Yet another technical/electronics/pedal question.... fellow electrical gurus?

[bassthumpintwin]

Hey guys,

 

I have yet another dilemma with a friends guitar pedal.

 

This time its a Line 6 DL4.

 

I gave the Ckt Board a quick once and twice over, and no components look burned out, or loose, or any of the more obvious symptoms, but here's the issue:

 

When I plug the thing in, it appears to power up fine.

If I play through the unit without engaging any buttons, it gives a clear clean signal to the amp.

 

If I hit switches to engage the unit, I get a VERY LOUD static. Like when you unplug your cable box from your TV or something.

 

The static/noisy signal seems to follow the delay effects and such, but that's really all it does.

 

Any clues off the top of your heads?

 

Bad capacitor or something like that?

 

Thanks in advance guys!!

 

 

-Drew

[Guttermouth]

 

Hey guys, I have yet another dilemma with a friends guitar pedal. This time its a Line 6 DL4. I gave the Ckt Board a quick once and twice over, and no components look burned out, or loose, or any of the more obvious symptoms, but here's the issue: When I plug the thing in, it appears to power up fine. If I play through the unit without engaging any buttons, it gives a clear clean signal to the amp. If I hit switches to engage the unit, I get a VERY LOUD static. Like when you unplug your cable box from your TV or something. The static/noisy signal seems to follow the delay effects and such, but that's really all it does. Any clues off the top of your heads? Bad capacitor or something like that? Thanks in advance guys!! -Drew

 

 

 

sounds like you're probably getting some ac in there where you shouldn't be.checking/replacing the electrolytics on the board around the power supply socket would be a good start.

i had one of those on the bench last week - there's not gonna be much else you can do with it short of replacing caps and chips. line 6 are a bunch of bitches when it comes to any sort of service so i wouldn't hold my breath for a schematic.

[bassthumpintwin]

sounds like you're probably getting some ac in there where you shouldn't be.checking/replacing the electrolytics on the board around the power supply socket would be a good start. i had one of those on the bench last week - there's not gonna be much else you can do with it short of replacing caps and chips. line 6 are a bunch of bitches when it comes to any sort of service so i wouldn't hold my breath for a schematic.

 

Assuming it's some misdirected AC, would it make a difference if I switched to battery power? Or would the faulty caps still pose an issue. Theoretically, I mean?

 

This should at least improve things right?

 

I see what you meant about Line 6 service reps. It seems like the only thing they know how to do on the formums is copy and paste "You need to take it to a service tech for diagnosis and repair".

 

Looks like the DL4's have nothing but issues in the line 6 forums too. I read one post where the service tech wanted to charge 5 dollars less than the cost of a new one just to repair the old one. hahahahah

 

[Guttermouth]

Assuming it's some misdirected AC, would it make a difference if I switched to battery power? Or would the faulty caps still pose an issue. Theoretically, I mean? This should at least improve things right? I see what you meant about Line 6 service reps. It seems like the only thing they know how to do on the formums is copy and paste "You need to take it to a service tech for diagnosis and repair". Looks like the DL4's have nothing but issues in the line 6 forums too. I read one post where the service tech wanted to charge 5 dollars less than the cost of a new one just to repair the old one. hahahahah

 

it won't hurt to try it off a battery.if that doesn't do the trick it might be time to get out the old listening probe and just listen to different points on the board to see if you can track it down.

i don't remember exactly what chips they were using in that thing but it is possible that you've got a partially shorted chip in there somewhere as well.

don't get me started on line6's customer service. i used to do repairs for a store that carried their stuff and i'll just say line6's priorities are waaay off base.....

[Jazz Ad]

The symptoms lead more toward a fried chip.

There is way too much software in these things to keep them fixable.

[bassthumpintwin]

 

The symptoms lead more toward a fried chip. There is way too much software in these things to keep them fixable.

 

 

Yeah, the more I look at this thing, (and research this pedal) the more I think it's chip related. I did read that a quick fix that seems to work for a lot of people, is pulling the chip out and re-installing it. I'm gonna try this when I get home and see what happens.

 

(BTW, I tried batteries in it, and I get the same result.)

 

I read one post in the Line 6 forums where a guy's DL4 crapped out, and so out of frustration, he unlpugged it, walked outside, and threw it down against the pavement.

 

For some reason he plugged it back in, and it worked perfectly from then on. hahahah

[Kindness]

 

I read one post in the Line 6 forums where a guy's DL4 crapped out, and so out of frustration, he unlpugged it, walked outside, and threw it down against the pavement. For some reason he plugged it back in, and it worked perfectly from then on. hahahah

 

 

I did that with an iPod.

[Guttermouth]

 

(BTW, I tried batteries in it, and I get the same result.) I read one post in the Line 6 forums where a guy's DL4 crapped out, and so out of frustration, he unlpugged it, walked outside, and threw it down against the pavement. For some reason he plugged it back in, and it worked perfectly from then on. hahahah

 

 

those big ass (96 pin?) sockets they use in those things are the pits because the contacts are so small. it might be worth it to pull all the chips and shoot the sockets with some contact cleaner.

[bassthumpintwin]

Well, re-seating the chip was a no go. Didn't do a thing.

 

I might see if I can get Line 6 to send me a replacement to test... I'm not holding my breath though.

[Guttermouth]

 

Well, re-seating the chip was a no go. Didn't do a thing. I might see if I can get Line 6 to send me a replacement to test... I'm not holding my breath though.

 

 

hmmm...

must be a bad chip then.they won't send you anything unless you're an "authorized" service center and even then it'd be a miracle if they did. definitely let me know how your experience goes with 'em.

[bassthumpintwin]

 

hmmm... must be a bad chip then.they won't send you anything unless you're an "authorized" service center and even then it'd be a miracle if they did. definitely let me know how your experience goes with 'em.

 

 

Well, I will say that the line 6 forum has no where NEAR the quick response that you guys do. It's usually at LEAST a day or two it seems like, and even then they aren't much.

 

I was recently told to try a reset, and then take it to a service center if that didnt work.

 

A reset was one of the first things I did. I'd go talk to a service center rep, if the nearest one wasnt one state over.... I just dont feel like spending hours in traffic and paying a guy 50 bucks to take it behind the counter, pop a chip in, and tell me I'm good to go.... (assuming it IS a bad chip.... haha)

 

Maybe if I'm nice I can have one mailed to me....