Mackie D8B problem
Musician's Advocate
unaccepatable (as I belch and reach for an aspirin...!)....
If any Mackie D8B users could shed a little light on this, I would really
appreciate it...
We have a Digital 8 Bus that is giving us internittent problems such as:
1.) flashing lights on the console, "DSP Control Card Not Ready" error
message on the CRT display after 5.1 loads
2.) Console hangs during standard check of card slots, CRT display seems to
load 5.1 completely
3.) We have left the board on overnight, only to find the CONSOLE is shut
down, but 5.1 is still loaded on the CRT display...reboot.. #1 occurs again
Once it starting freaking out with the flashing lights DURING a
session...but only once (WTF??)
Here are the particulars:
1.) V 5.1, (2) TWO MFX, (2) TWO UFX, (4) FOUR ADAT i/o cards, Apogee clock
card, 166 Mhz CPU, 256 Mb RAM, new battery, new reformatted hard drive,
clean install of 5.1, Timepak, Delay Factor, IVL, Drawmer mono and stereo,
TC Reverb, Mackie EFX reinstalled and reauthorized......
2.) We are running Nuendo 2.1 on a PC, the D8B is the clock master, the
Apogee card is installed securely, and we have had these problems with the
BNC clock cables plugged in AND unplugged (usually clock issues are to blame
for this problem, according to Mackie)
3.) And yes, we turn the D8B on first......
I know it is alot of info, but ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!!
--
Kindest Regards,
Brad Hagen http://www.musiciansadvocate.com
"Contact me for any Recording, Pro Audio, or Synth needs"
"New, Used, and Vintage" "JUST SAY NO!!! to the Megastores!!!!"
1-877-753-GEAR NAMM member 2003
COMING SOON: http://www.audiocablesonline.com for all of your cabling
needs!!
David Morgan (MAMS)
My guess is clock.
May I state the obvious, and ask if you have removed and
re-seated all of the cards in the d8b? If you are not using
the 4th ADAT card, remove it.
Also, in my (minimalistic) experience, an ADAT BRC clock
runs the d8b with greater accuracy, if you happen to have one.
Actually, ANY external clock source that will put an end to the
need for daisy-chaining sync lines, will cure a myriad of problems.
If I were troubleshooting the startup issue, I would remove the two
UFX cards and run the desk a couple of days with only the MFXs.
(After reseating every other card).
Is your soundcard a Hammerfall ?
To sum up my gibberish, the best cure known for most of what you
describe, is an external clock source run directly (no daisy-chains)
to each source. The card issue really does sound like an overloaded
bay or intermittent contacts on the cards... perhaps even a bad one...
so I would load those back in a couple at a time.
--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s.com
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com
PS: I thought you were a wee bit tipsy
"Musician's Advocate" <br...@musiciansadvocate.com> wrote in message news:XfVec.6125$ab3.482@fed1read02...
Musician's Advocate
"David Morgan (MAMS)" <ma...@NOSPAm-a-m-s.com> wrote in message
news:vMVec.5103$hg1...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> The flashing lights are either clock problems or power supply.
> My guess is clock.
>
> May I state the obvious, and ask if you have removed and
> re-seated all of the cards in the d8b? If you are not using
> the 4th ADAT card, remove it.
The ALT i/o slot??...will try that ...thanks
>
> Also, in my (minimalistic) experience, an ADAT BRC clock
> runs the d8b with greater accuracy, if you happen to have one.
I would rather go out and buy a Lucid master word clock generator....same
concept I suppose??...
>
> Actually, ANY external clock source that will put an end to the
> need for daisy-chaining sync lines, will cure a myriad of problems.
What about making the word clock output on the 9652HDSP card the master???
I was led to believe that the D8B should be the Master if you have the
Apogee card......
>
> If I were troubleshooting the startup issue, I would remove the two
> UFX cards and run the desk a couple of days with only the MFXs.
> (After reseating every other card).
Will try that as well...thanks
>
> Is your soundcard a Hammerfall ?
Yep...STeinberg Nuendo version 9652 HDSP....2 of them actually for 32
channels of lightpipe i/o
>
> To sum up my gibberish, the best cure known for most of what you
> describe, is an external clock source run directly (no daisy-chains)
> to each source.
Would you recommend the $400 Lucid master word clock gen unit?? (Sorry, I
forgot the actual name of the unit)
The card issue really does sound like an overloaded
> bay or intermittent contacts on the cards... perhaps even a bad one...
> so I would load those back in a couple at a time.
Will do, and I really appreciate your help on this!!!
Thanks Again!!
>
> --
> David Morgan (MAMS)
> http://www.m-a-m-s.com
> http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com
>
> PS: I thought you were a wee bit tipsy
More than a "wee bit!!!" Had a bad day, and that guy pushed me over the
edge...sorry
David Morgan (MAMS)
help iron out some similar 'issues'... and after all, I think he wrote the
darned manual.
"Musician's Advocate" <br...@musiciansadvocate.com> wrote in message news:bWVec.6151$ab3.5699@fed1read02...
>
>
> "David Morgan (MAMS)" <ma...@NOSPAm-a-m-s.com> wrote in message
> news:vMVec.5103$hg1...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> > The flashing lights are either clock problems or power supply.
> > My guess is clock.
> >
> > May I state the obvious, and ask if you have removed and
> > re-seated all of the cards in the d8b? If you are not using
> > the 4th ADAT card, remove it.
>
> The ALT i/o slot??...will try that ...thanks
Alt I/O card is for routing to external effects is it not? I thought that was
an analogue interface card. (We didn't have one). You may know a trick
that I'm not familiar with, but this seems odd. (I only have 4 steady months
of experience on the d8b, most of it spent troubleshooting).
