NEWS ROLAND VK-7 – POWER SUPPLY REBUILDDecember 4, 2019This Roland VK-7 belongs to my mate, Alex Richards. The transformer is mounted upside-down on the inside of the top chassis. Guess what? It fell off! The machine was plugged in at the time so the accident caused considerable damage. To avoid this happening again, I mounted this heavy little component to the bottom (steel) chassis and laid new connections to the power supply board. Twenty years old, has taken quite a few knocks, it plays and sounds great.... NEKTAR IMPACT – BEST TECH SUPPORT EVERDecember 4, 2019Customers’ units come first so when my own stuff needs repairing, it kind of gets put to the back of the que, especially if it’s not a critical system. Anyway, a few weeks ago, the attack slider on my Nektar Impact LX61+ MIDI keyboard started playing up. I tried to do a quick fix but the potentiometer was definitely duff. I fired up a support ticket and received the most amazing response from Nektar. The company basically just sent me a whole new PCB! All I really wanted was the slider pot’. Cost-effective, versatile and easy to program, the Nektar Imact range of MIDI controllers seem perfect for any project studio set-up. Now that I’ve experienced the company’s support first-had, I really can’t recommend them enough. Mine’s a 61-note which means it’s only got USB out. With a USB switch though, I can run it into my DAW or to a USB MIDI host which allows me to drive my MIDI synths.... MARSHALL MONDAYSOctober 7, 2019Of course I don't just do Marshall repairs on Mondays but what a great way to start the week; a gorgeous 4502 JCM900 50W Dual Channel Reverb on the bench. There's nothing too wrong with this amp. It just came in for a re-valve and a tune-up (bias check) after the customer complained that it sounded a bit dull and lifeless. In my humble opinion, the JCM900 Dual Channel Reverb was the last 'proper' Marshall. Personally I'm a 100W head freak but the 50W heads and combos do sound sweeter. Put a 50W through a 4 x 12 and you get a whole lotta' beef underneath that sweetness. HEAR AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE I ALWAYS USE PREMIUM MATCHED VALVES AND I ALWAYS RE-BIAS CONTACT ME I get a lot of people ask me about impedance matching valve amps and speaker cabs so sometime over the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting some bumf on how it all works and best practices. Stay tuned!... COOL STUFF – THE YAMAHA GPIOctober 5, 2019General Purpose Interface under the User Defined Keys section on a Yamaha DM2000 Virtually all high-end Yamaha mixing desks such as the DM series, PM5D, LS9 and CL / QL series to name but a few, are equipped with the Yamaha General Purpose Interface or GPI. The picture above shows the GPI buttons under the 'User Defined Keys' section on a Yamaha DM2000. It's a great idea and can be so incredibly useful in so many situations. Unfortunately, very few people know what GPI is all about and Yamaha only offer limited implementation options. Often used to interface a desk with video equipment, the Yamaha GPI standard can also be used to switch on and switch off other equipment such as amplifiers, computers and outboard gear which might be located some distance from the mixing desk. For recording and live applications, this facility could be so incredibly useful. To take advantage of the Yamaha general purpose interface, I build a distribution box and various gadgets which will allow the GPI on your Yamaha mixing desk, to do just that. Pictured below is a 3-channel mains power switcher in a solid steel case, capable of switching three loads totalling 10 amps. This particular interface switches three power amps located in another room in a recording studio. Also pictured, is the breakout box which splits the GPI from the desk to eight individual lines. Channels 7 and 8 of this particular switch for example, are used to switch on two computers. Do magic things with GPI switching and breakout systems at Plasma Music If you have a Yamaha mixing desk equipped with GPI and want to remotely switch gear on and off from it, then don't hesitate to get in touch.... RME FIREFACE 800 POWER SUPPLY FIXOctober 4, 2019Many will know that I'm a mega-big RME fan. Stylish, reliable, oozing sonic excellence in abundance and very easy to use, RME interfaces like the Fireface 800 are just so transparent. Every six or seven years however, the power supplies on these systems pack up. Delivering a reliable but significant output, they do get hot and despite the use of high-temperature tolerant components, time takes its toll. Symptoms range from flashing lights on the front panel, to the unit not powering up at all. Anyway, I can fix 'em. For a flat £50.00, I can get your FireFace 800 or similar generation RME box, up 'n' running again. It's well worth it. These interfaces are just great. Just contact me. Click here for more information on RME interfaces.... SALE 2019October 4, 2019I'm currently downsizing my recording facility and so a lot of stuff is now up for sale. It's not just studio gear but drums, guitar and keyboard stuff, video cameras and more, computer equipment and live performance gear like PA systems, amps, etc. It's all been lovingly looked after while I've had it and most of the stuff is in pristine condition. Please do check it all out: https://plasmamusic.tv/sale-2019/sale-page-1/ before it all goes on eBay!...
