allen and heath home repair help

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orksnork

New member
my (soon to be) father-in-law is an electrical engineer...but before i ask him to take on the task with me...i was wondering if there was anyone who might have some helpful info. Of course we'll have the proper tools needed to get into the job.

i've got two problems with my Allen and Heath GL3 that I'd like to repair. Realize this board isn't opened up yet so I don't really know what I'm looking at.

1.) Fader 2 is scratchy and, at times, intermittent. I've heard just run it up and down a bunch of times and generally that'll clear the problem, like switching a pot again and again until it goes clean, but it doesn't seem to have fixed it.

Does anyone know the particular brand of fader used in this model? and a good place to get one?

2.) At first intermittent, but now constantly, there's a problem with the LEFT SIDE connection of the 24 channels and the bus to the master section. The master section works perfectly when i put something in through the 2-track, or through the master section inserts.

What would you think this is? A wire point come undone? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to give me in this whole thing. I'd like to get this board back to functioning 100% for my own use, and so I can get a better resale value on it when I move up to something better.

Also, is it possible to get schematics or whatever he might need to help us in figuring these problems out?
 
As far as the fader goes, it has been a few years since I changed all of the faders in a GL3. If I remember right A&H uses Alps faders on those and you may need to order directly from A&H in order to make sure the fader has the same mointing points and uses the same audio taper.
 
the faders a no brainer... IIRC they are alps as suggested already... may be easier to get from a+h but alps are alps to a large degree... the second one is gonna take some time and cant do over the net... gotta be hands on...
 
dementedchord said:
may be easier to get from a+h but alps are alps to a large degree... ...
Click to expand...

Using this logic may greatly increase the time and frustration that can be involved in doing your own repairs. MANY consoles are made with OEM faders. Often they have either their own specific audio taper, and quite often they are a slightly different size with a slightly different mounting structure. The size issue means that physically if you just go out and buy an ALPS fader it may not fit as a replacement. I know that with at least some of their consoles, the GL 3 and GL 3000 being two of them I believe, A&H used OEM ALPS faders. Companies tend to do this so they can keep control over repairs and parts supplies etc...

To make a long story short, faders anre not just faders, ALPS is not just ALPS, P&G is not just P&G etc...
 
well...help further that train of thought...

should it be something i can pick up locally somewhere? (i live on long island) there's plenty of electronic shops and stuff...if i take out the fader, a qualified service guy should be able to match it up to a model and hand over a new one...

im just not certain where i should walk in to and ask
 
Having it matched will ensure that it will physically fit in the same spot with the same mounting screws, but will not ensure that the audio taper is correct... You may want to contact either A&H directly, or try Creative Audio Labs oout of Nashville.
 
xstatic said:
Using this logic may greatly increase the time and frustration that can be involved in doing your own repairs. MANY consoles are made with OEM faders. Often they have either their own specific audio taper, and quite often they are a slightly different size with a slightly different mounting structure. The size issue means that physically if you just go out and buy an ALPS fader it may not fit as a replacement. I know that with at least some of their consoles, the GL 3 and GL 3000 being two of them I believe, A&H used OEM ALPS faders. Companies tend to do this so they can keep control over repairs and parts supplies etc...

To make a long story short, faders anre not just faders, ALPS is not just ALPS, P&G is not just P&G etc...
Click to expand...

although manufactures do make several lines of parts and it is possible to get the wrong one... IME an alps 100mm 500K audio taper is just that... and the ones they sell soundcraft are the same the sell A+H...
 
Having been an A&H dealer and dealt with plenty of SOundcrafts as well as they guys it Harmon in Sandy, I can tell you that they are not all the same. What I reccomend is to call a tech at the very least and find out what the scenario really is for each specific situation. The problem is that companies like ALPS make OEM parts for a lot of their clients, at the clients request. In fact, with some of the older consoles it can be really hard to find the right fader because they have run out of stock.
 
xstatic said:
Having been an A&H dealer and dealt with plenty of SOundcrafts as well as they guys it Harmon in Sandy, I can tell you that they are not all the same. What I reccomend is to call a tech at the very least and find out what the scenario really is for each specific situation. The problem is that companies like ALPS make OEM parts for a lot of their clients, at the clients request. In fact, with some of the older consoles it can be really hard to find the right fader because they have run out of stock.
Click to expand...

That's all a moot point unless it really needs to be replaced. Odds are, either it's dirty or one of the solder joints broke. Some contact cleaner applied properly will make a world of difference if it's the former, and three seconds with a soldering iron will take care of the second. I'd be surprised if the pot was actually bad. Just my $0.02.
 
orksnork said:
my (soon to be) father-in-law is an electrical engineer...but before i ask him to take on the task with me...i was wondering if there was anyone who might have some helpful info. Of course we'll have the proper tools needed to get into the job.

i've got two problems with my Allen and Heath GL3 that I'd like to repair. Realize this board isn't opened up yet so I don't really know what I'm looking at.

