RTA Freakin out!

dan

Just install new 260. Setup xover points and ran through general operation to check it out. Everything seemed to be good. Ran a quick Auto EQ and it ran fine, resulting in a \"better than expected\" end result. Did this a couple of times as I changed xover points and amp settings just to play around. Again, all fine. Came in tonight and set new xover points and attempted to run Auto EQ - now with problems. I select the Wizard, then set \"EQ on\" and \"hi\", then hit next and run up the pink noise (have tried several times at different settings, but just below performance level), then I hit next to start the auto eq process. This is where the \"Auto\" part is suppose to happen. Instead, the RTA display registers low readouts and then the unit pushes the levels up on its own, not once but twice! Jumps from -30 on the meter to +6 in level without touching it. When I rotate the knob between RTA and EQ, the EQ levels are off the chart. All bands are pegged. Nothing I do fixes the problem. Tried a soft reset but no help. Other than this the system seems to be working fine. What am I doing wrong? Need to fix this before this Thursday!

Gadget

Hmmm...
So your saying that the auto EQ BOOSTED the level on it's own? The Auto EQ needs a sufficient level....which seems REALLY REALLY loud but geez... +6 would throw the cones out on the dance floor in my system! (I like lots of headroom)

-30 seems really low...I think mine was like -10 ~ (roughly)

Try it again with a higher level...I recommend (if you like a bass heavy mix like I do) that you decrease the level of the bass amps by 3 - 6 db and EQ them by ear. When I EQ the room the owner thinks the foundation sinks a few inches, and fully expects a call for the earthquake monitoring stations advising of a seismic event :shock: in our area...

I think mine won't let me Auto EQ without a sufficient level... but I could swear it just alerts me via a front panel message...

Gadget

Dra

Did the level seem to increase by bands? If it did it may be the mic has failed. Mine did this just over a year ago. A new mic fixed the problem.

DRA

dan

Yea. It's weird. I've tried several pink noise levels. No matter what level I use the unit still boost it substantially without me touching a thing. After I hit next to begin the auto process, it hesitates for a few seconds and then it jumps from \"-30\" to “0�, then again to \"+6\". If i begin above -30, it jumps realative. Pushes the system from a normally loud setting to near clipping. When I switch from RTA view to EQ view every bar is pegged....

Maybe I should try a hard reset... Dan

dan

Funny you should mention the mic. The only thing I changed from the first setup was the mic arrangement. The first night I played with it I just had the mic sitting in a stand facing the speakers about 15' back. Tonight I thought I'd try the \"indoor reflection\" method, so I rearranged the mic to reflect off a road case. It was then that the problem began. However, even when I went back to the arrangement with out the reflection, the RTA still have problems. I'm going to change out mics and try it again. I'll get back with you...

Dan

dan

Good thinking DRA. It wasn't the mic but it was the mic cord! I forgot that I added a length of cable when I rearranged the mic because I wanted to move it farther away from the speaker. Thanks.

Other question. before I did a soft reset when the unit powered up it automatically muted all the channels. How do I set that back as it was?

Thanks... Dan

Gadget

It's in the utility menu... easily modified from the GUI ... lots of itty bitty screen squinting for me in the front panel method...

Gadget

P.S. Dra I guess I keep my cords \"up to snuff\" I never had that problem...good call

As for DBX I have contacted them on numerous occasions...and have received nothing...VERY curious...

Dra

When my mic \"failed\" it seemed to have no response below 120 hz. A shorted cable can cause a \"low cut\" on freq transmissions. I guess that yielded the same net result as a bad mic.

DRA

Fanman20

Come on G
stop taking that snuff!
It's bad for your health you know



Mark

Fanman20

Thought :idea: :idea:

Has \"The Phantom\" got any thing to do with it??

Mic cable lost a leg / high resistance, mic not recieving 48 volts

Maybe lost eath / pin 1

Mark

dan

It acted exactly as Dra described. When setting the pink noise level it had full range/strong signal. But when I switched to start the auto eq, part of the signal dropped off for a few seconds and then it went into \"auto freak mode\". I'm please to have found the cause but wonder if DBX shouldn't fix this problem. I'd hate to see someone toast their drivers because of a bad mic/cable. The unit should know how to react when it can't sense part of the pink noise signal, just as it knows to give an incomplete message when levels are too low.

Thanks again...

With regard to DBX, they should know that, if not for this forum, I would probably have sent my first unit (DRPA) back and forgotten about DR's (or gone to another brand with a better manual), much less have moved up to a 260. DBX should either make this forum EASY to get to - or get off their collective butts and get as much of this stuff into a comprehensive user's guide as they can...

Dra

http://www.dbxpro.com/

There is a direct link on the main page under \"Quick Links\".

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You must be looking too hard.

DRA

dan

Yup, must have been :~) Thanks...

Fanman20

Hi dan

What was wrong with the mic cable??

What pin was missing??

Mark

Gadget

Well.. after the events as described by Dan I went and did some testing... No mic hooked up will yield the exact same results as bad mic and bad cable KABOOM... it's the auto EQ searching for a signal... as for the mic cable...a proper cable with no mic yielded the same results. I haven't \"butchered\" a cable yet but in my next cable cleanup I intend to find out...
G