Stuck/lazy slider on DM-4800

goodflow

goodflow

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
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From
NC USA
Website
www.silver-machine.net
Gear owned
DM-4800, DM-3200, US-1800
Hey all,
As of this morning, my ch.17 slider seems to be stuck... if I have it all the way up and switch to a bank where it is all the way down it has no problem resetting, but if I switch back to the bank where it is all the way up it won't move. Has anybody encountered this before and figured out an easy fix? If there's no easy fix, does anybody suggest any other tests to help me diagnose what's wrong with it before I go in search of service? Thanks!
 
Haven't experience that problem. But if I did, I'd save all my work, then perform a hard reset. If that fails to fix the problem, I'd then consider the possibility of either 'glern' stuck in the fader mechanism, or - worse - a failing fader board.

PS: A little preaching to the choir: it's a good idea to keep the working surface of your mixers REALLY CLEAN. I keep an 'electronics rag' handy on my console desk; the mixer gets a nice pat down every session. I also made a vinyl cover which I use when I don't expect to use the studio for more than a few weeks.

Dust, dirt, cobwebs, finger oils, and just about any foreign matter are enemies of your mixers. It's really easy for junk to get into those fader slots to cause you all sorts of heartburn.

Jes' sayin'. ;)

CaptDan
 
Thanks for the tips! I did recently invest in a dust-cover to throw over my DM when not in use, I suspect that that some sort of particulate got down in there and that's the source of my problem. It's still a little bit sluggish today, but not "stuck" as it seemed yesterday (which I didn't notice until I was going home for the night as I'd been working on a project that didn't make use of that particular fader). Cheers!
 
You'll probably hear some 'GASPS!' from the audience, but you might want to pick up a can of electronics spray at your local 'RatShak.' Shake well, then shoot a quick shot of spray into that fader slot. (With mixer shut down, of course.). Then, carefully work the fader up/down. Fire up the mixer and see what happens. If all's well, it should march into lockstep with the other 'soldiers.'

A can of compressed air also works in a pinch.

CaptDan
 
captdan said:
You'll probably hear some 'GASPS!' from the audience, but you might want to pick up a can of electronics spray at your local 'RatShak.' Shake well, then shoot a quick shot of spray into that fader slot. (With mixer shut down, of course.). Then, carefully work the fader up/down. Fire up the mixer and see what happens. If all's well, it should march into lockstep with the other 'soldiers.'

A can of compressed air also works in a pinch.

CaptDan
Click to expand...

No gasp from me. ;-)
I've used various electronic cleaner sprays on my DM many times.
In my case it has been for the errant select or solo switch.
I've never encountered the stuck/lazy fader situation, so I can't vouch for the efficacy of spray treatment.
I hope you get it sorted out soon.
 
No gasp from me.
Click to expand...
Cleaner sprays are the BEST way to kill your faders, encoders and switches. A big gasp from me.

Spray you could use is Tuner600 (available in Europe). The printed circuit boards with the faders on them, are easy to take out of the mixer.
Open up your mixer, take the pcb out, use a cotton stick which is a little moist with tuner600 spray, clean fader and use compressed air to blow out the fader.
 
Question: what's the chemical difference between 'Tuner600' and the RatShak (RadioShack) mixture? Seems to me both are essentially a liquid/aerosol product.

I think the danger isn't in the spray, but the risk of shorting out a delicate component by introducing a conductive liquid onto a connection. But these type of spray mixtures are designed to evaporate quickly. That's why you DON'T spray a 'live' mixer because, if current is passing, the momentary layer of liquid can be hazardous to the circuit's health.

CaptDan
 
I don't know the particular sprays mentioned, but the general problem with electronic cleaning sprays is that they leave a sticky residue after evaporation of the basic solvent. This residue then becomes a very good settling ground for dust and other contaminants - which then needs cleaning with a solvent based cleaner (and much more often than before first use).

Best practice IMO is either applying cleaner on a surface that you can also wipe dry, or - even better - don't use cleaner but compressed air.
 
There is a lot of variation in those sprays. Most of them leave a residu behind indeed which is very bad for the potentiometer/fader after a while.
I don't know the difference between Tuner600 and the Ratshack spray sadly... But the Tuner600 spray only cleans, doesn't leave residu and hasn't got a lubrication agent.
Many sprays also lubricate, which is not good for faders.
 
rbrezins said:
Many sprays also lubricate, which is not good for faders.
Click to expand...

I did a little more digging into this and found that 'RatShak' (RadioShack) offers two types of electronics spray: a combination lube/cleaner and an aerosol cleaner without a synthetic lubricant. I've used the latter type on several projects over the years - for electronic device restoration, switch and rheostat maintenance, etc.
Although I've never applied it on a mixer's fader, I've utilized it on a 'lazy' SELect button some time ago. Haven't had issue with it since.

So, the moral of the story is, you've got to read the labels and not trust a store's 'sales associate.' They often don't know, and couldn't care less. :cry:

CaptDan
 
Ditto on the spray, although most of them are pretty poor quality. I swear by Caig DeOxIt 5... It fully cleans oxidation from contacts and doesn't just lube pots and sliders but kinda of re-surfaces them. Also, the spray can can has an adjustable head: slow, medium, fast. Great, great stuff. I have seen it bring dead electronics back to life, and actually improve the sound of an electric guitar. I'm not kidding. Don't track without it!
 
Been meaning for some time to pick up some DeOxlt5. Actually, I learned about it on a jukebox forum (I've restored a few), and like pinball machines ( - also an insanity of mine) there are a LOT of make/break contact switches.

Knowing your subtle wit, I would normally think you were kidding about the 'electric guitar' comment. But, this time, I know you're not; bad connections make for not-so-wonderful results. :)

On my to-buy-list. :)

CaptDan
 
Capt., you won't be sorry. My old friend Gary, a live sound tech and builder of custom speaker cabinets for installations, turned me on to it. Before that I was using the tuner spray from RatShak, which Gary, with his gift for overstatement, indelicately calls "yak piss." But I have seen the light. You can use DeOxIt5 confidently in every situation knowing that you are not harming your gear in any way.

And yes, it was my own homebrew Stratocaster clone that sounded demonstrably better after simply having its pots and switch shot with DeOxIt. When my Egnater amp head was acting up, I just shot some in the effects loop jacks (on th advice of some smarter friends) and the problem dissolved. Repairman In A Can!
 
The examples of uses for electronics cleaners here are good ones. Dirty Pots, dirty Jacks, something about pinball machines...etc.
But when it comes to the Tascam faders, please take care. The faders move on factory lubed surfaces, and utilize plastics. If you use a cheap cleaner, you could spray away all of the factory lube and might even damage the plastics, causing a worse situation.

referencing this article: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/prop ... s/poll/P4/

Some good ideas for fader cleaning there. Personally, I have used Craig DeOxit D5, immediately followed by DeOxit Fader Lube. It works well, but remember to use as little as necessary and that compressed air is your friend. Any cleaning spray will completely strip the fader of any lube, causing the fader to almost not slide at all. Even though it is now very clean.
The above article references "Tefrawn", made by Rawn. I think that the Teflon based lube is a good way to go to protect any plastic parts. But, I personally haven't tried it.
 
I recommend using silk sleeping bag liners to cover your gear - they're reasonably priced and silk is anti-static, soft and non-scratchy. Make sure it's real silk, not the polyester stuff as that is very static generating. :D
 
I recommend unplugging everything from the DM3200/DM4800 every night and giving it its own bed, pillow and blanket (nothing less than 535 thread count).
 
Yep that's exactly where I purchased my vinyl cover for my DM3200!
 
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