Tascam DM-24 Digital Mixer "Sticky" Fader

[Herb Green]

I had an issue with Fader 15 sticking during calibration on one of my DM-24's. It would stick at the top of the calibration and make a buzzing noise. It would hesitate and finally finish the calibration but the Fader would not return to the previous setting and volume output was low. I thought I would need to replace the Fader and searched for a replacement Fader or PCB module with no luck. I then thought of my next (should have been the first) option, clean it.

Powered off the mixer.

I used a can of compressed air to clean out every Fader.

I have a can of CaiLube MCL Fader Lubrication, I have had for several years, and sprayed in all Faders.
NOTE: (Name change in 2006: From CaiLube MCL to DeoxIT FaderLube, part numbers remain the same)
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.293/.f

A short blast from top of the Fader to the bottom. I made sure I had the Small red tube on the can in the slot of the Fader. You may need to use a flashlight to see down into the Fader slot. You want to make sure you are spraying in the Fader slot and not just in the opening of the mixer frame. The Fader sits sightly below that opening.

I then moved each Fader many times from bottom to top of Fader range to clean and lubricate the Faders. Some of the Faders started to "stick" during that process. I kept moving the Fader until the "sticky" feeling was mitigated and moved freely.

Once all Faders were cleaned and moving freely, I used the compressed air to dry out any remaining lubrication and cleaned the top of the mixer with a microfiber cloth.

I powered on the mixer and "Voila", the calibration completed with no issues and the Faders are now very smooth with no volume issues.

Next step is to clean all the XLR and 1/4" connections with DeoxIT D5.
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.188/.f

Hope this helps others with DM-24 "Sticky" Faders.

 

[stevezen]

Very good post, this should work for any brand console/fader that has oxidation issues, or iss sticky/noisy, from being located in a dusty environment or on extended vacation. Thanks also for the URLs/resource for the DeoxIT.

 

[BHotrock]

Herb, Thanks for your great info. I know this post is a bit old, but I have a question. Did you use the DeoxIT spray that is 5% solution or 100% solution? They list several products on that page and I'd like to go with whatever you've tried and tested.

Are the faders still working correctly now that it's a year later?

Thanks again!

 

[Peter Batah]

Hello @BHotrock . I was wondering if you ever had your question answered in regards to using the 5% or 100% solution. Thank you. Peter

 

[BHotrock]

Hello @Peter Batah,
I never did get an answer, and I've not tried either one yet. (I'm not using the DM-24 very often.) If someone has a suggestion, that would be great!!

 

[Peter Batah]

@BHotrock I did reach out to the folks at RP Electronics (product distributor). A fellow by the name of Tyson Hayes was provided me with the following information when I asked him:

Would you be kind enough to explain the difference between these products:

SKU: F5S-H6
SKU: F100S-L2

And, his response was:

The first is a dilution of the formula (5% cleaner/lubricant; 95% carrier/propellant) which is intended to be sprayed on and left to dry.

The second is a 100% cleaner/lubricant formula (same compound as the F5S), which will make it much more effective and quick-acting, but is thick enough to require wiping the contact clean afterwards to prevent buildup of the cleaning agent itself.

Most people find the 5% a more easily-used and flexible option, but the 100% is of far superior value if you consider it in a weight-versus-cost sense.

For spraying into console faders, I always recommend using the 5% dilution.

I hope this helps. Have a wonderful day!. Peter

 

[BHotrock]

@Peter Batah, That's great information! Thanks so much!!!

 

[Peter Batah]

My pleasure. Always glad to help. BTW, I will be ordering the product shortly. Will post back with results.

 

[Peter Batah]

Hello @Peter Batah,
I never did get an answer, and I've not tried either one yet. (I'm not using the DM-24 very often.) If someone has a suggestion, that would be great!!

Buyer Beware. Do NOT use this: DeoxIT® Fader, #F5S-H6. I applied it to the only fader that was difficult to move and made a scratchy sound. The product had no effect and the fader still needed to be manipulated by pinching the fader cap between my index and thumb. My story gets even more interesting. I decided to spray a few bursts of the product into fader 10. What a monumental mistake. Now fader 10 is difficult to move and makes the same scratchy sound that fader 9 makes. I assumed that applying the lubricating product into fader 10 couldn't possibly hurt. Boy was I wrong.

