Topic: Right channel failure part 2

[Rockinman59]

Equipment: akg460mods>UA5(Warm mod)>Microtrack II(SPDIF in)
External battery 9v for UA5, and 5v battery as backup to Microtrack II

Hey everyone.  I posted an issue last September about a problem where my right channel just cut out about an hour into a show.  It hasn't happened again until last Thursday.  I taped the N1 show the night before with a different flashcard then used the SAME flashcard I used when I had the first occurrence in Sept. 2009.  The right channel cut out at 52 min. into the Sept. show and this time it cut out at 72 min. into the 1st set.  Luckily I had a set break and checked all connections and they were fine but I suspected the flashcard so I switched it out for another card and test recorded in between sets and both channels worked again.  I taped the following night with the same flashcard and again no problem. What could be the problem here again?  Thanks again for any help.  This seems to be a real mystery.

[Rockinman59]

A taper friend thinks it's the UA5 or could be the SPDIF cable (Hosa brand and it's basically new) but it seems to only happen with this one flashcard.  I don't understand flashcards or if it's even possible for failure like this.  It's a Kingston brand 8gb and I have another one that has never had this problem, only this one Kingston card.  I spent a lot of $ to get really good XLR's (Monsters at $60 each).  I could try using my other UA5(digimod) to see if it's the UA5, but could the SPDIF be a problem with one channel and do it intermittently like this?

[su6oxone]

I don't think that flash card failure would be the cause for just one channel to drop out.  Optical cable seems unlikely as well given that only one channel failed.  XLR failure seems the most likely cause (no comment on the Monster XLRs... ), I would at least try using a different set of cables to see if that helps. 

(edited typos)

[Rockinman59]

Thanks for the input.  I'm using SPDIF cable and the one time I used the optical for my JB3 lately the issue didn't happen.  Are you saying it's possible it's the one flashcard or you think it's either the card or the XLR's?  Is there a much better cable to get if this problem is the XLR's?

Thanks again


Tom

[Chomps]

Why not test all the pieces at home? The only way to find the problem is to run tests on each piece in the chain.

[su6oxone]

I think that the failure of only one channel, and the other channel presumably being fine, indicates that the failure isn't the card or optical cable, because problems with those would result in problems with both channels (since the data is not transmitted in discrete channels in the card or cable).  Therefore, I would think that the problem is in the XLR cables or in the XLR connectors (in the mics or the UA5), but hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chime in...

[Rockinman59]

Why not test all the pieces at home? The only way to find the problem is to run tests on each piece in the chain.

thanks for the input.  I have tested everything at home before when it happened the first time.  Since Sept. when it first happened, I've taped at least 7 times but not with that flashcard that's why I thought it could be the culprit, and just the other night I switched to another card(after it happened again with the suspect flashcard) and stayed with it and for 1 1/2 shows and it was fine again.  I don't know how to test each individual piece really, I have set up everything like I do at the venue and each time it's all good.

[Rockinman59]

I think that the failure of only one channel, and the other channel presumably being fine, indicates that the failure isn't the card or optical cable, because problems with those would result in problems with both channels (since the data is not transmitted in discrete channels in the card or cable).  Therefore, I would think that the problem is in the XLR cables or in the XLR connectors (in the mics or the UA5), but hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chime in...

I misread what you said about the flashcard. It could be the connector inside the UA5 on the right, so I might have to try the other UA5 I have and see if the same thing happens.  I dont feel like sending the warm mod ua5 to Oade just to check it out .

[Chomps]

Why not test all the pieces at home? The only way to find the problem is to run tests on each piece in the chain.

thanks for the input.  I have tested everything at home before when it happened the first time.  Since Sept. when it first happened, I've taped at least 7 times but not with that flashcard that's why I thought it could be the culprit, and just the other night I switched to another card(after it happened again with the suspect flashcard) and stayed with it and for 1 1/2 shows and it was fine again.  I don't know how to test each individual piece really, I have set up everything like I do at the venue and each time it's all good.

When I used the UA5 and has issues I would wiggle each piece and write down what time I did it in the recording. I would also remove one channel at a time and listen back. This way if the issue happens you have wrote down what you did at that time in the recording and you know what piece of the chain is bad. Could take a little time to get the bad piece but it is worth it if you don't want to lose a recording.

[Rockinman59]

Why not test all the pieces at home? The only way to find the problem is to run tests on each piece in the chain.

thanks for the input.  I have tested everything at home before when it happened the first time.  Since Sept. when it first happened, I've taped at least 7 times but not with that flashcard that's why I thought it could be the culprit, and just the other night I switched to another card(after it happened again with the suspect flashcard) and stayed with it and for 1 1/2 shows and it was fine again.  I don't know how to test each individual piece really, I have set up everything like I do at the venue and each time it's all good.

When I used the UA5 and has issues I would wiggle each piece and write down what time I did it in the recording. I would also remove one channel at a time and listen back. This way if the issue happens you have wrote down what you did at that time in the recording and you know what piece of the chain is bad. Could take a little time to get the bad piece but it is worth it if you don't want to lose a recording.

Thanks again for the help here.  What do you mean by remove one channel at a time? You mean while the recording is goin or do I record with only one xlr cable in the ua5 at a time and wiggle it on both channels and use both xlrs alternately?

[Chomps]

Why not test all the pieces at home? The only way to find the problem is to run tests on each piece in the chain.

thanks for the input.  I have tested everything at home before when it happened the first time.  Since Sept. when it first happened, I've taped at least 7 times but not with that flashcard that's why I thought it could be the culprit, and just the other night I switched to another card(after it happened again with the suspect flashcard) and stayed with it and for 1 1/2 shows and it was fine again.  I don't know how to test each individual piece really, I have set up everything like I do at the venue and each time it's all good.

When I used the UA5 and has issues I would wiggle each piece and write down what time I did it in the recording. I would also remove one channel at a time and listen back. This way if the issue happens you have wrote down what you did at that time in the recording and you know what piece of the chain is bad. Could take a little time to get the bad piece but it is worth it if you don't want to lose a recording.

Thanks again for the help here.  What do you mean by remove one channel at a time? You mean while the recording is goin or do I record with only one xlr cable in the ua5 at a time and wiggle it on both channels and use both xlrs alternately?

Try anything and everything until you find the problem.

[Rockinman59]

It won't be easy since it's so intermittent and it's occurred the same exact way both times.  Thanks for the advice.