I HATE intermittent sound system problems.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:51 am

I have been having an intermittent problem with my speakers cutting out on the left side. It seems like after the system warms up for half an hour the problem stops. Making even harder to troubleshoot.

My amplifier and mixer are not even a year old.

I first suspected a bad mixer channel so I moved the inputs over one channel. That didn't work. I then suspected the speaker connections at the back of the amplifier. I changed those. That didn't work.

The amplifier isn't clipping that I can see whenever it happens. It sounds like a bad soldier joint that closes after the thing heats up. But the question is where? The mixer, the amplifier, some other piece like the EQ?

I tried some contact cleaner tonight in the mixer faders after the show. I will see if that does anything. I may also switch the wires of the left and right sides to see if it changes sides.

Whatever happened to things blowing up or catching fire or just exploding? At least you instantly know where the problem was.

mnementh · Post by **mnementh** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 11:31 am

If the fault is consistantly intermittent (if that's even possible

), you need to isolate it.

Think of it as 2 identical channels with 3 items in each (which it is, after all).

At switch on from cold, as soon as the fault appears (presumably on the left channel), unplug and swap over the leads from the amp to the speakers AT THE SPEAKER END, NOT THE AMP END.

If the fault switches to the other speaker, then the speakers are O.K.

If the fault stays where it was, then it's the speaker.

Assuming the speakers are O.K., swap the speaker leads from one speaker to the other, complete, i.e. unplug from speaker AND amp and swap over.

If the fault moves, then the leads are at fault.

If not, then it's the amp, or mixer.

Do the same thing with the leads from your mixer to the amp to isolate any issue there.

Unfortunately, you'll have to be pretty quick if the fault disappears quickly.

Sorry if this is obvious to you but best of luck anyway.

Sandy

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:24 am

Played tonight after the contact cleaner worked over night and there was no problem. I'm not totally sure that was the real problem. I'll have to test somemore.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:30 pm

Still having a problem.

Today I started replacing all the wires in the mixer box. I'm leaning toward the mixer being the problem.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:10 am

Tonight the sound cut out on the other speaker. I tapped the channel volume and it came back on.

The mixer in question is a new Mackie 16 channel. Thursday I'll be buying another one.

I can't understand how the sliders are so screwed up already. I'm not playing in dirty smoke bars anymore. Mackie actually has covers over the slot openings to prevent dirt from falling into the faders. I'm really mad about this.

I don't have a clue as to what could be wrong. The speaker tonight had the volume reduced way down, it was garbled and sounded like static. Like a radio station that wasn't tuned in all the way. I bumped the faders up a touch and it came in loud and clear.

The puzzling part is that everything was garbled even the vocals. The sliders I bumped only had the karaoke music in them. The vocals are on different faders.

I think I'll return it to Mackie and see if they can find anything.

soundtech · Post by **soundtech** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:44 pm

if your mixer is less than 1 year old they should replace it were you bought it and save the money they would do that here were i live

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:49 pm

The new Mackie is installed.

The old one is still under warranty (3 years.)

The new Yamaha 15" speakers sound different than the old ones. The old ones sound bassier. The new ones have more high end.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:14 am

Don't even ask....

soundtech · Post by **soundtech** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:36 pm

have you ever tried powered speakers i use these and it saves lugging around a amp never have any problems with bad sound or itermittin problems

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:47 pm

Here is my idea on powered speakers.

I use a stereo amplifier.

A powered speaker uses one amp each. If you blow the amp on one speaker that is all you have left. One speaker. If half of my amp blows I can piggyback the good side and still have two speakers running.

If the speakers blow you still have one speaker. The bad one goes to the shop. You need to buy a new powered speaker again. If the amp blows you need to buy another speaker.

You need to find 2 clean power sources to hook them up. More cords to run and you have to use 2 surge protectors. You could run into more ground loop problems from 2 different power circuits.

I can look at the amp under my table and quickly see if the clip lights are flashing. You can not see the amps lights on the speakers unless you walk across the room. You can't mix and be on both sides of the room at once.

soundtech · Post by **soundtech** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:11 am

i will agree with on the blow up part but i have never blew up a speaker or amp in 15 years so i must be doing something right and as far as ground loops i don't have that problem

i can use just a single plug and plug my topps in as they do not draw as much power as a amp would and if you are any good you should not be clipping your amp or speaker i run yorkville elites these speakers have more than enough power for any place

when you host a show do you not walk around and mingle with the crowd so you can be at two spots at the same time..

just my two cents worth

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:06 pm

Cruising the crowd just to mingle is one thing, but if you are trying to troubleshoot an intermittent problem and trying to be in two places at once is a big difference.

At one time years ago, I had 32 (with all the equipment)...110 volt plugs going down to one extension cord plugged into the wall receptical. I never worried about blowing a breaker.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:18 pm

I am trying to figure out how the following can happen.

Today I replaced a speaker wire. The wire I replaced I have checked many times with a Cable Doctor and with a test meter. This cable checked out OK every time. The test meter showed conductivity the entire cable length including the connectors. And I put on new Speakon ends and triple checked the 1/4" speaker end.

The old cable would not produce sound to the speaker. The new cable worked perfect.

Can anyone tell me how a cable can check out perfectly OK repeatedly, yet not work???

It appears that the speaker wire has been my only problem. I still have to play more times before I will totally be happy that the problem is fixed. I'm cautiously optimistic.