> > Also, in my (minimalistic) experience, an ADAT BRC clock
> > runs the d8b with greater accuracy, if you happen to have one.
>
> I would rather go out and buy a Lucid master word clock generator....same
> concept I suppose??...
Not exactly, because I have come to believe that everything in the chain
does better on an external clock.
Even though the d8b is dead in the water without the Apogee card, it
never did work well by itself. Although our BRC did act better than the
Apogee card, the ultimate solution (until we bought an external timepiece)
for best operation, was for us to power up a 17 old Mitsubishi and use
the clock source from it. That's the only clock that would keep everything
stable enough to cease the inevitable, sequential re-booting of everything.
The ASpogee card gave the worst interfacing performance of all the clocks
we had available.
Daisy chaining was a nightmare... terminate here, terminate there...
I don't wish the scenario that we went through on my worst enemy.
Don't feel bad, it took us almost two months to assemble the system
and iron out the *many* issues with the all digital interfacing and sync.
> > Actually, ANY external clock source that will put an end to the
> > need for daisy-chaining sync lines, will cure a myriad of problems.
> What about making the word clock output on the 9652HDSP card
> the master???
Tried that. It caused almost inaudible glitches during record that only
showed up on the recorded waveform of the track(s). Again, between
the Hammerfall, the Apogee and the BRC, the BRC was by far the most
stable, but even it did not cut the mustard better than 65% of the time.
An external clock is the only solution if you must guarantee your work
and wish to avoid embarrassment.
> I was led to believe that the D8B should be the Master if you have the
> Apogee card......
Likewise....let's just say it did *not* prove to be a factual statement.
However, if you don't have the card, the desk could be a boat anchor.
> > If I were troubleshooting the startup issue, I would remove the two
> > UFX cards and run the desk a couple of days with only the MFXs.
> > (After reseating every other card).
>
> Will try that as well...thanks
> >
> > Is your soundcard a Hammerfall ?
>
> Yep...STeinberg Nuendo version 9652 HDSP....2 of them actually for 32
> channels of lightpipe i/o
Ahh.... that explains the other ADAT card. However, if you don't need 32
simultaneous inputs, I'd pull the fourth card, especially if it's sitting in the
Alt I/O slot. Something just doesn't click about that.
> > To sum up my gibberish, the best cure known for most of what you
> > describe, is an external clock source run directly (no daisy-chains)
> > to each source.
> Would you recommend the $400 Lucid master word clock gen unit?? (Sorry, I
> forgot the actual name of the unit)
The entire system was sold to Romeo, maybe he will chime in with what
he came up with - - but before it left, another item that proved to be a *real*
asset, was a lightpipe patchbay. I have talked to people who simply used
very inexpensive video sync generators to solve their clock issues, and
that should work, but a Gen-X should be more than just 'better'. There are
those around here who have had the opportunity to try many external clock
sources and claim that better clock give better audio. I've not had that chance.
> > The card issue really does sound like an overloaded
> > bay or intermittent contacts on the cards... perhaps even a bad one...
> > so I would load those back in a couple at a time.
> Will do, and I really appreciate your help on this!!!
One of the cards might actually be flaky. At least there's a chance of finding out.
> Thanks Again!!
FWIW, this novice says, you're welcome.
Mike Rivers
In article <XfVec.6125$ab3.482@fed1read02> br...@musiciansadvocate.com writes:
> We have a Digital 8 Bus that is giving us internittent problems such as:
> 1.) flashing lights on the console, "DSP Control Card Not Ready" error
> message on the CRT display after 5.1 loads
> 2.) Console hangs during standard check of card slots, CRT display seems to
> load 5.1 completely
> 3.) We have left the board on overnight, only to find the CONSOLE is shut
> down, but 5.1 is still loaded on the CRT display...reboot.. #1 occurs again
Sounds like a power supply intermittent. The dreaded words to any d8b
owner is "Rail Capacitor" and it sounds like you may have one gone or
ready to go. These are the capacitors that bypass the power supply
feeds. Another possiblity is a flaky ribbon cable, something that also
occurred on just about every Mackie console made before 2000 or so.
Take it apart, shake it, and look for burned capacitors.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mri...@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo
Musician's Advocate
SHould I try to replace the ribbon cable first?? Or should I start thinking
about plopping this beast out of the desk, and getting the dreaded RMA# from
Mackie???
Thanks in advance
--
Kindest Regards,
Brad Hagen http://www.musiciansadvocate.com
"Contact me for any Recording, Pro Audio, or Synth needs"
"New, Used, and Vintage" "JUST SAY NO!!! to the Megastores!!!!"
1-877-753-GEAR NAMM member 2003
COMING SOON: http://www.audiocablesonline.com for all of your cabling
needs!!
"Mike Rivers" <mri...@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
news:znr1081879273k@trad...
Mike Rivers
In article <gGZec.6245$ab3.3075@fed1read02> br...@musiciansadvocate.com writes:
> SHould I try to replace the ribbon cable first?? Or should I start thinking
> about plopping this beast out of the desk, and getting the dreaded RMA# from
> Mackie???
Open it up and start wiggling cables where the ribbon joins the
connector to see if you can get the intermittent to intermit.
Everything is suspect. And you can inspect it for blown capacitors
while you're at it. Look for chip capacitors near the edge of the
circuit boards.
I don't know how Mackie's doing for local service of the d8b these
days, but I've heard that there's a good guy in Nashville if that's
closer than Woodinville.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (mri...@d-and-d.com)