LCD screen failure

[B2RPW]

I've seen other posts on this topic so I know this is not an unknown issue but after 9 months of light to moderate use the LCD screen on my DM4800 has developed between 13-20 horizontal lines. Although I know others have attempted ordering a replacement screen and swapping themselves, I'm nowhere near handy enough to attempt this. After a call to Tascam I was told that I could either ship my board back to them for several weeks or call an authorized repair shop. Turns out there is one 6 miles from my studio so I called them and paid $108 to have a tech come out to "fix it". He wasn't able to dismantle the unit on site so I had to crawl behind the Argosy desk where it lives and label the 50+ cables so he could bring the mixer back to his shop. There he was able to open the unit and now i'm told that Tascam will provide the parts under warranty but not the labor. So I've got to pay for the site visit to have unit removed/replaced, and I've got to pay for the repair labor plus the hours it will take me to reattach and trouble shoot the inevitable issues that will arise when I reattach everything. I'm happy with the mixer but it seems this kind of thing shouldn't be failing less than a year after purchase. And now I'm without my board for a week or so at least and I'll have to pay over $200 between the site visit, the repair and the next day shipping of the replacement screen.

Is my experience typical? Does it seem strange for a nearly $4000 piece of equipment?

 

[WernerBeukes]

My lcd screan have 27 lines on it as we speak. I'm replacing mine next week wih my technical guy, his name is Mel Roux and will do it in my studio without shipping anyware. The lcd screans on the dm 4800 aint very good apparently from what I've heard from others and also read on other forums.

There a different lcd's for this console that does fit and work, anr looks people had some good luck with them. Winstar is one I know of.

Anyway, blessings to you and best of luck on your lcd screan problems.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Your tech should have been able to "dismantle" (it really just needs to be opened) the DM on site. I replaced my LCD screen with the console in place in 30 minutes with nothing but a Phillips screwdriver. Moving the console back to his shop was an unnecessary step... You might want to consider having someone else work on your stuff.

Sorry for your hassle, but it should have cost you no more than the price of the part... You don't have to be all that handy to do it yourself. Your story is exactly why I did it myself.... The part cost 200 bucks, but to take it to an authorized service center (I could have driven it to Sweetwater), let them have it for a week before they even got around to cracking it open, and then paid the bench and labor charges.

So, two weeks without my console (which is out of the question) and a higher cost than the part... or buy the part myself for a lower total cost and have it fixed on site in an hour? That Hobson's Choice renders the warranty (at least on these screens) just about useless. I was just as hopping mad as you.

As for LCD's from other manufacturers, I did what seemed like endless looking around when I needed to replace mine, and while there are screens with similar specs it seems that none of them match the Tascam precisely (wrong pin-out, maybe?), and require a good deal of screwing around to make them work (or not, as the case may be).

 

[B2RPW]

Hobson's choice for sure. When I was on the phone with Tascam they said they would ship me the screen but if I tried to install it myself it would void the warranty so if anything else went wrong between now and end of October I'd be out of luck. With a parts only warranty I'm not sure there is much value to the thing anyway. The tech did try to take the middle panel that hosuses the lcd off but we couldn't do it from the top and sides. Apparently it needs to be unscrewed from the bottom. Anyway its done now but I'm frustrated that so many people are having problems with these screens so quickly.

While my board is in the shop, any other mods or things I should have him look at that typically go wrong? I haven't noticed any problems with faders or trim pots.

 

[Gravity Jim]

It doesn't need to be unscrewed for the bottom.... He just didnt know where the last screws were. Like I say, I opened mine in 10 minutes without moving it or the 27" monitors that sit on both sides of it. Didnt even break a sweat, and the new LCD fired up perfectly first time.

This site shows how it's done. Hit the "Install" link in the top banner for detailed photos of the opening procedurejust in cae you ever have to do it again... I suspect (with no actual information except that it seems that replacement screens last much, much longer than OEMs) that the ongoing problem is not due to the quality of LCD, which is manufactured by a screen maker, but due to some mishandling at the factory or during shipment.

I don't think the DM series has another "everybody has to deal with it" problem like the LCD screen.

 

[B2RPW]

thanks for the info but I don't see any link in your post. Could you please give me the link to the procedure? I searched on the internet and all I could find were large replacement screen offers.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Oops.

http://2seemy.com/

These guys make a board that displays the DM's screen info on a regular ol' monitor.

 

[B2RPW]

thanks that does seem easy. you know we were close to that but the tech that came insisted that the card slot screws did not need to be removed. Its really annoys me that he made us unhook the board and bring it to his shop.

 

[WernerBeukes]

Quick question... Does anyone here know how to calibrate the faders of this console?

 

[berl]

This site shows how it's done. Hit the "Install" link in the top banner for detailed photos of the opening procedurejust in cae you ever have to do it again...

I did this tutorial and this is my DM4800

BTW you can open your DM4800, it won't void the warranty as it is impossible to detect.
For example the 2seemy kit can be installed in during the warranty period, and removed if the mixer has to be sent back for service...

 

[berl]

Quick question... Does anyone here know how to calibrate the faders of this console?

There is nothing about it in the service manual.
The calibration is done when they test the mixer. This info is not memorized on the fader card electronics as it is a 'slave' card..
Ask Tascam tech directly.

 

[berl]

the tech that came insisted that the card slot screws did not need to be removed.

The card slot screws need to be removed. The slot pcb is held by its base.
I didn't knew that the first time I opened it and it was then really difficult to open.
The tip comes from Tascam technician here in Paris, Mr Mastroianni.