help please?

[billyg]

I have a d8b (newer motherboard), CPU won't pass audio, cleaned all contacts, did the standard CMOS setup, etc, but no go, prob a more extensive repair needed. So, I picked up a used CPU (newer motherboard), changed the battery, did CMOS update, clelaned connectors, but, it won't boot, stops at "DSP control card not ready, last known state: Reset", but I can't move the mouse to hit "continue" I'm stuck, any ideas please? thanks, billg

[Phil.c]

When you cleaned the ribbon connectors did you lift them off the spikes, put in some IPA and squeeze back with a pliers?

Clean the power connectors and check for a tight fit?

Re-seat the BFC the big connector?

Re-seat and clean the Data connectors (both)

Re-seat and clean all cards including the Apogee clock card?

[billyg]

thanks much Phil.c i'm working on that now, hope it'll do the trick!

[csp]

Billyg,

On booting, have you checked the three LEDs on the DSP board, you should have a solid red LED with some boards having a solid red and green LED lights showing, my guess will be that you only have the green LED showing, of so you will definitely have no audio, you MUST have a solid red LED.

When doing the ribbon clean as Phil has suggested, be sure to check J42 (the power connecting ribbon) at both ends as that has been a known problem --- be sure that it fits VERY tightly into its sockets and that the wires going into the plugs are VERY secure (get a screw driver and push the wires down into the sockets) because (and I have no idea how old your desk is) in 2006 there was a batch of faulty plug and leads supplied and these were simply thrown into the production line box and used before the fault was discovered (just the luck of the draw if you got a good lead or a faulty lead !!!!!)

Good luck and keep us posted.

David

[Y-my-R]

So, the rack unit that originally came with that D8B "system" boots up fully, but then doesn't pass audio?

The "replacement" rack unit you got, doesn't even boot that far, but gets stuck with the DSP card not ready error?

The suggestions given about re-seating various cables and doing the ribbon-cable cleaning, etc., are the right response to the initial problem (no audio passing), IMO.

If you get the DSP card not ready error, it usually means that the rack unit and the console aren't communicating with each other. The first thing I'd check there, is the DB25 "data" cable that needs to be connected between the rack unit and console. If that's not connected or doesn't pass data, you'll get that DSP card not ready error.

Are you using the same DB25 cable to connect the "replacement" rack unit, that allowed you to fully boot with the "old" rack unit? If so, then yes... I'd check for continuity on the BFC connector as well and clean it.

...but otherwise, if the D8B fully boots (but doesn't pass audio) with the original rack unit, but stops short on boot with that "DSP error" while the data cable is the same and known to work, and the BFC cable connector was cleaned and ideally checked for continuity, then the issue must be on the inside of the "replacement" rack unit.

So, I'd check inside that unit, next, and would re-seat the 2 connectors for the internal serial ports on the mainboard (that the DB25 cable ultimately connects to... I managed to miss pins when re-conecting these cables internally before, btw. - so I'd check carefully if those 2 ribbon cables for the 2 serial ports are plugged into the mainboard correctly and the right way around).
After that, I'd reseat/clean all the connectors (that aren't glued on) inside the power supply part of the D8B rack unit (while the unit has been unplugged for some time, of course. Those larger capacitors could hold a charge and still shock you if you stick your hand in there without waiting for the power to dissipate).

Use good contact cleaner (e.g. DeOxit) or high percentage Isopropyl Alcohol to clean all the contacts in the cables and the sockets they connect to.

...anyway, if the console boots fully with the "old" rack unit but not with the new one, then at least that "DSP Error" comes from the rack unit side or how it's connected to the console.
I'd work on getting that issue fixed first, before chasing down the no-audio situation.

I do think that it's more likely that the no-audio issue happens inside the console, rather than the rack unit, though. But if you get a second rack unit to boot up fully and can check if audio gets passed after that, you'll have either fully fixed the problem, or at least ruled out the rack unit as being the cause of the no-audio issues. So, I'd stick with troubleshooting the 2nd rack unit, first (in the manner/order described above).

Best of luck!

[Euroset]

Hello everyone, I'm completely new to this topic and would like to ask a few questions.

I want to buy two of these mixing consoles and combine them into one. I saw a video on YouTube where someone sawed one in half and attached it to another. However, despite many commenters asking how they did it, the creator of the video doesn’t respond.

First, I’d like to ask if anyone here has done something like this before.

