Re: [Neotek] Abridged summary of neotekusers@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 1 topic

[Ron Flack]

@Matt appreciate your thoughts.  Thank you.  

I've narrowed it down by the process of elimination you've suggested.

Our display is 2' behind the console on the back wall and has been there for years prior to this issue arising.  But a logical point taken.

@Ike Thanks for the questions.  I've answered below.  I've had 2 occasions in the last 2 week when the noise stopped completely and a few minutes later came back.  No rhyme or reason.  One notable nuwance is the red master volume pot does not affect the loudness of the noise.  It's a constant ... So with the volume all the way down, I can hear it and cranked. I still hear it but at the same level. 

-Does the issue appear on all three (A,B,C) monitor outputs?  YES

-Does it appear no matter which CRM source is selected? YES

-What is the noise spectrum of the “buzz”?  Wider than a 60hz hum ... is got high and low frequencies and as mentioned crackling that comes and goes.  It's an interference issue for sure. 

-Does it appear on the Studio output as well?  Yes.

-How close is your studio to the nearest cellular antenna array?  a few miles away.

-Is this a new thing, or an “always done that” thing? If new, when did it start?  New issues as of 2 weeks ago

Ron Flack

REALGREY Records LLC

+1 (330) 546-2049

On Dec 7, 2025, at 4:07 AM, neote...@googlegroups.com wrote:



neote...@googlegroups.com

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• Monitor channel strip for Elite II - 3 Updates

Monitor channel strip for Elite II

Ron Flack <rjames...@gmail.com>: Dec 06 12:23PM -0600 I’m looking for a backup monitor channel strip. You’ll notice in the pic it includes the red volume knob, ABC speaker selectors, talkback section. I realize it’s a specific ask, but I thought ...more

Matt Syson <matt....@mseaudio.plus.com>: Dec 06 07:31PM +0100 Replacing the strip won't solve the problem you say you are experiencing, You need to methodically find the SOURCE of the interference and make suitable corrections as after all the LEFT channel ...more

Ike Zimbel <ik...@zimbelaudio.com>: Dec 06 04:23PM -0500 Agreed. This is what my late mentor called a “susceptibility problem”. There's every possibility that a replacement module would exhibit the same issue.   A few questions:   -Does the issue ...more

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[ik...@zimbelaudio.com]

I only saw one pair of monitors in your pic...when you listened to the ABC outs, was that through that same set of monitors, ie: patching each output, in turn, to the same monitor input? If so, it could be the cabling to the Right monitor, or the monitor itself if it's powered, or its amp, if passive.

Including PS decoupling, there's exactly six resistors, four capacitors and an IC,  after the CRM pot (per channel), so not an awful lot to go wrong/intermittent there. This sounds like a wiring issue in the desk to me.

    That could be a couple of things. First thing to know is that all of the CRM outs are un-balanced sources that use "balanced" (2 conductor + shield) wiring. These wires solder to the motherboard, just adjacent to the Molex connectors. Since your desk is an Elite-II, it probably has the mod wherein the female Molex headers are on ribbon cables that "float" the headers off the motherboard. This is a good thing. 

    It's worth checking the Molex headers for two things:

1. That the wires are firmly inserted into the "jaws" of the Molex  contact (these are IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector) headers, and they work by manually pushing the wire into a long, deep notch that slices through the insulation and then grips the bare wire. I have seen desks where some of the wiring in the ribbon cables was not pushed all the way into the notch. A small, flat-blade screwdriver will work to push these in, although this whole inspection may be complicated by the fact that the backs of the headers may have been filled with hot-melt glue.
2. Sometimes, the springs inside the female Molex headers get "lazy" and don't grip the male pin on the module properly. If you look through the translucent end of a female Molex, you should be able to see the spring contact...it folds up like a praying mantis. On a good connector, the spring should touch the opposite side of the connector when there's no pin inserted. On "lazy" ones, it will stay in the compressed position. If you see this, the header needs to be replaced.

BUT, having said all of that, I suspect that the wiring from the motherboard to the patch-bay/EDAC may be a more likely culprit. At the motherboard, the shield and the "low" side both solder to the 0v ("ground") connections on the board. I have seen a situation where one or the other of these wires breaks off. If the shield wire were to break off at the motherboard, it could make that line susceptible to noise. This is really hard to look for because, while the solder connections are on the top of the motherboard, the actual wires feed through from the bottom of the board, and that's where the break will be.

    Another place to look is the patch-bay. On an Elite-II, the patch bay rows have a circuit board that is populated with the smaller, 0.100" headers, which can have similar issue to the larger headers (0.156") at the motherboard. You could try patching over the CRM patch points (CRM Out R -> Mon-A R) and see if the noise goes away...if so that points to dirty "normals" in the PB jacks.

~Ike Zimbel~

   Wireless frequency coordination specialist.

   Manufacturer's Representative

   Radio Active Designs (Canada)

       ~416-720-0887~

FCC:WRBX645

   http://www.zimbelaudio.com/wireless-frequency-coordination/

 

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From: neote...@googlegroups.com <neote...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ron Flack <rjames...@gmail.com>
Sent: December 8, 2025 8:20 AM
To: neote...@googlegroups.com <neote...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Neotek] Abridged summary of neote...@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 1 topic

 

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