In reply to:

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I get no noise whatsoever when I plug in my (er... actually it used to be YOUR) mark 1 unit at home.

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I've made this suggestion before, but let me make it again:) try plugging in regular headphones to the line-out of the empeg.. the noise on the mark1 is clearly there, and quite loud.
-mark

...proud to have owned one of the first Mark I units