Recap cost

T

Thrust

New member
Can anyone give me aspeculative idea of the cost for a total recap on a 24 channel mixer? Just a guess would be acceptable or tell me what you paid if you have had a 24 channel completely recapped. Thanks in advance.
 
The price would depend on the model of the mixer, how many caps there are in each channel circuit, are you capping everything?

The question is too general that's why no one has answered.

Alan.
 
Witzendoz: Just the man Id like to hear from. Im still using my 2524 because of size constraints and Im selling my Allen and Heath. I love yes love the features of the 2524 and its small size is a plus. I cant afford anything else with better features so I think Ill just keep it going for a while. Its got a little hum and hiss and though not objectionable Id like to try and clear up the sound a little. Although you told me before you didnt find the 2524 dark sounding coming from my A&h its still a difference in the sound . Not better or worse just a little differnt. Ive heard that even basic caps of today are an improvement over what wsa available around 1994. So to conclude I figured Id take the money from the sale of my old mixer and do a recap of the 2524. Im not expecting a night and day difference just maybe replace the electrolitics in hopes of cleaning up the sound a little. What do you think.
 
Thrust said:
Witzendoz: Just the man Id like to hear from. Im still using my 2524 because of size constraints and Im selling my Allen and Heath. I love yes love the features of the 2524 and its small size is a plus. I cant afford anything else with better features so I think Ill just keep it going for a while. Its got a little hum and hiss and though not objectionable Id like to try and clear up the sound a little. Although you told me before you didnt find the 2524 dark sounding coming from my A&h its still a difference in the sound . Not better or worse just a little differnt. Ive heard that even basic caps of today are an improvement over what wsa available around 1994. So to conclude I figured Id take the money from the sale of my old mixer and do a recap of the 2524. Im not expecting a night and day difference just maybe replace the electrolitics in hopes of cleaning up the sound a little. What do you think.
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Are you doing the work yourself or getting a tech to do it? Basically if you can't do the work yourself it won't be worth doing as the labour cost will blow it out of the water.

If you are doing it yourself. Pop the bottom off the mixer and make a list of the caps used and the number of each and surf the net to get prices. The last recap I did on a 24 channel analog to digital card I ordered the caps online from RS components.

If the desk has a hum you most likely have a ground loop somewhere.

alan.
 
I love this mixers features. Even if the sound isnt all I could hope for. I cant find anything with better features at anywhere near the price and it gives me 48 inputs on mixdown for my 8 output hardware sampler, my synth modules, and my alesis drum module. I figured with a recap it might clear the sound up a little. Im not expecting much change though. Have any ideas what could clear up the hum and hiss? My whole studio is on one circut and being fed by a ART pb4x4 power supply box.
 
Im sorry but I didnt answer your question. If the price is right I would have it recapped by a pro. But I can handle a sodering iron although Im no electronics guru and Im kind of slow with a iron.
 
I don't think the hum and hiss will be improved by a recap. Usually what improves is the bottom end. I think a recap is a bit extreme.

The hum is most likely caused by an earth loop, does the mixer hum with only the monitors plugged in? What monitoring are you using, active or passive with an amp? If it's all quiet with the monitors only plugged in, what do the main outs connect to? A computer? What interface do you use?

The hiss is different, When I used my M2524 as my main console I did not notice any excessive hiss, are you setting up the gain structure correctly? Are you boosting the highs excessively?

Cheers

Alan.
 
I think the hiss is just speaker hash noise but the hum is there any time the mixer is on and does not increase as the monitors are turned up. The hum always remains the same the hum is there even with all other gear tuned off. What is the best way to reduce ground loop hum? I have both passive and active monitors, hum is the same in both. I have a layla 3g coming into the mixer on 2 inputs and the main outputs are connected to a quarter inch half track machine. Still want to know what would be a good price to pay a tech for a 24 channel recap?
 
Thrust said:
I think the hiss is just speaker hash noise but the hum is there any time the mixer is on and does not increase as the monitors are turned up. The hum always remains the same the hum is there even with all other gear tuned off. What is the best way to reduce ground loop hum? I have both passive and active monitors, hum is the same in both. I have a layla 3g coming into the mixer on 2 inputs and the main outputs are connected to a quarter inch half track machine. Still want to know what would be a good price to pay a tech for a 24 channel recap?
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So I can help I just need to clear up a few things:
So you are saying that the hum is there even with everything but the monitors un-plugged?
Are the monitors connected to the M2524 via balanced connections or unbalanced?
If you only connect one set of monitors (or the other set) does the hum go away or reduce? You need to actually unplug the cables.

I can't give you a cost on the re-cap as this will depend on the actual tech you use and the rates in your area, a good trick to getting the price down is to look for a retired radio or TV tech that will do the work in their spare time for a bit of extra cash or just coz they like doing stuff like this. The actual caps will be less then a $1 each, however there may be a lot of them so pop off the bottom and just count them, you also may find you don't need to replace every cap, only caps in the audio and a couple in the power supply.

Alan.
By the way I am only here for another 6 hours then I fly overseas for a week, just in case you don't hear from me.
 
I turned everything off but the monitors and the hum remains. I didnt actualy try pulling the input connector out though. The hum never dissappears no matter which monitors are on or plugged in but it is much much more noticable in the powered monitors. I thoght the 2524 is an ubalance output mixer but yes the cables to the power amp and the powered monitors are all balanced. I have tried unbalanced cables but that made no difference in the hum.
 
That's right the M2524 has unbalanced monitor outs, forgot it's been a while since I used mine. The reason I asked about unplugging each set of monitors is that the earth loop is still there even if you turn the amp/monitors off. Also the loop could be only on 1 set of monitors but the loop is causing the hum to be heard on both.

I am going to suggest lifting the shield at the power amp / active monitor end of the cables, however before doing this just check if they have an earth lift switch.

The earth loop could also be caused by anything else plugged into the desk, thats why you have to unplug everything, plug in 1 set of monitors 1st, then plug each piece of gear until the hum appears. The loop could also be from the layla interface/computer, and don't forget that the mixer will also hum if 2 of the items connected to it have an earth loop. I have spent many hours chasing earth loops over the years and I often find suppressing issues causing them.

Alan.
 
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