Cacophony Forums
Unofficial Mackie User Forums => DL1608/DL806/DL32R/ProDX Mixers => Topic started by: RoadRanger on March 29, 2013, 03:17:20 PM
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I bought 8 rubber grommets from my local mom and pop hardware store, and cut them in half, then smoothed off the area where I made the cut and put one under each gain knob. This keeps the pots from being accidentally moved.
Now I have to use considerably more effort to change the settings.
This would be great for those who use their 1608 for the same inputs on consecutive gigs, as long as the same mics are used on the same instruments, and are placed close to the same spot, setting levels should be a lot quicker on your next gig.
(http://www.dankury.com/miscuploads/DL1608_O_rings.JPG)
The grommets I bought have a 1/4 inch inside diameter and a 1/2 inch outside diameter.
(http://www.dankury.com/photos/oring.JPG)
(http://www.dankury.com/photos/cutting_grommet.JPG)
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Thanks for the great idea. I bought 1/4" rubber washers at Home Depot for $.86 in a pack of four. I lucked out when one of the packs actually contained 5 so I had one for the headphone pot . Depending on how hard you push back down on the knob when replacing it, you can go from light resistance to a near- permanent setting.
Felt washers might work too.
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thanks for the email Ron,
the "other" forum used my actual name as the username instead of dpdan, I sent numerous requests to change it and never received even an acknowledgement.
thanks for bringing this back from the dead :)
Dan Kury
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:) 8) :thu:
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Thumbs up :thu:
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Awesome, I'll do this today!
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This is much better than the cover I was going to make to keep the knobs from being bumped... good show!
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Very nice tip. I think I'll try this tomorrow. On another note, I like how you follow (mostly) the resistor color code for your cable connection. I do the same thing when my cables are colored (not numbered.)
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I like how you follow (mostly) the resistor color code for your cable connection.
I do follow the color code correctly... it is wonderful to not have to read tiny little numbers on cables :)
black is zero, then
1-brown, 2-red, 3-orange, 4-yellow, 5-green, 6-blue, 7-violet, 8-grey, 9-white.
I use that color scheme on all my other equipment
(http://www.dankury.com/miscuploads/color_coding.JPG)
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Just a quick tip for a fast, and cheap way to add some resistance. I had some gray foam left from a case that had "pluck foam". I wrapped a strip of the foam around the post, put the knob back on and then tucked any excess foam into the pot with a butter knife. It's not quite as pretty as the rubber grommets as you can see some foam if you look closely, but it works, was free and done in under 10 minutes.
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Only problem that I see here is that your bandmates will think that nothing changing means that nothing changes. That doesn't work for me in the same club two nights in a row. Nice idea. Like the camera idea better for my life. Love the color coded snake. Hate the memorization phrase. Got to do something more positive.
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Wynnd,
You understand you can still move the trim pots, it just adds resistance. I think it's a good thing regardless of whether it's the same band or not. The pots are just too easy to turn. Accidentally brushing them moves the knobs. This happened on Friday where I inadvertently bumped up the gain on the drummer's headset mic at some point. I unmute the channels to start the first dance at a wedding and ..... screetch...
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I like that idea, I will give that a go when i can find some similar rubber washers.
I was wondering how to memorise the gain setting per gig, as we visit the same venues 3 or 4 times a year, I think the solution would be to take a photo and name it as the venue, then I can recall the show and set the gain to the photo
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I like that idea, I will give that a go when i can find some similar rubber washers.
I was wondering how to memorise the gain setting per gig, as we visit the same venues 3 or 4 times a year, I think the solution would be to take a photo and name it as the venue, then I can recall the show and set the gain to the photo
The venue is irrelevant when doing channel trims. It's the "same bands" you'd want to remember and even then it would just be a starting point. Honestly, IMO, not worth the effort unless you are mixing the same band often, but not always. It's only a 5-10 second per channel thing to adjust the trims.
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Just buy any of the behringers. They all have programable mic pres. This will also include the iX when it comes out.
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Yeah, how's that X Rack working out for you?
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I use an app called Rack Snap that organizes a series of pictures and send them as an email ( to myself)
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I finally "fixed" mine. As I was too lazy to hit Home Depot or Lowes I ordered 1/4 x 5/8 x 1/16 neoprene washers off of eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161050502885
Those fit about perfect. I still think felt washers would work better but those are hard to find in the right size :( .
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One idea I heard that is not as permanent but useful would be to mark the pots positions with white out. It is easily removed if you need to make adjustments.
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Wonderful tip! -- Just finished it and it works great!!
Thank You!
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OK, so I think I've found the best and easiest fix yet for the overly easy to turn trim pots on the DL1608. I was looking for a new keyboard on Amazon last week and came across something called o-ring switch damper or dampeners. The intended use is for under the keys of your keyboard to quiet them. At $15 - $18 per pack (125 of them) it seemed a bit pricey. So I checked out ebay and found them for $6.49 with free shipping.
Put 2 on each post and replace the knob and you have a very firm knob that actually feels good too. The rubber rings are soft and pretty "grippy" and the knob won't move unless you want it to.
Anyway, ones I bought are at http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745) . That link won't last forever though.
Note: There seem to come in 2 thicknesses and softnesses. Mine are the softer (50A) and I think the thicker (.4mm reduction). I'm not sure about the thickness though as it doesn't say anywhere in the ad or on the package.
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Just for future reference these are 50 Durometer, 3/16" ID, 5/16" OD (and therefore 1/16" thick).
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Anyway, ones I bought are at http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745) . That link won't last forever though.
+1. Bought these. 2 stacked on each knob. Delighted with the results.
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Anyway, ones I bought are at http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/190933827745) . That link won't last forever though.
+1. Bought these. 2 stacked on each knob. Delighted with the results.
Cool! Super easy too, eh? and I like the feel of the knobs too.
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got 'em, too. $6 ebay to my door, and enough to do several mixers.
they work just fine, but i kinda don't like the feel; i'll turn a knob, and the rubber will actually pull it back the other way a slight amount afterwords!
like in order to turn a knob to "zero", i have to pull it out a little, zero it, then push it back down, or the o-rings will turn it back up a tiny bit.
(that said, i'll take slight spring-back any day over knobs that spin halfway up if i so much as brush them with my cased-up ipad sitting on top of the mixer!)
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got 'em, too. $6 ebay to my door, and enough to do several mixers. they work just fine, but i kinda don't like the feel; i'll turn a knob, and the rubber will actually pull it back the other way a slight amount afterwords!
Just FYI the washers I used (see post #17) don't do that.
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I've said it before and I'll say again. The need to make a mechanical modification to the trims in order dampen them properly is ultra lame. Bad design.
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It makes one wonder with the tens of millions of pots they've put into the field what's going on up there. Must have had a sale on ultra-smooth pots that day. :(
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well if you think about it, easy-turning knobs on a regular mixer are no big deal, turning the knobs is how you work the thing; it's just with this new paradigm that those knobs get set and forgot, with all the mixing done well away from them.
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well if you think about it, easy-turning knobs on a regular mixer are no big deal,
All the knobs I'm familiar with have more resistance on turning (Behringer, Mackie 1604VLZ, Yamaha, Ramsa etc.).
turning the knobs is how you work the thing;
Well you you learn something every day. :lol:
it's just with this new paradigm that those knobs get set and forgot, with all the mixing done well away from them.
This mixer doesn't have the capability to do "set it and forget it". Let alone "set it and remember".
Sorry just having fun at your expense! Merry Christmas.