Need some ideas, fellow MOTU users

J

Jef Gibbons

New member
Hello all, desperate for some help. My MOTU 896 is crackling on me. Every so often I'll be monitoring the input and it will start crackling, sometimes cutting out completely. I used it on 2 completely different setups, same result, it was working great for 1 year, now this. This is my business, and MOTU tech support is constantly busy... existent? Anyhow, I noticed the pots were dirty when turning up the gain knobs. Any electronics gurus with any suggestions on a solution? It's not just one particular input, it happens on all of them. Thanks for your help, Jef
 
OK, you'll not see me say this on the board again so he goes. Basically, I don't know what the problem is and unfortunately I wonder if this board is the best place to ask such a technical question (feel free to prove me wrong board peeps!).

However, if you pop on over to the Sound on Sound Forums , so many professionals use that board you're bound to find a solution. They even have a forum where you can direct such technical issues directly at the magazine staff. They may be able to help.
 
Do you have this hooked up to a WORDCLOCK cable ?

Is your bit rate set correctly, 16 or 24 ?
Is your resolution set 44.1K, 48K ?

You didnt say what software you are using with it, but these need to match, and if you are synching to anything you need that WORDCLOCK, connection.

Honestly your not providing enough info as to how & why your getting CRACKLING, but check these items and you should be fine.
 
Do you have this hooked up to a WORDCLOCK cable ?

Is your bit rate set correctly, 16 or 24 ?
Is your resolution set 44.1K, 48K ?

You didnt say what software you are using with it, but these need to match, and if you are synching to anything you need that WORDCLOCK, connection.

Honestly your not providing enough info as to how & why your getting CRACKLING, but check these items and you should be fine.
 
Do you mean the pots crackle when moving them? Even when there is no source?

Jef Gibbons said:
Anyhow, I noticed the pots were dirty when turning up the gain knobs. Any electronics gurus with any suggestions on a solution? It's not just one particular input, it happens on all of them. Thanks for your help, Jef
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the ideas so far... sorry I didn't give you more info. It's definitely not word clock or anything digital... it's just connected straight to the computer, same as normal. I tried it on a completely different setup... diff computer, diff software, diff mic, diff cables, diff location! Same thing.

I noticed that all of the pots are "dirty", when I hook the mic up, crank it up and turn the nobs, they crackle for a bit, until I work the nob for about 30 sec or so (then the crackle almost disappears). I don't know if this has solved the original problem, as it happens so randomly during recording.

Does this make sense? Do you need any more info? Any ideas on how to resolve this? Will spraying the pots with some solution help? Should the dirty pots affect the sound when I am not turning them? (or is that problem completely unrelated?) Thanks again.
 
are you useing phantom power? Tried different cables? Sure its not the source?

Either way it sounds like the pots are dirty. You could clean them depending on what type they are, I surely don't know if they are sealed. But that sounds odd, you've only had it for a year right?
It shouldn't get that dirty in that short a period, unless you schlep
it abusively.

You could try cleaning the sockets and cables. Look for Caig deoxit, progold etc...
 
Hey Tonio, yeah, not cables, or input etc. tried COMPLETELY different setup. The pots are definitely dirty (I tested each one, some worse than others), but I definitely don't "schlep" it! I got some compressed air, the MOTU tech support guy told me to open it up and spray it out... not exactly scientific, we'll see if it helps. Any other suggestions? How do you use that other stuff you seggested?
 
Best tech support ever

Just wanted y'all to know, I sent in my 896 to tech support, within 2 days, they got a replacement for me, all the way across the states to Canada! I am extremely impressed with their tech support, you all need to hear this if you're thinking of buying a soundcard! It makes a big difference.
 
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