The mackie dl1608 white noise saga! (A new member, who has been a lurker)

[WK154]

We don't know what the spectral content of the noise is, I unfortunately can't get mine to sing to me (might be worth more in resale  ) it only drops sync with prodding. Unfortunately the overwhelming results of other dock setups such as Alesis and Behringer etc. would demonstrate the same results.

[RoadRanger]

The major difference between the DL and other docks is that you play the music in the background while another app (Master Fader) is in the foreground. On the other docks the playing app is most likely in the foreground.

[WK154]

Really grasping at straws are we?

[RoadRanger]

BTW I only playback 128Kbps MP3's and have never had the problem - I wonder if those seeing the issue are playing higher bitrates or a different compression like Apple's MP4s?

[iBloke]

ben.olswang@mackie.com should get his attention.

Thanks for that. I've just sent this email off to him.

"G'day Ben

I've currently owned my DL1608 for 4 days.

I don't have any gigs for a few weeks so I've had it set up in my shed/man cave and have been learning all it's operations which I'm quite enjoying. Very well thought out operating system. So firstly Thankyou for that.

My problem is that when any of my docked iPads are playing music though the iPad channel I get random blasts of white noise. Very loud!
It's happened countless times.
My main iPad is the third version and has been used both with iOS 7.1.1 and also iOS 7.1.2 which I updated to yesterday to see if that would stop the white noise.

Unfortunately it is still randomly blasting white noise and there doesn't seem to be any particular event that triggers it.

This has me VERY concerned about the overall reliability of the DL.

I'm 52 years old and have been working in the live music industry for about 27 years.
I have a good reputation for delivering a great service, and reliable equipment.

I know Mackie is aware of this issue, and my question is the likelihood of a resolution sometime soon with a bug fix in the software/firmware?

Regards

Phil"

[iBloke]

Yours is a bit of a different setup than most all of us as you have an iPad with the cellular modem. Any chance of borrowing a WiFi-only iPad to see if the problem goes away? I still find it hard to believe that the noise isn't coming from the iPad...

Already did that. The other two iPads are WiFi only ipad 2's

[iBloke]

The reason that the iPad is the least likely source of the white noise is that all the music docking stations would have similar problems, none are reported AFAIK. It's easy enough to test when the noise happens un-dock the iPad and listen. Does the local speaker have noise or music?

Yep removing the iPad didn't stop the noise when I tried that.

[iBloke]

I've been on the phone with the selling store and Phill is going to exchange it. They don't have any in stock right now, but he's sent me a return authorisation so that if I send it off to them tomorra it should arrive about the same time as their new replacement stock arrives.

Fingers crossed the replacement is a good one.

 Fargen mackie...

[iBloke]

Oh and I forgot to say it's becoming a real PITA using the dlink router I have. It has a switch on it the either makes it an "access point" or "router"
To use the internet in the shed it needs to be set to "access point" and to use it with the mackie it needs to be set to "router".
Bitch of a thing to get working properly for the mackie.

I need a wireless connection in my shed because the walls and roof are corrugated iron which almost kills 3G and 4G on my iPads, iPhone.

I think I'll buy an apple airport express to use with the mackie.

I've never used apple Airplay before. Is it possible and reliable to steam music from my iPhone to the airport so that it plays through the mackie via the Ethernet cable?

If that's a good option then it probably won't matter so much if my replacement DL still has the white noise issue.

[iBloke]

I've separated the IPad single channel into 2 separate iPad channels and panned the music left and right.

So far I haven't had an incident of white noise since doing this....

Interesting..

[WK154]

The reason that the iPad is the least likely source of the white noise is that all the music docking stations would have similar problems, none are reported AFAIK. It's easy enough to test when the noise happens un-dock the iPad and listen. Does the local speaker have noise or music?

Yep removing the iPad didn't stop the noise when I tried that.

OK was the noise out of the DL or out of the iPad's built-in speakers?

[WK154]

I've never used apple Airplay before. Is it possible and reliable to steam music from my iPhone to the airport so that it plays through the mackie via the Ethernet cable?

If that's a good option then it probably won't matter so much if my replacement DL still has the white noise issue.

Unfortunately it provides unbalanced 3.5mm stereo out of the Air Express which you need to input to the DL's 13-16 TS in case you need phantom pwr.  No audio over Ethernet.

[iBloke]

The reason that the iPad is the least likely source of the white noise is that all the music docking stations would have similar problems, none are reported AFAIK. It's easy enough to test when the noise happens un-dock the iPad and listen. Does the local speaker have noise or music?

Yep removing the iPad didn't stop the noise when I tried that.

OK was the noise out of the DL or out of the iPad's built-in speakers?

The noise was out of the PA, not the iPad speakers. I shut it down really quickly coz it was waaaay loud.

Odd thing is it hasn't happens again for the past cuppla hours. That's the longest this DL has functioned correctly so far.

[iBloke]

I've never used apple Airplay before. Is it possible and reliable to steam music from my iPhone to the airport so that it plays through the mackie via the Ethernet cable?

If that's a good option then it probably won't matter so much if my replacement DL still has the white noise issue.

Unfortunately it provides unbalanced 3.5mm stereo out of the Air Express which you need to input to the DL's 13-16 TS in case you need phantom pwr.  No audio over Ethernet.

Ok. That's disappointing. I was hoping I wouldn't lose channel 15 & 16.

Might still buy one just for the convenience of not having to deal with this stubborn dlink router. Awful thing!

[iBloke]

I've just been on the phone with a bloke from CMI who are the Aussie distributors of mackie stuff.

He assured me he has never heard of the "white noise from the docked iPad channel" problem before.

No surprises there. It's pretty much the same answer given by any company who's products quality issues get questioned.

Anyway he's going to be in contact again with the store that sold me my mackie shit box DL1608.

It never ceases to amaze me that an issue like this that I've read so many posts on Internet forums about isn't acknowledged by manufacturers, importers and retailers.
It's almost insulting ..

Should I have bought it in the first place, having the knowledge of this issue?

Maybe not. But I took a punt on getting a good one.

I lost that roll of the dice.

Hopefully the next one will be good, or there'll be a refund required and I'll go back to the good old tried and proven Allen & Heath/DBX analogue gear.
Back breakingly heavy for an old fart like me. But so far 100% reliable.