XLR with 1/4" Jack Problem

[DogRox]

On my Tascam units.. FW-1080 and 2488NEO.. i have an issue when i am trying to plug a 1/4" TRS (TSR is irrelevant cause it even does it to the mono 1/4" plug too) cable in to the XLR middle part that accepts the 1/4 plug.. they will NOT go in all the way and keep popping out when i insert them in all the way!.. does anyone know HOW or WHY this is happening?!?! and how can this be fixed?! it is NOT a malfunctioning unit.. as both my Tascam systems do it.. it was like that ever since i got them. I just never had to use those jacks until recently!..This is really being a huge problem Why does this do this?!

 

[DogRox]

I have to correct myself.. the Tascam FW-1080 has seperate jacks for the 1/4 TRS and the Tascam 2488neo has the Combo jack where i am having the problem with. I thought both units did it.. but i was wrong on the FW-1080. It is all four of the combo jacks on the Tascam 2488neo that does it.. seems like i can never get the cord to stay in no matter what i do. I notice that there is a rubber cover in the middle that you have to push in as you insert the cable,, none of them are ripped.. and are like new.. I like to be able to use the 1/4 inch part of the jack.. I wish i knew what the fix is!!

 

[DogRox]

Hey arcaxis thanx for the input.... yeah i understand how them jacks work as ibeen working with elctronics for quite a few years,. but never had this problem before.. but yeah the issue is that what your saying cause i tested all my cables in all four of them combo connectors.. and i only found ONE cord which is a cheap 3 footer.. that works and snaps in to place with no problem and stays in there. And with what your saying, in contrary, it is actually the cheap one that DOES work IS plastic... all my other cables whatever brand name..Fender, Hosa, etc.. are all heavy duty ALL have METAL ends... but your on the same track.. the length of it is the issue.. cause when i measure the cheap one that DOES work with my digital caliper i did that last night.. and found that it was actually LONGER just by a smidget then everyone of my other cables. And that cable is useless cause i ned to have at least 15 foot to go from my GR-55 to the Tascam board. Two of them actually!

Sothe thing of it is is all my GOOD cables are the ones that DONT work and only one that is a cheap 3 footer.. DOES! whch makes me believe that i will NOT find good heavy duty cables thats going to work in this machine!

 

[mjbphotos]

Time to get a file out and grind away a little of the plug body around the metal plug itself.

 

[DogRox]

I already thought of that awhile ago... there is alot of issues with that idea.. first of all the Hheavey duty cables i have now.. you cant grind them down they are right on the edge. and they are expensive cables.. and they would get ruined trying to grind them down.. SECOND... IF I DID go that route.. that would also mean i would have to grind down every cable i buy that I know wouldbe using in that combo connector if i started to grind one and find that it gets ruined thats a good cable thats NOW shot!... There must be an easier fix i can do right to the combo jack itself?! making it work with ANY CABLE i have?!

 

[DogRox]

hmm i wonder if them caps your talking about.. is the middle section that stick out a little.. i wonder if removing them will make the 1/4" plugs go in further? a Thought!... may even trying to grind them center caps down but i think they arent very thick so i would be right into the rubber ... hey lemme know if you do find cables that DO NOT fit .. and if what cables are you using that DO fit?!?! i may have to purchase some but i want to kNOW first of they are long enough to actually fit firmly before actually buying the cause like i say i have already good supply of great cables. I just hate to buy MOE and have them DO the SAME thing!

 

[DogRox]

