Fast Track c400 low volume cut-off by main knob

[MikeyC]

Hi, I have the following problem with my newly purchased Fast Track C400:

When I turn the main volume knob, I have zero volume from when it's turned all the way down (the position of the marker is about 7 o'clock), up to a position of about 8 to 8.30 o'clock. Then the output suddenly jumps to a medium low volume. This behavior does not occur with the headphones knob, though there I have the problem that even turned all the way down, I still hear faint music. But I can live with that, the main knob issues is more of a nuisance.

My workaround currently is to set the main volume at -20dB on the software control panel, so that the sudden jump is not so obvious.
Is this a hardware defect or is there anything I can do?

Here are my other computer stats:
Mac OS X 10.6.8 | Mac Pro 2x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon | 32 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 | 4x 1TB Seagate Barracuda (7200 RPM, 3 GB/s)

I have the most current driver version that I downloaded from the Avid site.

Thanks for any assistance!

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by MikeyC

Hi, I have the following problem with my newly purchased Fast Track C400:

When I turn the main volume knob, I have zero volume from when it's turned all the way down (the position of the marker is about 7 o'clock), up to a position of about 8 to 8.30 o'clock. Then the output suddenly jumps to a medium low volume. This behavior does not occur with the headphones knob, though there I have the problem that even turned all the way down, I still hear faint music. But I can live with that, the main knob issues is more of a nuisance.

My workaround currently is to set the main volume at -20dB on the software control panel, so that the sudden jump is not so obvious.
Is this a hardware defect or is there anything I can do?

Here are my other computer stats:
Mac OS X 10.6.8 | Mac Pro 2x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon | 32 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 | 4x 1TB Seagate Barracuda (7200 RPM, 3 GB/s)

I have the most current driver version that I downloaded from the Avid site.

Thanks for any assistance!

Hi,

Sounds like a mechanical fault with the fast track! Can you take it back and get the dealer to check it with another one?



Chris

[MikeyC]

Hey Chris, thanks for the reply. The dealer has a 30-day money back guarantee, and I'm sure they'd replace the C400 without a hassle. I just want to make sure there's nothing I could do on my end before going that route. When I googled the problem, I found a similar issue description for a C600. Unfortunately that was on an old M-Audio forum that doesn't exist anymore, and google can't provide a cached version of the thread, so I don't know what the result was there.

[KineticSound]

MikeyC:

The same thing occurs on my Avid C600 unit - the monitor output volume "jumps" on at about the 8:00 position on the dial. Since this is strictly the volume control for my studio monitors, its never really been an issue. Mine typically stays around the 12:00-1:00 position for a comfortable listening level.

Just curious, are you using your monitor level control for some other purpose that involves fades?

Cheers-

David

[MikeyC]

Hey David, I'm using it for the studio monitors as well, but I like to also check mixes at lower levels and it's quite annoying when the signal just gets chopped off at some point around where you're listening. I have to turn down the studio monitors' volume to 0.5 out of 10 to get them quiet enough that the cutoff isn't too obvious.
I talked to the salesperson, and he said the C400 they have on display shows the same behavior. So I guess I have to decide now if I can accept this "feature", or try a different product. There's just not that many audio interfaces out there that support switchable monitor sets.

[KineticSound]

Originally Posted by MikeyC

There's just not that many audio interfaces out there that support switchable monitor sets.

I agree. There are no others on the market that I am aware of with monitor switching built-in at this price point.

I certainly hope you find an acceptable solution, be it a different interface or living with the 400's limitations. Should you decide to stick with the 400, I might suggest you use your DAW's output level as your master fader for the extra-low-volume work in lieu of the 400's monitor knob.

[MikeyC]

Thanks, David, I'm testing one other device this week and then I'll decide. If I stick with the C400, I'll probably proceed like you suggest, using the DAW master fader for low volume work, that's a good idea.

[nextor]

I have a C600 with the same problem. I would love to see a firmware update that fixes this though I'm not even sure this would be possible if it is in fact a hardware defect. Otherwise my C600 works great.
I ended up adjusting the monitors volume so that the jump is not so obvious, still it's a horrible workaround.