M20D Issue with channels

[Nitroflash]

Hi everyone!

 

I hope you can give some input on this problem I've been having for some time now. Misteriously, after the warranty ended my M20D started showing an issue where I plug a microphone  (Shure Beta 58) with the volume near the 3/4 up and when I speak to it is very silent, almost near no sound. I tried to speak louder to it and all of the sudden Whooooooooomp! the volume gets back to where it should be... making it a very stressful situation when you're playing a gig in a Wedding or any other party my band plays on.

 

Things I tried,

 

Updated the firmware on the mixer.

Swapped cables (all my cables are new XLR with Neutrik ends, all balanced)

Swapped Mics (I swapped the Beta that is brand new for an Audix OM2 wich is brand new as well, same issue)

I use a UPS between the mixer cable and my house outlet.

Restarting the mixer temporarily solves the issue but after some minutes it happens again.

I erased the mic and unplugged the cable, plugged it again hoping to solve the issue, same issue.

I use one L3S and one L3T with AES/EBU cables (cables are brand new)

It happens with a bass as well not just the mics

 

The strange thing is that when you speak louder (basically yelling to the mic while you wrap around your hand to the head of the mics) it feels like the mic was "clogged" so to speak and the yell just unclogs it making it work again for a short period.

 

I'm feeling kind of desperate because I purchased the full Line 6 speaker/mixer (M20D, 2 L3S, 2 23T and 3 L3M's and an XD-V55) system because I love the brand and I'm feeling they are letting me down.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance for the inputs!

 

Cheers,

 

Nitro

[lawrence_Arps]

Hi - yes join the club.  This is becoming a common problem.  Now wait for someone to try and tell you its because you have bad cables....

believe me its not.  Ive been without my mixer for over 2 months now waiting for the service guys to fix it...and I fear it will not be a permanent fix.

 

Fantastic  system, great sound, wonderful design....but unreliable.   I too have a full system, (2 L3s, 3L3m, 3 L2m and the M20D.

Currently its all sitting unused and I don't know if I can ever rely on the mixer for a gig again.

 

I want to say that Im not some internet naysayer.  I researched this for ages based on  30 years of experience. and truly believed this was the best system out there for the money.

 

...now I wish I had gone with something else.

[actdmusic]

It's the grounding. 

 

Various topics and solutions to be found on this forum  ;)

[Nitroflash]

Not really, the grounding should be resolved when you put a UPS peak proof unit in between the mixer power cable and the power outlet. So, again, it happens even when you put that kind of cre to a system that is digital. Because you know, it's digital and even if you blow into the system it would cause damage. So, I handle it with care that sometimes makes me look a little "Howard Hughes-sy". So, if any L6 expert could give an input that would really help with my issue, it will be really appreciated.

 

Just to add to the information I run a band that uses basically all the available channels on the M20D.

 

Drummer uses 5 channels (from 1 to 5 The mics are a Shure Beta 52a and a bunch of SM57)

Percussionist uses 2 channels ( 7 and 8 Uses Audix D2 mics)

DJ uses Channel 6

Lead singer uses 1 channel (channel 9 Audix OM2)

Female singer uses 1 channel (Channel 10 Line6 XD-V55 mic)

I use one Channel (Channel 11 with a Shure Beta 58)

bass Guitar is at channel 12

I use a POD HD500 that uses channels 13 and 14

And Keyboard player uses Channel 15

 

The issue has been happening from time to time on different channels and is not the same channel every single time. So that's what leads me to believe it is more a software than a hardware or grounding issue.

 

Please any inputs?

 

Thanks!

 

Nitro

[Rick_Auricchio]

What he meant is the grounding of the input connectors. Nothing to do with power.

[actdmusic]

http://line6.com/support/topic/10197-no-output-on-the-left-side-until-and-some-questions/

[Nitroflash]

Gracias! :D

[Nitroflash]

Fix applied. I followed the steps of your link and it worked like a charm!

 

It even fixed the headphone jack (that was not sending anything) and the Mute Mic button that wasn't working properly. After opening the mixer I noticed that a ribbon cable was not connected properly (I guess that was the issue with the mute mic button and the hadphone jack) and that there was some rust forming on the PC boards, after soldering all the grounding together to a single ground point and removing the rust using WD-40 and a toothbrush and putting everything back together it fixed the issues with the mixer.

 

Thanks everyone for your help! You saved me a lot of frustrating issues and I love the M20D again!

[66d35]

I wonder if there is any connection between exposure to high moisture levels/ambient humidity and this issue? Might be worth taking extra precautions... storing in case with dry silica gel and trying to keep as dry as possible?