch position. Hope that helps.
Sure- this is a trick that Dudley Gimpey (the genius at EBMM) shared with me a while back. You need a 5-way, 4-pole switch.
Basically, you find the the best setting on the SC to dial out the hum. Then, turn the pot further clockwise, so the hum cancellation isn't as pronounced, but not full up.
Connect the yellow wire of the SC to the common terminal on one set of poles. Then, on each terminal (corresponding to the various pickup positions), wire a resistor from that terminal to ground, with the optimum value to cancel hum.
Easy way is to wire up a series of trimpots for this, so you can adjust the amount of hum in each position (I used 500k trimmers). If you do find an optimal value, you can always measure it and replace with a fixed resistor value.
Anyhow, that will allow you to dial in the strength of the SC in each switch position. Hope that helps.
beej
Moderator
Happy to help!
DrKev
Moderator
Neat trick. Gonna look into that myself!
Thanks Beej!
Thanks Beej!
