Hello! I have owned a quad cortex for around a year and I noticed recently that I have been feeling very “electric” when I’ve been playing, as in I feel tingly in different areas of my body. I feel like I’m getting shocked across all 3 guitars, have used different amps, yet one thing I have not changed is my qc. Is there a chance I am being shocked by the quad cortex? My setup is grounded by being plugged into my computer.
This sounds like static electricity. It becomes more of a problem with cold outside temperatures and dry air. If you have these conditions, you might want to check the relative humidity in your room, and perhaps get a humidifier.
You say that the QC is grounded by being connected to your computer. If you mean a desktop computer, that may be so. If you are using a laptop, it will have to same type of 2 conductor power supply as the QC, and will not ground anything.
Muy QC hits me with some volts when I touch the chassis. From day one.
I use wireless. Warm weather and hight humidity, here.
This happens with all AC powered devices that do not have a dedicated ground connection. It is just because the individual power supplies are ‘floating’ rather than being tied to ground, so there is an offset.
The issue is not the QC itself, but you will be touching another device at the same time, and the offset between the two devices is causing a tiny amound of current to flow through you.
This could be something like a laptop or phone with a metal enclosure (Macbooks do it), or something similar.
Alternatively, as others have said, it could be static electricity - you are building up charge through things like walking on carpet or rubbing your jumper (e.g. when playing guitar), then that charge is being dissipated through the QC.
For me the “other object” is unfortunately my microphone.
Not sure if it’s static electricity or ground differences.
Check the earth connections on all power cables and adaptors. Them make sure whatever the mic is plugged into is as close to the QC in power connections as possible.
Alternatively, if you are able, send the mic through the QC too, even if it has no effects on. That will eliminate any potential potential (heh) difference.
I was doing sound for a band once where the singer/guitarist had a ragged old Marshall valve combo. He kept getting shocks through the microphone when singing, which actually got so bad his lips started going red.
He got really annoyed and kicked the mic stand over, then we had to explain to him that it was actually his amp that was the issue because the plug was wired with no earth connection (a MUCH bigger problem on high voltage items like valve amps).
Many thanks, Tom!
I will try to get the power from the same source as far as possible.
Feeding the mic through the QC is actually an interesting solution, never thought about that.
Question out of pure curiosity:
If I connect Out1 to my grounded poweramp and Out2 to my grounded mixer (for the mic), which ground will the QC take?
So in that case, it should ‘unify’ the grounds as they are all connected and should have no resistance between them.
The problem at that point is the potential for ground loops…
I use a razer laptop that has a power supply that is 3 prong. It is connected into a power strip so Im not sure if that is the issue but I can still feel the electricity running through my body.