 

[Fiber]

That has nothing to do with faderlube. My guess is you have a worn out or broken fader belt (or even the motor). Best case scenario is that the belt just fell off the gear.

 

[Peter Batah]

@Fiber Belt is fine. The DeoxIT product acted almost as a "contact cleaner". This thread may clarify what I am referring to. Thank you for your input.

http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/tascam-dm-3200-digital-mixer-sticky-fader.4744/#post-22902

 

[Fiber]

It's a weird issue. I've been using it for years without any problems, no grinding sound in the faders or anything. Maybe yours were already a bit worn out before using it? The sound is like the fingers of the fader part are scraping through the carbon track.

 

[Peter Batah]

Fader #9 had already been making the scratching sound which is why I purchased the Caig DeoxIT product in the first place. Which by the way came highly recommended by several sources. What did I know?

After seeing how applying the product to fader #9 made absolutely no difference (as a matter of fact I can honestly say that it made it worse) I made a bad decision to apply it to a perfectly functioning fader #10. In my mind I concluded that fader #9 had a more serious issue and that applying to fader #10 would change nothing in its performance. If anything, it would allow fader #10 to move along its path in a more smooth and fluid manner.

I have contacted the folks at Caig and they too seem to think that the product actually did away with the original lubricant. Which is why I believe they are sending out DeoxIT® Fader, #F100L-L25C to me free of charge. Perhaps they should consider renaming product #F5S-H6 to FaderRemoveLube. Just trying to lighten things up a bit. This has weighed heavy on me. I thought that I was doing the right thing. By the way, I should mention that fortunately all the faders are still working just fine. The replacement product should arrive in a week or so. I will report back then. My apologies for the long-winded response. Have a great Sunday @Fiber

 

[wkrbee]

A lot of faders have grease in them that makes them feel smooth.When you flush out the faders,the grease gets washed out and you are left with a "scratchy" feeling fader

 

[cmaffia]

How much of the spray did you actually apply if the theory is you washed away existing lube? I'm guessing the original lube was gone or close to gone and you tried several attempts on each fader thinking that if you applied a little more that it was going to fix the issue but instead you removed whatever lube that was left. I suspect that the only way to fix this properly is to open the unit and re-lube those tracks. I could be wrong but any application of spray will be temporary at best at this point. Hope you sort it out.

Not the DM but notice the quantity used in the 1 and 3rd video of each product.

 

[Peter Batah]

@cmaffia I applied a few short bursts along the entire fader path. When I realized that didn't help I assumed that there must have been something else wrong with fader. That's when I applied the same short bursts to fader #10 which by the way functioned very well prior to that. It too became difficult to move and made that scratching sound. I should be receiving the 100% lubricant any day now. I'll see how that goes. Hopefully that product will help. I have my fingers crossed. P.S. that theory that you mentioned was one that was also put forth by the nice folks at Caig. And, thanks for the video links.

 

[Herb Green]

Almost 2 years later, the Faders are still moving freely since my initial cleaning. I use a black Eclipse curtain, purchased at Wal-Mart, to cover the mixer when not in use to prevent dust and debris from falling into the Faders.

Don't use Deoxit Contact cleaners for plastic parts. Make sure you use Fader Lubricants for plastic parts.
These are the contact cleaners. For the 1/4" and XLR jacks. Metal to Metal parts.
DeoxIT® D-Series - Contact Cleaner & Rejuvenator
DeoxIT® Gold G-Series
DeoxIT® Gold GxL Series
DeoxIT® Shield S-Series
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/.f

Did you use compressed air to blow out any debris in the Fader prior to using the Fader lubricant? I did that first. I used the Fader lubricant I referenced and there was a "scratching/dragging" feeling immediately after using but I kept moving the Fader from bottom to top back to bottom until that "scratching/dragging" feeling went away. I initially thought I may have damaged the Fader due to the "scratching/dragging" feeling but I didn't. They have been working fine ever since. Still smooth and calibrate perfectly.

I used the 5% solution. It is now the following name.
DeoxIT® Fader F-Series, #FN5S-2N
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.3146/.f?sc=2&category=293

This is a photo of the can I used.


Hope the additional information is helpful.