Real bad sound issue !!!

fl!p 3:43 PM - 20 August, 2010

Product: itch
Hardware: allen-heath-xonedx
Computer: mac
OS Version: dont-know
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Ok ....... ive had my DX for just over 2 months now ........ Today it has just been returned to me from Allen & Heath where it was sent for them to fix a MASTER OUT/SOUNDCARD problem ....... I was told by them that they had done tests and the result was NO PROBLEM FOUND !!

Here is what is happening ...........

When im playing on the device the sound drops out from the right speaker , as its just about to drop out i get a distorted sound coming from the speaker ( just as though its about to blow) ...... this can also happen to the left speaker and even to both channels at the same time .

While this is happening i have been broadcasting my radio show through Nicecast (broadcasting software for a Mac) and also i'm recording the show through Nicecast ........when the drop out occurs i cannot hear any distortion through the headphones,it sound perfect through them ,also there is no difference in the channel meter ,that stays the same .... BUT when i take the headphones out of the DX and quickly put them directly into the socket on my amp,i can hear the distortion through the headphones then .

Then when i play back the recording of what has happened the recording is absolutely perfect , no sign of any channel dropout or distortion whatsoever !!

Now heres the important bit ....... when the dropout is actually happening , the only thing that makes it worse or better is if i turn the master knob up on the DX unit !!!

I have ran tests on my amp and speakers , i have played music through them via other sources ie: cd, ipod etc etc for hours at a time and there is no problems at all !!

I have also connected the DX to different inputs on the back of the amp ... cd/aux/line1/line2 ans all have the same problem during playback of the DX . I have changed all the settings on my macbook so as no energy saving devices come on or the hard drive goes into hibernation ....... i have also played with the latency settings in itch and that makes no difference at all ....... and i have also operated the unit while the wireless and bluetooth have been on and also in the off mode too and this makes no difference either !!

All of the above occurs when i either use 1.6 or 1.7 beta , i never have both versions on the mac at the same time , its always one or the other .

I have been without the DX for 10 days while Allen & Heath had it ... and to get it back with the same old crap
and no idea of what the problem is ....... well, its really really pissed me off to say the least.

Does anyone have any ideas what the problem is ??

To be honest im at the point now where if this does not get resolved i will have no option but to purchase the New Kontrol S4 .

Ideas anyone ???

dejabede 6:09 PM - 21 August, 2010

Same thing happening to me... volume cuts randomly after about 20 minutes of playing. Sometimes it starts to come back, but usually stays lower and distorted until I unplug and restart ITCH. Does the same when simply using the XONE as a sound card via iTunes or Windows Media Player. Leads me to believe it is a driver issue. I am running Windows 7.

fl!p 6:25 PM - 21 August, 2010

I was told on the phone by the lads at Allen & Heath that the full stable release of itch 1.7 will be getting released this week coming with new drivers/firmware ..... Let's hope it's sorts all this crap out !!!

Michael R 3:14 AM - 31 August, 2010

Hi fl!p,

ITCH 1.7 just came out today, so if you'd like to try that out you can get it here -> www.serato.com (click link).

If that doesn't help, we'll need to take a look at your setup. Can you please tell which outputs you're using on the Xone:DX? Also what do you have the USB buffer set to in ITCH?

fl!p 6:33 PM - 1 September, 2010

...... sorry , i just got back from london ....... im downloading this now and ill try it out and get back to you ......... by the way , the problem seems only to occur when im using the master output ( not the balanced ) i also ran the unit for 5 hours with the audio cables connected to the booth output and there was no problem there !! ...... the unit had been sent back to Allen & Heath and i had highlighted that i suspected a problem with the master out , but after a full week of them having the unit and them telling me they had run tests on it , it was returned to me and i was told that the tests did not show up any faults ....... oh and ive tried the buffer on all settings and this problem occurs on all of them ...... i shall test the new release and get back to you , cheers .

fl!p 10:48 PM - 1 September, 2010

Right then, just a quick one ......... i ran the DX with the final 1.7 which i downloaded this evening ...... i ran it for around 30-40 mins , i had up to 3 decks playing with a little bit of delay thrown in and a touch of echo ..... during this time there was no loss of sound ....... Tomorrow i will give it good 2-4 hours worth and see what happens then .

