RM4 problem..

Greetings, Im new in here, but I bought my RM4 RT2/50 back when they 1st came out!

When I turn on my RM4, sometimes right away, sometimes after a few mins, all 4 modules LED's come on & the sound gets weak & distorted (the un-good kind)! Any clues, things to check?

try switching the preamp tubes around. while tube may sound bad in one position, it'll be fine in another. it could also lead to the issues you've described.

if this doesn't work, try replacing the phase inverter tube specifically.

RD/Steve said:

try switching the preamp tubes around. while tube may sound bad in one position, it'll be fine in another. it could also lead to the issues you've described.

if this doesn't work, try replacing the phase inverter tube specifically.

Click to expand...

Its just the RM4 preamp, so I pulled out all the modules & tried various ones, then replaced all 3 tubes in back, & it still goes out after about 2-5 mins.

When this happens, all 4 modules light up & the sound dies, gets crackly, cant switch chanells etc.

Bump :?:

Are you using a midi controller to switch channels? Is it the case that the modules all come on when you hit a switch for an effect or the like?

There is a special switch for programming the RM4 to switch based on midi settings. So maybe it was pressed in by a cable or wall at some point while you switched through the channels and they all got set to come on at once. If more than one channel is on at once, I would expect there to be crackling. I accidentally turned multiple modules on at once with my setup and got the crackling. Also, ther is a set of MIDI switches on each of my M4s that can be thrown to set up how switching occurs, which might affect default channel settings or allow multiple modules for channel mixing or similar. Maybe these switches are also present on the RM4s. The manual shoud have info on these types of things, I expect.

In any event, I look forward to hearing about your solution when you figure it out. Good luck.

Hello,

i have a very similar problem with my rm4. A few minutes after turning it on the LED of another channel turns on and the sound becomes half the level and noisy. If i switch all the channels through, using the RF4, it?s okay, again. Unfotunately the same thing starts a few minutes later.
Does anyone have an idea about solving this.

Thanx for any help.

trip

sounds like its your power source, try your power amp on something else like a different pre amp, its probably not tubes but thats always the first [place to start and easiest. check all your connections as well.

Hello,

thanx a lot for the response.
Idon?t think that the power amp is the problem as i use an old Randall rg100es for this job (just using the the return of the series loop).
Power source seems to be a possibility as i plug it directly into the net without using any stabilizer like e.g. a furman. So maybe the microcontroller of the midi system gets into trouble as a result of a voltage ripple. I already recognized that the rm4 is really sensitive on ripple on the power supply, can hear a loud *plop* when switching on the light.
So, thanx a lot maximus1.
@RD: Is this a realistic possibility? Is the problem gone by using a net-filter?

Thanx for any help.

Best regards,

trip

I would take this to a tech. There is a chance there could be a problem w/ the switchng but the fact that the actual tone changes means there is a bigger underlying problem. It may just be a loose connection inside but I don't know if changing the tubes and regulating the power is going to fix this issue.

trip said:

Power source seems to be a possibility as i plug it directly into the net without using any stabilizer like e.g. a furman. So maybe the microcontroller of the midi system gets into trouble as a result of a voltage ripple.

@RD: Is this a realistic possibility? Is the problem gone by using a net-filter?
Best regards,
trip

Click to expand...

Ive always used a surge protector/filter on mine. PLUS Ive really babied it.

Keep me posted on anything u find out & I'll do likewise.

Also thx Rich

riff...where are you located?

RD/Steve said:

riff...where are you located?

Click to expand...

Im in So Cal.

give us a call at 847.643.5120 for a service center near you.

Hello,

could one of my module have a problem, e.g. one of the optocouplers does not work right?
Thanx for the support.

Best regards

trip

RD/Steve, thanks, I'll give a call tomorrow!

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trip said:

Hello,

could one of my module have a problem, e.g. one of the optocouplers does not work right?
Thanx for the support.

Best regards

trip

Click to expand...

Trip, how many modules do u have? I have enough & swapped them all out. It still did it.

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Hello Riff,

have just 3 modules. Must trying to figure out if one of my modules is part of the problem.
If there is any more help out there i would really appreciate it.

trip

trip said:

Hello Riff,

have just 3 modules. Must trying to figure out if one of my modules is part of the problem.
If there is any more help out there i would really appreciate it.

trip

Click to expand...

Well, if you ran it with 1 module loaded in at a time... all 3 modules cant be bad, so youd be able to eliminate which one, if any, are bad.