New 388 problem

Ok, good questions!

Regarding the PGM BUSS inputs, I hadn't tried recording to tape from them, so I'm glad you asked about that. Here's the deal with them:

I can't hear anything in my phones or through the MON out or STEREO out jacks at all when I'm putting signal through any of PGM BUSS inputs.

I can see the signal on the meters when I either press the MON PGM/CUE button down or when I push the REC FUNCTION button down for the appropriate PGM BUSS input. For instance, I plugged a stereo signal from my phone into PGM BUSS inputs 3 and 4. When I push the MON PGM/CUE button, I can see the signal on the 3 and 4 meters. Or if I push the REC FUNCTION buttons for 3 and 4, I can see the signal. (Or if both things are done, I can see the signal.)

It does record this signal to tape; I just can't seem to hear it while it's recording no matter what. After it's recorded, I can put those tracks (3 and 4) on RMX, assign the 3 and 4 channels to L/R, and hear the playback just fine. Well, I guess I should say that, while it's recording, I can barely hear it if I turn the phones volume up to 10.

Regarding the MONITOR OUTPUTS, I'm not able to get anything at all from them, no matter what I do. I've tried everything I can think of. Even when I play back the tape, assign the tracks to L/R and turn them on RMX, I can hear them in the phones, but I can not hear anything out of the MON outputs. If I just move the cables from the MON out jacks to the STEREO out jacks, though, I can hear it perfectly through the speakers. So I know it's not a cabling issue or anything.
 
Oh, and aside from the MON/PGM BUSS issue, there's one other small issue. I was noticing some slight hum as I was testing it out last night. After some investigation, I traced the source to the right Stereo output jack. I switched cables too in order to make sure it wasn't a cabling issue, and the hum definitely stayed with the jack. And it does not appear in the phones at all.

At the moment, I'm using the unbalanced RCA jacks for the Stereo outs because I didn't have a TRS to XLR female chord, so there's a chance that it could disappear when I try some balanced cables there. But I know it's not simply a balanced vs. unbalanced issue because the left jack works perfectly with no hum at all.

The hum is not bad, and it only gets significant when I turn the monitors up fairly loud. But it is there and so it's annoying.

Are the jacks easy to get to in order to check their connection? I'm wondering if it could just be a poor ground connection on that particular jack.

Thanks again for all your help with this Cory. I really appreciate it! :)
 
I haven't had time yet to research the monitor buss issue further, Beagle...sorry.

I honestly can't recall how easy the jacks are to get to, but each jack PCB plugs into the motherboard, so if you can look at the schematics and find the balance output PCB and see where it plugs into the motherboard, then disconnect and set your multimeter to continuity and test the pins of the XLR jack...none of the pins should have any continuity with another with it disconnected from the motherboard. That would be one way to rule out the jack itself being the problem. Here again maybe reseating connections might help...

You could also pull the balance amp card and take a good look at the connectors on the card and on the mother board and see if anything looks wrong.

That's all I got at the moment.
 
I haven't had time yet to research the monitor buss issue further, Beagle...sorry.

I honestly can't recall how easy the jacks are to get to, but each jack PCB plugs into the motherboard, so if you can look at the schematics and find the balance output PCB and see where it plugs into the motherboard, then disconnect and set your multimeter to continuity and test the pins of the XLR jack...none of the pins should have any continuity with another with it disconnected from the motherboard. That would be one way to rule out the jack itself being the problem. Here again maybe reseating connections might help...

You could also pull the balance amp card and take a good look at the connectors on the card and on the mother board and see if anything looks wrong.

That's all I got at the moment.

Thanks Cory. It's actually the unbalanced (RCA) stereo jack that's giving me problems. Or at least it was. On Saturday I came in with the intention of pulling one of my XLR-TRS chords from another spot in my setup and using that to see if that made the hum go away. Of course, before I got to that, when I fired up everything for one final confirmation that it was that stereo jack creating the hum, the problem had disappeared. :) I double-checked to make sure I had everything else in my rig powered on to make sure it wasn't some kind of ground loop issue, and I couldn't get the hum to come back.