My second question is: if I buy the necessary electronic accessories, such as a protoboard, will I be able to control the LED displays on the mixing console using Cubase? Also, what’s still unclear to me is which buttons will work and which won’t with this kind of electronic modification.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

[Y-my-R]

I think you should have started a new thread for your post, since it’s completely unrelated to what the OG was posting about.

…but since the OG seems to have abandoned the topic, here’s a few questions:

You say (quote): "'m completely new to this topic” and then go on to talk about “protoboards” and whatnot.

I’m not clear if you understand what MIDI is, what digital audio is, if you’re aware of prior ways to use the D8B as a control surface for DAWs like Cubase (e.g. ProBox, D8Bridge, direct HUI implementation, etc.)… but here you are, asking how to chop them in half and combine them together.

So, please clarify on what level you want to “chop”… keep it working as a mixer? Keep it working as a control surface (what existing option? HUI/ProBox/D8Bridge/your-own-coding?), do you want to just run 2xD8B with the sides off, or remove the second master section? If so, to run it as a mixer or as a control surface?

You’re asking for general answers to what needs to be very specific questions.

In other words, I can’t tell what you’re trying to do and if you have the necessary experience to do what you’re trying to do… please elaborate.

[Euroset]

Thank you for your answer, you’re right, I was asking general questions. So, if I may, my first question would be: if I buy two mixing consoles, is one ProBox enough for them? I read that mixing consoles can be connected in series. Or do I need one ProBox for each mixer?

Furthermore, does the ProBox also drive the LED level meter? And which buttons will not work with the ProBox? (I understand that the mixer loses all its own functions and becomes just a controller.)

[Euroset]

My second question is related to this video. How do you think the person who made this solved it? Does anyone have experience with this? (I'm referring to the circuits, not the cutting part...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AbMkmd-evw&t=74s

[Y-my-R]

Hi Euroset,

Alright - that’s much better info to work with.

Just to get that out of the way, first - there are a few fundamentally different ways to use the D8B:

1. As a digital mixer. This is what the D8B was designed to do by Mackie. When running it as a mixer, you can “combine” two D8Bs side-by-side to double the channel count and have both units respond to stuff like solo or mute, etc. The way audio is sent from one D8B to the other in this case, is via 8-Channels over the Alt-IO card. So, you’d send your 8 Busses from one D8B, to get mixed down with everything else that is happening on the other D8B. (From Mackie OS version 5.1, there’s also an option to use ONLY 8 of the Faders on each D8B as a control surface for DAWs… but lets’ ignore that for now… I’ll add another note on that further below).

2. As a control surface for DAWs and SIMULTANEOUSLY as a digital mixer: The D8B was NOT originally designed for this, or at least released without any such functionality. With the release of Mackie OS 5.1, running a D8B added an additional “layer” that allows to use channel faders 17-24 as a control surface in HUI mode. The benefit of using it this way, is that you can seamlessly continue to use the D8B as a digital mixer, while with the push of a button, you can control 8 channels in your DAW via the D8B… (of course you can also “bank” between channels in the DAW). The built in HUI/controller mode in the D8B will NOT let you use all of the 24 channel faders on the D8B to control your DAW. In this mode, you always only get 8 faders for this purpose.

3. As a 24-channel fader control surface for DAWs ONLY (no use as a digital mixer):
If I understand you right, this is what you’re really asking about. The D8B was NOT originally designed for this by Mackie, but there are/were two available solutions to make this possible.
(1) The D8Bridge “Windows-only” software and serial port adapter was first… but is no longer available and may not be compatible with current versions of Windows (never used it… but that “project” has been abandoned by its creator years ago).
(2) The “ProBox” is something Ralph/Munkustrap here on this forum, built by hand per request. It allows you to use the D8B console as an emulation of either 3x Mackie HUI controllers, or 1x Mackie Universal Control with 2x Mackie Control Extenders. Both modes will allow you to use all 24 channel controls on the D8B console, to control what the “equivalent” controls would do in your DAW from “real” HUI controllers or “Macke Control Universal + 2 Extenders” controllers.

“Officially” it is not possible to simultaneously use a D8B as a mixer AND as a control surface via the ProBox/D8Bridge software, since you would have to disconnect the “data” cable connection from the D8Bs rack unit and console, to connect the ProBox or (PC serial ports for D8Bridge) to that port on the console, instead. There’s a way to add a switch, so you can boot the D8B as a mixer and then switch back and forth between mixer mode and control surface mode… but settings often times get messed up when switching, so I’d recommend to only use one “mode” during each session, since you’d otherwise end up “fixing settings” most times you switch modes of operation.

