Big noise on breadboard

[Jonas]

I'm getting a lot more noise on breadboarded circuits that I'd expected... I assume that this is going to be ok when the circuit is on PCB and enclosed in an aluminium box.

Am I right?

I'm getting a bit hum on a mosfet booster when the gain is up...

[spongebob]

My experience is that almost every circuit picks up a lot of noise unless it is properly shielded, and high gain circuits are even more sensitive. When I built the Obsidian on stripboard it was more an AM receiver than anything else, but the noise and interference went away once the board was boxed.

[Paul Marossy]

I have had at least one occassion where something sounded better on a breadboard than when it was made into a real circuit... weird, huh?

Generally speaking, things are noisier on a breadboard. When you stick things in those holes, they don't necessarily make a really good connection, especially when you have used it for a while. Multiply that by 20-30 components, and you can pick up a lot of noise.

[RobB]

Speaking of bread boards, I bought a new one today.  My old one has accumulated so much dust and grit in the holes that it no longer makes reliable connections.  

Think I'll store this one upside down whenever I put it away.  Expect it'll last longer if I do that.

Perhaps this is common knowledge amongst most of you but I've only just discovered this, the inconvenient way.

[Jered]

I keep mine in a couple of foam lined briefcases for just that reason, well that and portability.
  Jered

[smoguzbenjamin]

I gotta say, a lot of boosters I've made pick up LOADS of noise when unboxed. Especially when you use them before a MetalZone, that'll buzz at 50Hz louder than your guitar. Boxes are really cool things

[scratch]

for some of my projects (when I'm not working on them) I stick them in an anti-static bag (the kind that computer motherboards and parts come in) as the IC's are CMOS and prone to damage from static.

for testing you could get a 'large' enclosure that you could fit the breadboard in wiht the cover in place would provide the req'd shielding.

You could mount jacks, pots, switches,leds, with leads so you just plug them into the breadboard as required. If you work with mostly high gain circuits this could be a way to go ...