FW1884 Ticking Fader

[Jed Dexter]

hi, recently one of my faders has started to make a faint ticking noise, as if it is trying to return the bottom.

Occasionally it does stick whilst I am in Cubase (when I move banks) but mainly the issue is when sat idle with all the faders at the bottom.

Any ideas?

 

[Steve Fogal]

If it's ticking within the audio signal you have more of a problem, if it's just ticking on the mechanical side, and like you said just occasional, I wouldn't bother opening up the unit or taking it in for repairs.
I see these units for sale that are in non-working condition, these are good for spare parts, in case you ever do need to replace a motorized fader etc.

 

[Jed Dexter]

Hi yes it's on the mechanical side.
Only issue is occasionally not responding when flipping through the banks.

So essentially if it gets any worse keep a look out for spare parts and replace it?

 

[Steve Fogal]

This is not for a FW-1884, but you may find this helpful...

http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/how-to-renew-repair-sticky-motor-faders-solved.2125/

I don't have personal experience with a sticky fader repair myself mind you, I've never opened my 2 Tascam FW units (1884 & 1082), but you can be pro-active or just wait it out. I would at least keep looking into what can be done in the meantime until you decide to either tackle the remedy/repair or have it repaired professionally. I tend to tackle things myself whenever possible.
What I would do at the very least is try the above links suggestion - after researching this is a good idea or not of course!. I'd also research repair or remedies for sticky faders on non-Tascam,s as a quick search didn't come up with a Tascam FW-1884 specifically for me.

 

[Buck]

I had this annoying ticking fader problem for a while some time ago then it spontaneously disappeared. I suspected it was some debris lodged in the bottom of the fader track, or maybe corrosion. It seemed like the fader would hit bottom on bank change then jump forward a few mm. I now use a spray-on fader lube (DeoxIT Fader F5) and it seems to keep them moving smoothly.