I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I decided to leave well enough alone and move on. It's gotten through two recording sessions so far, and the buzz hasn't returned. If it does, though, I'll try the balanced connections to see if that helps before going any further.
 
So can you get any signal out of the PGM out jacks, either a signal connected to a PGM in jack or a signal connected to a mixer input and assigned to your PGM buss of choice? Just trying to determine if there is anything making it out of those jacks. I'm betting there is.

It's good and helpful news you can see signal assigned to a PGM buss on its corresponding meter as well as being able to print to tape. That helps narrow down where the issue may be. It is also helpful knowing you can't get anything out of the monitor out jacks.

Let me know the answer to the PGM out jacks question and then I'm going to start walking you through some steps.

I should remember this but you do have a multimeter yes? And do you have an oscillator? Something to generate test tone? Even something on a computer or mobile device is perfectly fine for what we will probably need to do to hunt down the culprit.
 
One more question, and sorry if unanswered this already in an earlier post: do you see activity on the PGM meters when playing back tape?
 
Cory, thanks for the questions. I'll hopefully be able to test all this tonight and report back. Yes I do have a MM, and I have a way of generating a test tone.

Regarding your last question, I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. I see all the meters moving when playing back tape if there's a signal on that track and it's in RMX mode.

Could you clarify exactly what you're asking? Or if you could tell me how to test for what you're asking, that would work too.

Thanks!
 
Regarding your last question, I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. I see all the meters moving when playing back tape if there's a signal on that track and it's in RMX mode.

Could you clarify exactly what you're asking?

That's what I was asking...you had indicated you could see meter activity from inputs assigned to PGM busses. I wanted to make sure the same held true when playing back tape; that there was meter activity that corresponded with the playback.

Thanks. Hope that makes sense. If it doesn't no matter...you answered my question. :D
 
That's what I was asking...you had indicated you could see meter activity from inputs assigned to PGM busses. I wanted to make sure the same held true when playing back tape; that there was meter activity that corresponded with the playback.

Thanks. Hope that makes sense. If it doesn't no matter...you answered my question. :D

Oh ok cool. I guess I was thinking of them as TRK meters (as opposed to PGM meters) when playing back tracks off the tape. So I guess I thought you were maybe asking if I could see the signal from a PGM input on a meter while the tape was playing back .... or something ... if that makes sense. (I'm still kind of learning my way around this machine.)

Anyway, glad your question was answered. I'm going to test the other stuff directly.
 
Ok, I just checked, and I am getting signal out of all the PGM OUT jacks. I played back the tape, assigned one of the channels to each side of each (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8), and I got clear signal out of all 8 PGM OUT jacks.

And, of course, that dropout issue I was having on TRK 1 (the drum track) has seemingly temporarily remedied itself as well. :)
 
Now try this...plug a stereo line source into the STEREO BUSS IN jacks on the back. Can you hear that at the monitor out jacks and in the headphones?
 
I'm sorry to interrupt..... But this is just freakin great........

-signed, just an old fart who likes seeing problems solved........
 
Now try this...plug a stereo line source into the STEREO BUSS IN jacks on the back. Can you hear that at the monitor out jacks and in the headphones?

Just tried it. I hear it in the phones but not in the monitor jacks. Should I have to push any buttons in order to hear it in the monitor jacks? I tried pushing several just for the hell of it but got nothing.

I do hear the signal in the Stereo BUSS IN jacks out of the Stereo out jacks, but not the monitor jacks.
 
Just tried it. I hear it in the phones but not in the monitor jacks. Should I have to push any buttons in order to hear it in the monitor jacks? I tried pushing several just for the hell of it but got nothing.

I do hear the signal in the Stereo BUSS IN jacks out of the Stereo out jacks, but not the monitor jacks.