Michael R 12:40 AM - 3 September, 2010

Hey fl!p,

Great, so it sounds like 1.7 has addressed the issues you were having :) Is it still working ok after a long session?

fl!p 9:20 AM - 3 September, 2010

....... ok , 10 minutes into the mix and the sound dropped out of the right channel again ... i immediately took the audio cables out of the master output and connected them into the booth output ...... no further sound issue .
It is definately a fault with the master output , like i told Allen & heath it was when i sent the unit back last time !!

Pete Hurrell 1:53 PM - 10 September, 2010

Interesting to read this post because I am also having a similar problem.

Initially, I put it down to vibrations in my current speaker system as I come out of the balanced XLR's into an adapter that then plugs into the direct input of a Cinema speaker system. The cables are pretty heavy and I assumed that it was the weight of the cable combined with vibrations that was causing the problem but after experiencing this problem for some time, it seems that it is a wiring issue internally in the unit because if I tap it a few times the audio drop out moves between left and right and eventually comes back in full stereo.

If I crossfade with anything more than the delicate finesse of a tooth fairy, the drop outs can also occur.

I will try the booth output and see if this is any better.

dejabede 11:46 PM - 10 September, 2010

My issues are still there... I have found that the firmware update seems to be the cause of my dropouts. Can we get a firmware update that doesn't make 64 bit Windows 7 go crazy???

Michael R 2:55 AM - 19 October, 2010

Hey fl!p,

My apologies for the long delay in getting back to you, I thought that I had replied to your earlier post :-S

I'd like to try an rule out whether or not it is a hardware fault, would you please be able to tell me:

1) Have you tried running your Xone:DX on a different computer, and if so does the same problem occur?
2) Are you running Nicecast on the same computer at the same time you are running ITCH? If so, do you have the same problem when Nicecast is not running?
3) When you swap from the master output to the booth output are you using the same cables?
4) Does this issue always happen in a particular location (e.g. your home studio) or does it happen in a variety of different locations?
5) Do you have the latest firmware on your Xone:DX?

Thanks :)

Michael R 2:56 AM - 19 October, 2010

Hi Pete Hurrell,

Thanks for your post. Your issue definitely sounds like it could be hardware related, have you contacted Allen & Heath? If not, I would recommend you submit a help ticket here -> allen-heath.helpserve.com (click link).

Thanks.

Al C 10:43 PM - 21 October, 2010

Hi Pete Hurrell

Michael's right, this sounds like a hardware fault.
Sorry to hear you're having problems, you certainly shouldn't have to worry about weight of cables on the XLR connectors; these are designed for professional use - good quality cables and XLRs can be expected to be heavy-duty and you shouldn't need to handle your unit like the toothfairy ; )
You could try connecting from the master RCA outputs too, to check if the issue is local to the XLR terminals only, but either way, get in touch with your dealer and arrange for them to get it looked at, or if you send us ticket, as suggested above, we can let you know who to contact for local support.

For info; dejabede's unit was replaced by his distributor and he's not had a problem with the new unit. I also spoke to the engineer at AM&S who checked his original unit and he did confirm there was a fault on the connector assembly, so the problem's also easily repaired if replacement isn't an option, or it's a faster way to get a fully working unit.
We've asked fl!p to get in touch about getting his unit back to be checked out again and waiting to hear back...

@ fl!p - if you're reading this thread, send me a PM. thnx

Hope this helps

Cheers
Al

djnito 3:55 PM - 27 October, 2010

i have got this problem too. I lost the stereo with my xone dx.
Allen heath must replace my xone dx, is a manufacturing problem. the serial number is 001271, I bought it in March. please help me!!!.

Michael R 2:43 AM - 29 October, 2010

Hi djnito,

I'm sorry to hear you are having problems. As this is a hardware issue, you'll need to contact Allen & Heath. You can submit a help ticket here -> allen-heath.helpserve.com (click link).

Thanks.

Al C 8:20 AM - 29 October, 2010

Hi djnito

If you have a hardware fault, you can contact your dealer to make arrangements for getting the problem fixed on your behalf, but Michael's right, if the issue is hardware related, submit a help ticket to us at allen-heath.helpserve.com so we can advise you on local support via your A&H distributor.

If you've already submitted a ticket, PM me with your ticket details and we can tie up the different threads.

Cheers
Al

7:00 AM, 13 Nov 2010

This help request has been closed due to inactivity.

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Real bad sound issue !!!

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