All Artist Mix won't power on users...come on in.

[ArKay99]

There is something I am wondering about...
I found this in the Artist Series Support page:

My Artist Series Controller doesn't power up, OR I'm experiencing intermittent power with my Artist Series Controllers?

Please make sure your AC cord is all the way plugged into the IEC receptacle on your power supply.

Now, this may seem overly obvious, but it got me thinking...
What if the IEC plug starts working it's way out of the socket and gets to the point where it is barely making contact with the pins in the PSU receptacle. With any vibration (maybe from speakers) you could get to a point where you would get arcing across the contacts...this could definitely be the cause of the ferrite at the PSU entry point to die. Since the PSU itself is small and has very little mass compared to the IEC cable and it is only a 'friction fit', this could most definitely be the cause. I'm going to 'tie wrap' my IEC cable to the PSU for now, and see if it happens again.

Note to those who've had this failure, or are just experiencing it now, if you checked the power plug did it seem 'loose' or not fully inserted into the socket?

robertg may be correct...sort of.

[IO Composer]

I've had one Artist control fail on me in this way and Avid was great in replacing it. However, the fact that this seems to be a general fatal flaw with this equipment and my warranty period is almost over, I have very little confidence in this unit and will not be making any long term plans with it in my workflow. It just seems destined to fail like the last one. Pretty sad.

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by IO Composer

I've had one Artist control fail on me in this way and Avid was great in replacing it. However, the fact that this seems to be a general fatal flaw with this equipment and my warranty period is almost over, I have very little confidence in this unit and will not be making any long term plans with it in my workflow. It just seems destined to fail like the last one. Pretty sad.

Hey Jamey. Just as an 'idea', have you tried tie wrapping the IEC connector into the PSU? Read my post just above yours. It might help. I've done it, but only time will tell if this is a real fix or not. If in 6 months my Mix is still running, and I can verify from other owners that they've lashed the plugs and theirs still work, we may be able to get AVID to do an EC on the PSU.

[dric]

I don't suppose anyone has had any luck with the part/component number of the L7 and L8 inductors? Mine just went out, and I'm out of warranty.

[jmonroy]

Originally Posted by ArKay99

Hey Jamey. Just as an 'idea', have you tried tie wrapping the IEC connector into the PSU? Read my post just above yours. It might help. I've done it, but only time will tell if this is a real fix or not. If in 6 months my Mix is still running, and I can verify from other owners that they've lashed the plugs and theirs still work, we may be able to get AVID to do an EC on the PSU.

Today my artist mix didn't power in, arkay I live in colombia, do you think is there any way to fix this by myself instead send the unit to the usa?

Thanks

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by dric

I don't suppose anyone has had any luck with the part/component number of the L7 and L8 inductors? Mine just went out, and I'm out of warranty.

I'm going to look into a reverse engineering, sort of, on this. As we already know the specs...they are on the PSU, voltage and current...my 'educated' guess is these are used to shunt hi-freq emi from spitting out of the PSU port and causing the unit to fail EMI compliance. Most of those types of ferrites are rated at ohms @ 100mhz. In this instance I think finding a ferrite that has the current and voltage capacity (current being the major spec to meet), and physical size. I would think that if you'd want to take a chance, you could bridge the pads and live without EMI protection...except if the condition that is causing them to physically fail manifestes to a greater degree upstream you may have bigger issues... I 'think' the problem is arcing of the power, neutral, and/or the ground of the IEC female to male in the PSU connector due to it 'walking' it's way out slightly over time, possibly from speaker vibration...then again you could put a fuse in place at the PSU rating...

[ArKay99]

Well, I think I've found the part. It's a Laird CM3312R111R-10. It's a an SMD common mode choke chip. It's a very unique package. I looked at over 2000 pictures of other components and this is the ONLY part with the footprint and terminal layout.

HOWEVER...according to Digi-Key the part is obsolete and they have none in stock and can't get any more. I haven't checked other distributors.

I took the cover off my mix to verify the part and found something I didn't expect. There was a new and different part in place of L7 and L8. They were bigger and appear more robust and there was a bit of trace rework. This can mean one of 2 things.

1: The part that was in there originally was indeed the Laird part and it is indeed obsolete and AVID had to substitute the parts in there just to get it to work again.

2: what was said in #1 above AND these parts and the rework was done to address the issue many have been having with the Mix and this was part of an ECO.

If 2 is the case, anyone sending the unit back for repair should have a more reliable Mix in the future.

I'm keeping my router earthed and my Mix PSU IEC plug lashed to the PSU anyway.

Hope this helps.

[jjnssn]

Originally Posted by ArKay99

Well, I think I've found the part. It's a Laird CM3312R111R-10. It's a an SMD common mode choke chip. It's a very unique package. I looked at over 2000 pictures of other components and this is the ONLY part with the footprint and terminal layout.

HOWEVER...according to Digi-Key the part is obsolete and they have none in stock and can't get any more. I haven't checked other distributors.

I took the cover off my mix to verify the part and found something I didn't expect. There was a new and different part in place of L7 and L8. They were bigger and appear more robust and there was a bit of trace rework. This can mean one of 2 things.

1: The part that was in there originally was indeed the Laird part and it is indeed obsolete and AVID had to substitute the parts in there just to get it to work again.

2: what was said in #1 above AND these parts and the rework was done to address the issue many have been having with the Mix and this was part of an ECO.

If 2 is the case, anyone sending the unit back for repair should have a more reliable Mix in the future.

I'm keeping my router earthed and my Mix PSU IEC plug lashed to the PSU anyway.

Hope this helps.

This is so helpful! THANK YOU!!!

Did you get a picture of the rework and I just missed the link?

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by MADIrouting

This is so helpful! THANK YOU!!!

Did you get a picture of the rework and I just missed the link?

I didn't as it probably wouldn't have helped. There was a fair amount of what looked like short sections of wire-wrap doing bridges and some of the rework was hidden under the new parts. IIRC.

[Focuret]

I'm going insane here. Bought an Artist Mix and Control last year from a store in the States and had them shipped overseas where I currently am.

Last year the Artist Mix blew while I was working. Right where the power supply connects. After a bunch of back and forth they finally connected me to someone in Beijing that could help me. They ended up sending me a brand new Mix. So I was a happy camper until a few days ago, as I'm freaking sitting here, the god damn Control blows.

wtf!

Are these things made to only be used for a certain amount of time until they blow up?

I think my warranty is over and I'm all the way in China. Does anyone have any advice at all for me? Are there some parts I can order and do a self-repair? This is beyond messed up...