Central Station problems...speaker outputs not really working

  • Thread starter Thread starter Myriad_Rocker
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Myriad_Rocker

Myriad_Rocker

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I picked up a used Central Station and I'm wondering if I need to send it in for repair or if I'm just doing something incorrectly. I have followed the manual on connections and used common sense. My main daw outputs are connected to TRS1 inputs.

I am getting plenty of signal to the meters. I connected Speaker A outputs to my active speakers. I only get sound out of one speaker and I have the volume cranked all the way on the central station. If I switch to mono, then the output switches to the other speaker and it is louder than the other. But still not as loud as I expect with the volume cranked all the way.

To troubleshoot, I connected my speakers directly to my interface on the same outputs that feed the central station. I get a nice, strong signal that's plenty loud. I also tried TRS 2 input and all of the other speaker outputs. They all exhibit a form of this same problem.

Additionally, when turning the passive speaker trims all the way clockwise like the manual says, they just keep turning. They never stop.

I'm wondering if I should crack this thing open and try to fix it myself but I have no idea what's under the hood. I can't do PCB work at all.

Any thoughts?
 
Yeah something wrong there. Are you using TRS cables or just TS? What about those trims for trhe speaker, could those be set wrong. Does it sound OK through phones?
 
TetraFish said:
Yeah something wrong there. Are you using TRS cables or just TS? What about those trims for trhe speaker, could those be set wrong. Does it sound OK through phones?
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Definitely TRS cables. I didn't check the phone output on the unit itself but I did check it on my interface. Not that that mattered because the central station was getting plenty of signal. I'll check the phones output on the central station when I get home today.
 
CAIG'S DEOXIT BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!!!

Trust me, brohammer... brosef.... brozilla.... heh heh... lessee, um, oh! Brofessional!!!1!one!11!

I've fixed plenty of "bad gear" by cleaning contacts. IF this was used, you have NO IDEA how corroded or dirty the contacts are inside those jacks.

Make sure your gear is clean first, then test everything.

Also, open up the chassis, start things up, and instead of using the plugs into the jacks, try using gator-clip jumper cables and terminal testing cables. Connect to the tabs/wires connecting the circuit board to the jacks. This will bypass the jacks and their dirty contacts inside. This is a little techy, a little "clean room" necessary, so set up good light and a clean area to go this far.
 
Bryan316 said:
CAIG'S DEOXIT BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!!!

Trust me, brohammer... brosef.... brozilla.... heh heh... lessee, um, oh! Brofessional!!!1!one!11!

I've fixed plenty of "bad gear" by cleaning contacts. IF this was used, you have NO IDEA how corroded or dirty the contacts are inside those jacks.

Make sure your gear is clean first, then test everything.

Also, open up the chassis, start things up, and instead of using the plugs into the jacks, try using gator-clip jumper cables and terminal testing cables. Connect to the tabs/wires connecting the circuit board to the jacks. This will bypass the jacks and their dirty contacts inside. This is a little techy, a little "clean room" necessary, so set up good light and a clean area to go this far.
Click to expand...

Good call on the Deoxit. I'll clean them since I have some Deoxit around. However, those trim pots turning and turning kinda make me wonder. I'm sure they're supposed to have some sort of stopping point. After all, the manual says to turn them all the way clockwise. Well, time keeps traveling on because they never stop when I'm turning them. I'll open the chassis when I get home to see what kind of disaster I'm working with.
 
Well, I just tested and I'm way better off than where I was. Both speakers are working and sound good now. However, something is wrong with the trims. As stated, they continuously turn. Are they supposed to do that? Also, Speaker Output C is WAY louder than Speaker Output A. Speaker Output B on the unit only works on the right speaker and no amount of fiddling with the trims fixes it.

Also, the Central Station all together is way lower volume-wise than plugging the speakers directly to my interface.
 
I just did an A/B comparison and I'm losing tons of volume going through the Central Station. I have the knob on the Central Station cranked all the way and the sound is a lot lower than going straight through my RME.

I'm also still certain I'm losing some bass and possibly some definition, although I can't be sure.

I still feel there's something very wrong with the trim pots and this is the ultimate culprit. I can't really do anything with them, though. They're soldered directly on the board.
 
That sucks man. I would definitely have a problem trusting that controller, even if fixed. Hope you didn't pay to much for it.
 
Is this unit a little more sophisticated than a typical tube guitar amp or Mackie mixing board? Yes, it needs a trip to a repair tech, but will a local electronics guy know enough about this product? Or should it go back to the MFG to let them do the repair work, and refurbish everything inside and out so you get a clean bill of health?

It does seem to me, that this piece is quite integral to the success of your system. I know, chain-strong-weakest-link blah blah, but this should NOT be your weakest link.
 
Bryan316 said:
Is this unit a little more sophisticated than a typical tube guitar amp or Mackie mixing board? Yes, it needs a trip to a repair tech, but will a local electronics guy know enough about this product? Or should it go back to the MFG to let them do the repair work, and refurbish everything inside and out so you get a clean bill of health?

It does seem to me, that this piece is quite integral to the success of your system. I know, chain-strong-weakest-link blah blah, but this should NOT be your weakest link.
Click to expand...
Trust me, there's no one in my area that I would let work on this. It's going to have to go back to Presonus for repair.
 
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