O/T help&advice-faulty PA equipment for live performance

[SusieP]

I am at the end of my tether and wonder if any of you guys with pro audio stuff can think of what the problem could be? Bear with me so I can tell you everything.
For our 80's show we use an original HK Actor rig - two powered full range/satellite top cabs and four powered bass bins/sub woofers. We also run three Carlsboro PM15 powered wedge monitors. All through a Soundcraft Spirit FX8 mixer.
The sound is awesome - but something is going wrong.

A top cab stopped working. It was fixed under warranty. A capacitor on the transistor had blown.
Then after the warranty ran out a top cab started to make a ‘farting' noise when it reached a certain temperature - about twenty minutes into the show.
We took it to three different repair guys - all said nothing is wrong with it. We took it to a rehearsal room and it played fine. Then as soon as we got to a gig......it farted.
So we bought two new top cabs.
Then the monitor at the end of the chain of three started to make a farty noise. Took it for repair........nothing wrong. But it farts after about twenty minutes. We stopped using it and went down to two monitors.

If we use the old top cabs as a monitor through that output on the desk…they fart at a gig. If we use them as top cabs through that output on the desk, they fart at a gig. But the repair guys have had the old top cabs, and the desk and all three monitors for a week to soak test and examine and they can find nothing wrong with any of them. So the old top cabs and the third monitor are in storage as we cannot risk using them at a gig and looking crap.


At last nights gig, a new top cab just went off after about ten minutes. Power light…on. Fan….on – just no sound. It’s still under warranty so it’s gone to be fixed……………but if the desk isn’t faulty and the PA isn’t faulty………………WTF is causing all these problems???? We could buy a new desk and still have probs. We bought new cabs and they keep blowing. And all the repair guys we have been to say they never have any trouble with HK because it is top notch stuff.
So is it us? Is it HK or is there something obvious which could be causing it?
Any ideas, anyone please??? If not I’ll take a sledge hammer to the bloody lot of it, go and get drunk and then look for a proper job.

[stevew2]

Are you sure its the cabinets that are farting? Make sure the nuts are tight that hold the speakers in. Id dump that shit and go with Mackie .All their stuff is good

[mriesenb]

I am at the end of my tether and wonder if any of you guys with pro audio stuff can think of what the problem could be? Bear with me so I can tell you everything.
For our 80's show we use an original HK Actor rig - two powered full range/satellite top cabs and four powered bass bins/sub woofers. We also run three Carlsboro PM15 powered wedge monitors. All through a Soundcraft Spirit FX8 mixer.
The sound is awesome - but something is going wrong.

A top cab stopped working. It was fixed under warranty. A capacitor on the transistor had blown.
Then after the warranty ran out a top cab started to make a ‘farting' noise when it reached a certain temperature - about twenty minutes into the show.
We took it to three different repair guys - all said nothing is wrong with it. We took it to a rehearsal room and it played fine. Then as soon as we got to a gig......it farted.
So we bought two new top cabs.
Then the monitor at the end of the chain of three started to make a farty noise. Took it for repair........nothing wrong. But it farts after about twenty minutes. We stopped using it and went down to two monitors.

If we use the old top cabs as a monitor through that output on the desk…they fart at a gig. If we use them as top cabs through that output on the desk, they fart at a gig. But the repair guys have had the old top cabs, and the desk and all three monitors for a week to soak test and examine and they can find nothing wrong with any of them. So the old top cabs and the third monitor are in storage as we cannot risk using them at a gig and looking crap.


At last nights gig, a new top cab just went off after about ten minutes. Power light…on. Fan….on – just no sound. It’s still under warranty so it’s gone to be fixed……………but if the desk isn’t faulty and the PA isn’t faulty………………WTF is causing all these problems???? We could buy a new desk and still have probs. We bought new cabs and they keep blowing. And all the repair guys we have been to say they never have any trouble with HK because it is top notch stuff.
So is it us? Is it HK or is there something obvious which could be causing it?
Any ideas, anyone please??? If not I’ll take a sledge hammer to the bloody lot of it, go and get drunk and then look for a proper job.

Did the repair guys test with your cables as well? Maybe there's a faulty cable which everytime you set up ends up on a different device, hence the random behavior.

And, try changing power cables, etc.

Hope this helps!

[Voyager]

I would go with a different brand of powered speaker. We had the same problem when we tried to use some Behringer powered speakers in the last band I was in. Replacing them with the same brand was not a good solution. We went with JBL passive (non-powered) speakers and crown amps, problem was solved.

An inexpensive alternative would be to purchase Peavey gear. It is very reasonable and I have found it to be very reliable. It's not JBL but it gives the best bang for the buck. If you've got the money, JBL has a new line of powered speakers with built-in Crown amps that kick ass:

[texafana]

Check your power supply chain. Make sure the power is being evenly distributed.

[SusieP]

The rig cost £5000.00. It sounds fantastic [when its all working] - we tested Mackies and a few other makes when we bought the HK and the sound of this out did all of those - but then, sound is a personal taste thing isn't it?
The newest top cabs are still under warranty until Sept 2012 anyway.
And buying new gear in this climate is not an option for us. Our van is dropping to bits so any spare money we get will go towards repairs for that or a new one.
Our gigs have halved since the smoking ban and the recession hit - so laying out more money is not an option.

The last technical guys had the full rig and ALL the cables too. .
They ran it for about three hours........................................................no farting.
We have swapped cables too. We have a cable tester and all pass the test.
Fuckers only seem to fart at a paid gig.

So you can see the dilemma.
Is it the desk as that is the common denominator?
But how can a desk that is not powered make the powered speaker or powered monitor fart?

It's doing my head in.

[SusieP]

Did the repair guys test with your cables as well? Maybe there's a faulty cable which everytime you set up ends up on a different device, hence the random behavior.

And, try changing power cables, etc.

Hope this helps!

With the Monitors we marked their cables with different coloured tape and ensured that the same power cable and same jack lead was used in the same unit every time. And we made sure that each of the three monitors was placed in the chain in the same order every time.
It was always the last one which farted. We changed its cables and it still did it.
I’m thinking there maybe something in the desk – but if we stretch to buying a new one and still have the same problem it will be money wasted.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The Top Cabs have cables which are jack/cannon we havent colour coded them, though.

[mriesenb]

Did the repair guys test with your cables as well? Maybe there's a faulty cable which everytime you set up ends up on a different device, hence the random behavior.

And, try changing power cables, etc.

Hope this helps!

With the Monitors we marked their cables with different coloured tape and ensured that the same power cable and same jack lead was used in the same unit every time. And we made sure that each of the three monitors was placed in the chain in the same order every time.
It was always the last one which farted. We changed its cables and it still did it.
I’m thinking there maybe something in the desk – but if we stretch to buying a new one and still have the same problem it will be money wasted.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The Top Cabs have cables which are jack/cannon we havent colour coded them, though.

Next gig, rent a different brand/type of desk.

Good luck!

[SusieP]

Next gig, rent a different brand/type of desk.

Good luck!

Thats what I was thinking.
The cab which is under warranty and which has gone for repair won't be back in time for the next gig, so we are hiring a top cab.
If they have a desk for hire too we'll do that.
If not we'll hire a desk when we go back to the rerpair guys to collect the repair.

Its funny though, we are running the two powered monitors from the desk and neither of them fart. It was the third one which was always positioned after them.
So is it just a cruel coincidence that the third monitor and the cabs have all have separate faults and it is not the desk at all?

I was thinking whther to get a third top cab to use as a spare whenever one goes kaput.
We could run to one new cab or a desk but not a whole new rig.