arcaxis.... i am in a delima here.... and it is getting me to wonder.. that cap you said that came of the center part... and stuck inside the xlr plug... that was the center part of the connector right? .. with that cap off... did you able to get a look inside the connector to see? the reason i am asking is if i wqas to litterally remove that I KNOW i could get the plug in deeper... but the fact i am worried about .. is .. was the cap the ONLY tihng keeping the 1/4 plug centered? i know the hole is just enoughtg to fit a 1/4 phone plug.... so thats keeping it centered... but is there anyting else thats centering it too?? I think if the cap was gone how would the plug stay centered?? I am desperate right now.. cause i STILL havent hearrd back from TEAC or TASCAM or whoever is going to respond.. .. and i really dont think they would have an answer either.. .they problem DONT know.. but it seems that WHY WOULD i be the ONLY one having the problem? This bring the third unit i had and all of them did the same thing.. I DO remeber that!.. andhaving ALL my cables doing it except for one cheap one.. i mean come on who hasnt have this problem?!?!/ I like to know!...But i seriously think they are dodging the question cause they know they dont have an answer... thats why i am desperate right now.. and wondering what they look like inside... with that capoff... i am thinking about litterally grinding the caps down.. so i can push ANY cable in to it.. i would rather deal with the problem at the source then having to grind down cables.. thats NOT fixing the problem..... but i am afraid that if i grind to much away that it may destroy that cap and then i wont be able to center the 1/4 plug in the jack .. know what i am saying? Please respond as soon as you can!!

 

[DogRox]

well i tore the rubber out of two of the jacks.. figureing that it was the problem.. and of course.. that didnt work.. so thats why i left the other two alone and dint touch them i am desperate since i am NOT hearing back from tascam at all.. and thats what pains me.....

but i found some 1/8" female to 1/4" male adapters.. that are quite long i mean as far as the tip to base of the plug it self.. they fit in nice and firm and dont pop out at all.. so now if i can use them.. and i would need 1/4" FEMALE to 1/8"male couples to put in them then i could put my heavy duty cables in them .. i would be all set.. now i just have to buy some of them 1/4 >1/8 adapters now.. hopefully it would still allow me to use them as BALANCED cables and most importantly NOT give me any noise!!

 

[DogRox]

hey ARCAXIS... sorry i didnt get back to you till now.. it has been a heck of a few days.. anyways I seen that KING NET page quite awhile ago. When i first noticed that the Combo connecters have "NEW TIDE" stamped on them .. i researched that and found that they are what you showed in your POST number #12.

Funny i heard back from tascam ands they say that they ONLY USE Neutronik Connectors.. in thier products.. first the guy tells me the problem i am having is because i am using "MONSTER" connectors... i told him do you mean the PLUG or the connector itself? he wsaid CONNECTOR. I said HOW is that possible?!?! The Connectors ARE the STOCK ones that are put in the unit from the manufactor.. HOW can i be using "MONSTER " ones?! it doesnt make sense...this unit has NEVER been opened! let alone have 4 xlr jacks replaced?? They all say NEW TIDE... THEN he says that they ONLY use NEUTRONIKs!. man this is a complete runaround! HE says it needs to be serviced.. i am like WHAT??!/ so you can put in the SAME exact connectors in there HOW'S THAT going to help me?! and here i am paying MONEY for that ?!?! And then ti find out it comes back to me with MOE PROBLEMS and the orginal problem still exists?! THATS total BULL!!


Correction.. i mean NEUTRIK,.,... NOT Neutronik.. as i had stated.. thats what the guy from tascam said.. NEUTRIK

How would i measure my connectors if they are still inside the unit and the unit has never been opened?!! what woud you suggest?!?!

 

[DogRox]

Ok i know what your saying.. measure the PLUG ... NOT the connector.. stupid me.. hehe I did before thats how i knewthat the ONE that DID work was longer i used my Digital caliper... So i measured them just now again this time with a printout of the plug measurements from that Image you provided... and ALl of the plugs that DO NOT work measure 1.203.8 - 1.204.3 from tip to base as shown in the image. there isnt much descrepency between them measurements to say thats the STANDARD measurement compared to the image. (of course it is hard to get the digital readout to stay steady thats why it was fluctuatiing..but not by much to say that it wasnt giving me close to accurate measurement.

BUT now the one that DOES work.. i am getting a reading of 1.232.4 - 1.232.6 from tip to base. far cry longer thenthe others on ALL my guitar and Balance cables.. What gives?!?!?! I dont know!

 

[DogRox]

no i push them in right tight to the base of the plug there is no way i can push them any further... also the tip of the plugs comparing the one on the cable that works.. dto all my others that DO NOT work.. they all are idetical tips.. so thats not the issue either.. i think with my unit had a batch of connectors that maybe were defect.....i dont know .. this is a real headache..