If you want to combine 2 D8B units as control surfaces to have 48 channel faders available to control your DAW, that’s possible (and I’ve done that). You DO need two ProBoxes for those two D8Bs, though (which I have).

In practical terms, how this will appear in Cubase (or other DAWs), is as either 6x HUI controllers, or 2x MCU and 4x MCU Extenders.

Generally, when just placing two D8Bs side-by-side without “chopping” anything off, the Master Sections on both D8Bs will be functional for DAW control, when used with two ProBoxes. I am NOT sure what that guy in the video did with the second master section, and if the circuit boards for that are still present but “hidden” under the desk or something… or if those boards can be disconnected/removed while the “chopped” D8B would still work with a ProBox… this would have to be trial-and-error, if the guy who posted the video doesn’t respond.

The ProBox doesn’t use ALL of the circuitry in the D8B, but relies on a lot of the digital signal paths between the various circuit boards inside the D8B, to pass the data it needs to make it work as a control surface. So it PROBABLY needs to “master section” board for making that work, since there’s quite a bit of functionality on there that the ProBox supports.
So, IF that video guy used two ProBoxes to integrate with Cubase, then he most likely just “hid” the second master section somewhere, but still has the circuit boards connected, but inaccessible. When running two D8Bs together like this, technically the second master section is redundant… so, you would’t really need access to that second set of master controls.

Also, as for what buttons etc work and which don’t - this depends on the DAW you’re using and how it implements the HUI or MCU protocols. So, some buttons on the D8B will do different things for different DAWs. There’s a table in the ProBox documentation that outlines that “generally” - there WILL be some buttons that either don’t do anything in Control Surface mode, or control the few “audio only” functions in the master section on the D8B. But again, the documentation for the ProBox is your first stop to find out about this… nobody will type out a “custom manual” to clarify what’s in the manual

Quite honestly, though… when I was running two D8B consoles side-by-side as a 48-channel control surface, I quickly felt that this isn’t nearly as useful as I thought it would be. There are no scribble strips on the channels, so it’s kinda difficult to spot which channel does what on the hardware… and the more faders, the more confusing this gets (especially b/c DAWs usually dynamically update what’s mapped to the faders, and often without a way to “lock” this). Additionally, this setup is SO HUGE, that I found myself rolling back and forth with my office chair all the time, just to be unsure which fader to touch (previous point), and having to roll back to the middle, just to double-check. This takes WAY longer than just touching a fader on-screen with the mouse.
Also, while the D8B when used with a ProBox doesn’t need a “fully functional” rack unit, it still needs the rack unit as a power supply… and it doesn’t get any quieter by this “reduced use.” And if you combine two D8Bs into one large control surface, you’ll have to run two D8B rack units which make SO MUCH FRICKEN NOISE, that you would soon wish you’d have an extra room for them or went with a quieter solution to begin with.

So, in short, while I understand how it just “looks so cool” to have two of those consoles combined into a giant control surface with lots of blinking lights… in practical use, it really is nothing more than using 6xHUI controllers and comes with several downsides and A LOT of custom work to get it running like this.

If the only purpose is “to impress the ladies” or something… then, sure… trying to chop two D8Bs into something like what that guy had in that video, might seem worthwhile. From a practical perspective, I’d go as far as saying that this is stupid, though.

I have gone back to using one D8B as a mixer (mostly), and frequently switch to the HUI layer, so I can control my DAW from faders 17-24 on the D8B… it also makes more sense to me now, that only 8 faders are available in “control surface” mode by design, since I usually sit off to the right of the D8B, and can barely reach Fader 17 on the D8B without having to roll over in my chair… channels 1-16 would require “rolling”… and then I’d rather use the “bank” button to bring the DAW channels to faders 17-24, instead.

Long story short: Is it possible to do something like in that video with two D8Bs and two ProBoxes, and have all the LEDs on the meter bridges work? Sure. Is it practical to do that? IMO, absolutely not.

Also, just to mention yet another option… most of the buttons, knobs and faders on the D8B send MIDI messages, that in some cases, can be directly mapped to DAWs. However, doing this is extremely tedious and will have limitations (e.g. some buttons send SysEx and many DAWs don’t allow to map SysEx messages). Getting the meters to work for this “directly” would likely require some custom-coding.

But again… except for removing boards from the D8B and sawing off the master section (and letting the circuit boards hang out on the bottom), I’ve been doing the 2x D8B control surface thing and it’s simply not practical. Impressive looking… sure… but I’d rather work on music, then having my gear hinder me, just so I can impress the ladies who NEVER actually stop by at the studio, hahahaha