The Saga part 2

[csp]

Y-my-R,

That is the cable AND it looks different in its cable insertion system than the one/s that is/are in the desk as seen in the photo below (note that the photo shows the plug going to the Brain Board but the one to the DSP Board is the same construction but only 5 pins).

From the photo you can see that the cables are pushed down from the top and you can see the two small cutting blades that cut through the plastic outer and touch the wires inside --- not a great connection system !!!

The photo that you have shown seems to indicate that the top of the plug is covered rather than open to show the individual cables.



Can you PM me a price for the lead that you have found.

David

[csp]

Y-my-R,

A quick correction !!!

The plug (J42) that is still attached to the Board (top right your photo) is the same as on my desk, the covered plug I was referring to before when I said that it was different to the one in my desk is the covered is the one that you are holding.

David

[Phil.c]

If you can't get a plug, it might be possible to solder the individual wires actually to the spikes in the original plug, but by taking the covered wires out, very quickly solder the spikes, then solder the stripped wire, it's possible but there's the heat situation so, quicker the better.
If you solder the wires directly to the pcb pins you can cut the ribbon in the middle and attach good quality push or screw connector blocks, at least that way the desk innards can be removed seperately when needed.

[csp]

Phil,

Thanks for the ideas --- I have so many going through my frazzled brain at the moment I am not sure which road to take !!!!!

I still don't understand why it seems to work much better when upside down than the right way up ---- OR has the bashing I gave the two plugs a couple of days ago finally solved the problem ?

If it were not for the difficulty involved with stripping everything, replacing the base plate, flipping the desk (in a quite limited space) and then trying to get behind it (the super hard part) to put all of the connections (x 44) back again to then find that it either doesn't work on booting or boots correctly for a shortish period of time and then fails, I would be quite prepared to do all of that and try it out. Rembering that there are a number of functions that I can't check while it is upside down (eg selecting buttons for different inputs, trim pots, transport controls, etc).

The last time I did all of that it took me almost a day to complete and that included getting four VERY server leg cramps and no means of releiving the pain (ie I could not stretch out as I felt the cramp approaching !!!) only to find that the desk worked perfectly for the rest of that day, but on booting the next morning it failed --- hence its current upside down position !!!!!

I wont be able to work on it tomorrow as it is Mothers Day, so will give it another testing on Monday, then if it hasn't failed I will do the flip process on Tuesday and see what happens, my concern is that until I know for sure that it is fully working and is not going to fail before or during a recording session, I am VERY reluctant to undertake any recording, especially as there appears to be no rhyme or reason why it suddenly decides to fail.

David

[csp]

Y-my-R,

I have just sent you a PM. Can you advise if it has been received !!!!!

David

[csp]

All,

Hopefully a bit of positive news !!!!!

Early last week I got stuck in to the power ribbon cable that goes from the Power Distribution Board to the DSP Board (J42) with a screw-driver and hammer --- really forcing the cables down into their holding slots.

On re-installing the cable and booting the desk, I have not been able to fault it, so about last Friday (my time) I took and reinstalled into the Centre and gave it a number of very good tests, including booting, running, shutting down and re-booting numerous times and I have not been able to fault it.

Yesterday there was a swing band at the centre doing their weekly rehearsal so I asked if I could place some mics (14 in total) to try the desk --- it worked perfectly for over 3hrs --- during which time I tried most functions.

Could this FINALLY be the end of the saga !!!!!!! I will continue to test it on a daily basis for about the next week and if still operating correctly, I will say that for the time being (at least !!!) the problem might possibly have been solved. It will only have taken two years (next Wednesday) to have hopefully solved the problem --- well the main problem at least with the other problems (eg the period when the effects cards were not recognised on booting) quite possibly being associated with the probably faulty J42 power cable and its plugs.

Wish me luck over the next couple of weeks. I will be at the Centre in about 2hrs time and will be testing it again for a couple of hours.

If all goes acording to plan, i will probably try to buy an extra MFX and UFX card as well as an AIO-8 card --- the latter so that I cab bring the outputs of some external effects units back into the desk without having to alter the Bank 1 Mic/Line switches --- the 13 - 24 Line inputs all have external Mic Pres going to them so as to give me 24 mic inputs. When you will be recording groups like a 35 piece Concert Band, a 20 piece Swing Band or a 60 piece Symphony type orchestra you need the extra mic inputs.

David

[Phil.c]

Fingers crossed for you ....again, but hopefully this time things will stay possitive

[csp]

Phil,

Thanks, I gave it another tryout late this afternoon and it worked perfectly.

There was a Committee meeting taking place while I was there, so invited some of them to have a look --- they are basically musicians and not recording engineers --- so to them it was just another console UNTIL I loaded Frollicking Faders and hit Play --- they simply could not believe that any console could do what the desk was doing, especially when it spelt out "Mackie d8b" at the end of the demo.

David

[Phil.c]

I'm guessing/hoping that everything is ok now?

[csp]

Phil,

It seems to be, but because of the way it has been (ie working one day then failing the next, etc) I am still not 100% positive that all is now OK, BUT for the past two weeks it has been working perfectly. I am still trying it out for a couple of hours every day to be sure.

Can you believe that is will be 2 years tommorow since I received the desk !!!!!

I still have a couple of things to do external of the desk before it is really ready to do a full recording --- things such as how best to drive the multi headphone amplifier (Behringer Powerplay Pro) that requires balance +4 XLR inputs, although I think that if I sacrifice a couple of the AUX sends, I will be able to get the unit working --- the old analogue desk had many more output options in total than the d8b. The hard part will be physically getting to the rear of the jackfields to plug in all of the AUX feeds (the Behringer desk only had 6 x AUX sends, the d8b has 12 and to do this without dislodging other connections and stupidly when I installed the original desk I did not label most of the cables that are now in looms. I do have spare connections (in and out ) on one of the jackfields that can be used.

I also have to re-tune the control room, but this takes time and over the past couple of weeks I have either been somewhat busy to spend the time or there has been something like an all female Japanese drumming group rehearsing --- and they are louder than three full blown punk rock/thrash metal bands and that is not ideal for undertaking sensitive sound/frequency tests !!!!!

I have done one "test" recording (a swing band) and all went OK.

If I have no problems over the next couple of weeks, I will start advising to certain people that the system is ready to do a paid recirding/booking --- but will still be praying duiring the first few sessions !!!!!

As always ---- wish me luck !!!!!

David