1.) Fader 2 is scratchy and, at times, intermittent. I've heard just run it up and down a bunch of times and generally that'll clear the problem, like switching a pot again and again until it goes clean, but it doesn't seem to have fixed it.

Does anyone know the particular brand of fader used in this model? and a good place to get one?

2.) At first intermittent, but now constantly, there's a problem with the LEFT SIDE connection of the 24 channels and the bus to the master section. The master section works perfectly when i put something in through the 2-track, or through the master section inserts.

What would you think this is? A wire point come undone? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to give me in this whole thing. I'd like to get this board back to functioning 100% for my own use, and so I can get a better resale value on it when I move up to something better.

Also, is it possible to get schematics or whatever he might need to help us in figuring these problems out?
Click to expand...

Summing bus was weak on these models. Faders are all probably going to give you trouble as they are all pretty old and used. Look at the A&H website under "old products" (http://www.allen-heath.com/veterans/gl3.htm) model info and you can get some info on this model. Make sure the faders are not sealed as there is really no cleaning that can be done (I forget if this model has sealed faders). If not sealed. A&H recommends de-oxit (http://www.allen-heath.com/veterans/maintainance.htm). I use de-oxit and it is fantastic stuff. The summing bus amplifier section had this very problem. One side would be much lower in volume than the other (main out L and R). You will need a schematic at least.

Good Luck!
 
The point may be moot, yet still valid. I agree that it should be cleaned before writing it off as bad, but that still does not make my point invalid. My experience with the GL3's, since we had three of them on our rental stock for a while, is that the fader quite possibly may be bad and actually need replacement. The pots on the A&H usually clean up pretty well as do the switches, but the faders are just plain old cheap faders. Sometimes they are cleanable, but the rail tends to nick pretty easily and they are not like the newer self cleaning faders available today. Often times we would have to actually disassemble the whole fader itself and physically clean and or soak the wiper and casing. In the end we got to where it was quicker cheaper and easier to just replace the fader. I have replaced a few hundred faders in A&H consoles. The fader where not where A&H put the money in. On the GL3 specifically, I do not remember whether or not the faders were soldered or if they were pinned with little molex connectors. If they are soldered, than a resoldering would probably be an excellent idea.
 
xstatic said:
Having been an A&H dealer and dealt with plenty of SOundcrafts as well as they guys it Harmon in Sandy, I can tell you that they are not all the same. The problem is that companies like ALPS make OEM parts for a lot of their clients, at the clients request. .
Click to expand...

i understand the point... and the nature of OEM parts and design is that you research the availability of the an applicable part based on design criteria generally other that physical mounting and the make it work in the design...

i was an indepencent service guy for years... was just trying to remember who it was i dealt with... for some reason the name Green comes to mind... maybe Ed Green... know him??? or was he at soundcraft??? oh well... hope the guy's console gets fixed...
 
thanks a lot for the comments (and seemingly a little bit of going off between a few of you)...

As for you guys that have worked on A&H boards in the past, If I call my local A&H repair shop, will he be able to tell me what fader is in there? Would they all have been the same for the model?...

i guess that's sort of a pointless question...i will call and see what he says...
 
useless call

"can you tell me the type of fader used?"
"no"
"why not?"
"you have to call allen and heath"
"ok...well if i dont feel like fixing it, i'll bring it to you and you can get the fader "and put it in right?'
""yes'"
"what fader would you put in there"
"the correct one..."

*sigh*

so then

"ive contacted you before and you said there was a base charge of 300 on this model because it takes time to remove all the knobs and screws and unscrew the pots and stuff...im comfortable taking that off myself and transporting it to you. could i do that to save the money and your time?"

"no, part of learning about repairing is to disassemble things"

"..."
 
terrific...
called A&H USA....menu...parts...transfer...parts...

get a guy's machine saying that he's out for the week


you wouldn't believe the day i'm having...truly.

at least my doctor gave me 90 vicodin ES today.
 
Bill Green. He is a pretty good guy as well. He works on Allen Heath, Soundcraft, Studer, Amek etc... It was through him the first time we ordered the specific faders for the Allen Heath GL3.

You should really consider calling Creation Audio Labs in Nashville. They can probably answer your questions:)
 
Dirty stuff can ALWAYS be cleaned. That's exactly what you have there. Get contact cleaner (not silicon based).......WD-40 works if you don't have anyhting else. Dirt and oxidation is a pot's(fader's) worst enemy
 
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