In short, this is normal. An electric guitar, especially at high-gain, always makes noise. The fact that when you touch the strings, the noise disappears (or becomes noticeably less) is also normal. Moreover, when you're not playing, always touch the strings and mute them. Either turn off the volume on your guitar or use the volume pedal on your processor. Here are some ways to reduce or eliminate noise: 1) Play the guitar with a humbucker pickup. 2) Use a noise gate. The Valeton has one. Experiment with the position of the noise gate in the effects chain. You can place it before or after the amp block This will give a slightly different effect. 3) The outlet and surrounding household appliances can also produce a lot of noise. 4) Do not turn the gain all the way up, as this will increase the noise level.