Eliminate 50/60 Hz noise and harmonics without filtering.
Hum Bug 50/60 Hz Noise Eliminator
A New Solution
Quest Scientific is proud to introduce the Hum Bug — a new approach to Noise Control. This is a powerful new technology for canceling electrical interference in real-time, avoiding all of the traditional problems associated with notch filters. The Hum Bug constructs a replica of noise present on the input signal and continuously subtracts this replica from the signal as it passes through the instrument. It performs this function in the presence of biological activity even when noise characteristics evolve over time.

Advantages
The Hum Bug is not a filter. It does not create phase delays, amplitude errors, DC shifts or waveform distortion. Simply connect it between your preamplifier and any analysis equipment and it will automatically eliminate 50/60 Hz noise and harmonics with frequencies up to several kHz. Noise is eliminated without altering the signal of interest even when frequencies within the signal overlap with noise components. No settings or adjustments are required.
Eliminates Electrical Interference
- Simple 50/60 Hz Sine Waves
- Mixtures of 50/60 Hz Harmonics
- Noise Spikes from Dimmers
- Complex Noise from Flourescent Lamps
No Waveform Distortion
- No Frequency Loss
- No DC Voltage Shift
- No Signal Attenuation
- No Phase Error
Specifications
Physical
Standard steel instrument box with cast aluminum base.
- Dimensions:
6.5″ x 7.5″ x 1.3 | 32.2cm x 18.1cm x 3.1cm - Weight
2.8 lb. (1.3 kg) - Power
115-120 VAC at 60 Hz
230-240 VAC at 50/60 Hz
Input Voltages
- Input protection: 50 volts peak-to-peak.
- Maximum input signal recognized by the adaptor: 5 volts peak-to-peak.
- Maximum noise amplitude for complete cancellation: 1 volt peak-to-peak.
Frequency Response
- Input to output: DC to greater than 500 kHz.
- Hz and harmonics cancellation: 50/60 Hz to 4 kHz.
Controls
BYPASS: halts noise cancellation by routing input directly to output.
HOLD: suspends adaptation to evolving noise characteristics.
CLEAR: clears the noise replica.
Display
LED indicates changing noise levels:
GREEN: decreasing amplitude of the noise replica.
RED: increasing amplitude of the noise replica.
References – HumBug
- Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 4 and airway sensory afferent activation: Role of adenosine triphosphate Sara J. Bonvini PhD, Mark A. Birrell PhD, Megan S. Grace PhD, Sarah A. Maher PhD, John J. Adcock PhD, Michael A. Wortley PhD, Eric Dubuis PhD, Yee-Man Ching MRes, Anthony P. Ford PhD, Fisnik Shala MD, Montserrat Miralpeix PhD, Gema Tarrason PhD, Jaclyn A. Smith PhD, Maria G. Belvisi PhDJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 138, Issue 1, Pages 249-261.e12, July 2016
- Spatial Effects of Shifting Prisms on Properties of Posterior Parietal Cortex Neurons Anushree N. Karkhanis, Barbara Heider, Fabian Muñoz Silva and Ralph M. SiegelThe Journal of Physiology 2014, 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.270942
- Persistent strengthening of the prefrontal cortex – nucleus accumbens pathway during incubation of cocaine-seeking behavior Catarina Luís, Nazzareno Cannella, Rainer Spanagel, Georg KöhrNeurobiology of Learning and Memory, Vol. 138, February 2017, Pages 281-290
- Pallidal Neuron Activity Increases during Sensory Relay through Thalamus in a Songbird Circuit Essential for Learning Abigail L. Person and David J. PerkelJ. Neurosci. 2007; 27(32): p. 8687-8698
- Optogenetic probes for measuring membrane potential Adam Ezra Cohen, Joel Kralj, Adam D. DouglassHarvard College (Patent), January 2020
- Millisecond Timescale Disinhibition Mediates Fast Information Transmission through an Avian Basal Ganglia Loop Arthur Leblois, Agnes L. Bodor, Abigail L. Person, and David J. PerkelJ. Neurosci. 2009; 29(49): p. 15420-15433
- Mechanistic link between diesel exhaust particles and respiratory reflexes Ryan K. Robinson BS, Mark A. Birrell PhD, John J. Adcock PhD, Michael A. Wortley PhD, Eric D. Dubuis PhD, Shu Chen PhD, Catriona M. McGilvery PhD, Sheng Hu PhD, Milo S. P. Shaffer PhD, Sara J. Bonvini PhD, Sarah A. Maher PhD, Ian S. Mudway PhD, Alexandra E. Porter PhD, Chris Carlsten MD, Teresa D. Tetley PhD, Maria G. Belvisi PhDJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 141, Issue 3,Pages 1074-1084.e9, March 2018
- Linking addiction-related behavior to synaptic efficacy and network activity in the prefrontal-accumbal pathway of behaving rats Catarina Pais Gomes LuísNatural Sciences and for Mathematics of the Ruperto-Carola University of Heidelberg (Germany), June 2018
- Inhibitory Inputs to Hippocampal Interneurons Are Reorganized in Lis1 Mutant Mice Daniel L. Jones and Scott C. BarabanJ. Neurophysiol. 2009; 102(2): p. 648-658
- Gain-of-Function Mutations in the MEC-4 DEG/ENaC Sensory Mechanotransduction Channel Alter Gating and Drug Blockade Austin L. Brown, Silvia M. Fernandez-Illescas, Zhiwen Liao, and Miriam B. GoodmanJ. Gen. Physiol. 2007; 129(2): p. 161-173
- Deletion of Dlx1 results in Reduced Glutamatergic Input to Hippocampal Interneurons Daniel L. Jones, MacKenzie A. Howard, Amelia Stanco, John L. R. Rubenstein, and Scott C. BarabanJ. Neurophysiol. 2011; 105:1984-1991
- Characterization of inhibitory circuits in the malformed hippocampus of Lis1 mutant mice Daniel L Jones and Scott C BarabanJ. Neurophysiol. published 19 September 2007, 10.1152/jn.00938.2007
- Bypassing Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 1 (Gad1) Induced Craniofacial Defects with a Photoactivatable Translation ACS Chem. Neurosci. September 2018 Matthew J. O’Connor, Lindsey L. Beebe, Davide Deodato, Rebecca E. Ball, A. Tyler Page, Ariel J. VanLeuven, Kyle T. Harris, Sungdae Park, Vani Hariharan, James D. Lauderdale, Timothy M. Dorehttps://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00231