That's intriguing. You may have two issues going on, but...damn I wish you were down the street...so hard sometimes trying to do this over the internet like this.

I know you've already done this but follow these steps and answer the questions just for my sake...

1. I want you to connect a source (mic, line, don't care, just any source) to one of the inputs.
2. All L/R assign switches are in the UP position
3. Set levels as appropriate
4. Assign the signal to any PGM buss...doesn't matter. Use PGM 1
5. PGM/CUE button is in the PGM position
6. Raise the PGM MASTER ODD fader to a nominal level
7. Raise the level of the MONITOR mixer channel 1 to nominal level
8. Raise the STEREO MASTER fader to a nominal level
9. Now make sure the source of the headphones and MONITOR OUT jacks is the stereo buss by pressing the STEREO button above the MONITOR level pot on the far right of the unit
10. NOW...where do you hear your source?

• Headphones [ ]YES [ ]NO
• STEREO OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• MONITOR OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• PGM 1 out jack [ ]YES [ ]NO

• can you see the source on the PGM 1 meter [ ]YES [ ]NO
 
Ok, here's exactly what I did and the results:

Starting position: all faders are at 0, all FX and AUX sends at 0, and all buttons are up on the whole machine.

Plugged mic into channel 6 and set trim.
Raised channel 6 fader to shaded area.
Pressed the 1/2 switch on channel 6 and panned hard left.
Pressed the PGM/CUE button so the LED is on.
Raised PGM MASTER ODD fader to shaded area.
Turned the MONITOR GAIN knob 1 fully clockwise.
Raised the STEREO MASTER fader to shaded area.
Confirmed that the STEREO button is pushed above the MONITOR/PHONES dial in the lower right corner.

Where do I hear source?

Headphones: Nothing. If it turn the phones dial up 100%, I can barely hear it.
STEREO OUT jacks: Nothing
MONITOR OUT jacks: Nothing
PGM 1 out jack: Yes, good strong signal.
I can see activity on the PGM 1 meter.
 
Now, leaving all other settings the same as you had it in your test above, unlatch the PGM 1-2 assign button, PAN center, and latch the L-R assign button.

Where do you hear the source?

• Headphones [ ]YES [ ]NO
• STEREO OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• MONITOR OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
 
Now, leaving all other settings the same as you had it in your test above, unlatch the PGM 1-2 assign button, PAN center, and latch the L-R assign button.

Where do you hear the source?

• Headphones [ ]YES [ ]NO
• STEREO OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• MONITOR OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO

Headphones: Yes, good strong signal
STEREO OUT jacks: Yes, good strong signal
MONITOR OUT jacks: Yes(!), but not as strong as STEREO OUT jacks.

To give you a comparison, I just about have to turn the MONITOR/PHONES dial on the lower right corner all the way up in order for the level coming out the MONITOR OUT jacks to match it when coming out of the STEREO OUT jacks. Of course, when I do that, it's really loud in the phones.

But, there is signal coming out of the MONITOR OUT jacks. It's not like in my above post where I said I could barely hear it in the phones if I turned them up 100%.

I'll put it this way: If I have the MONITOR/PHONES dial at 50%, the level from the MONITOR OUT jacks seems maybe about half that of the level of the STEREO OUT jacks.

And I'm just switching the same set of cables (RCA) back and forth between the STEREO and MONITOR out jacks, so I know it's not a cable issue or anything.

Hope this makes sense.
 
Now, leaving all other settings the same as you had it in your test above (including leaving the L-R assign switch latched on your input channel), connect a line source to the STEREO BUSS IN jacks.

Where do you hear the source?

• Headphones [ ]YES [ ]NO
• STEREO OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• MONITOR OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO

NOW, unlatch the L-R assign switch (so ALL assign switches are in the up/unlatched position).

Where do you hear the source?

• Headphones [ ]YES [ ]NO
• STEREO OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
• MONITOR OUT jacks [ ]YES [ ]NO
 
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