Need help with SC48 internittent problem!

[Mark R Hartzell]

Sorry for the long post! I’ve been having some issues with my SC48 lately, and thought I would submit my symptoms and see if anyone else has had similar problems. I’ve been working with Avid’s tech support, but due to the intermittency of the problem, it’s been rather sketchy as to whether-or-not the problem has been fixed.
This started a couple weeks ago with my SC48 not booting up (stuck in stand-by mode.) Under the suggestion of Avid’s support tech, I reseated the RAM cards and the console fired up fine. This was ~ 10am. By 3:30, the BE was done with a line check and was starting a full check. At this point the console’s screen turned into gibberish and the desk went into backup mode. I tried reseating the RAM again, but the desk would still lock up after a bit. So I had to get the BE another console.
The next day, under the guidance of Avid, I removed one RAM at a time and plugged them into different slots. Since the board will work with just 1 RAM, I narrowed it down to one of the cards getting the console to act up no matter which slot it was in. I had found the “smoking gun” (or so I thought!) So I replaced both 517M rams cards with 2 new 1G cards. My local guy didn’t have any 517M on hand, and Avid said that the desk would support 2G, so I did it. Fired it up with no issues.
I felt pretty confident that the problem was fixed. The next day I fired the desk up (10am), it worked all the way through the line check. The minute the BE started a full SC, the console did the same thing it had done before! I was shocked! So I removed each card one at a time (rebooting, etc.) and each time coming back with the full band, it would go into backup mode. Bring in the M7!
The next day I reseated the DSP cards, ran a log file for the Avid tech (revealed nothing), ran a windows memory test (passed). The only real thing I have done since the 2nd issue was reseat the DSP cards. The tech said that the log file would have showed a problem if that would have been on issue – and it didn’t. But he thought it was worth trying anyway.
Now the real issue is that I haven’t been able to get this board to act up! Thinking that maybe this was due to heat, or vibration, I kept the board on all day and tried playing some loud music through it (ipod). Of course it seems to work fine. Maybe the only way to get the board to act up is to have a full set of inputs (say 24chs?) complete with plugins to “weight down” the CPU? It’s hard for me to check in that manner without actually using the desk again. Maybe I could set it up backstage with a 3rd split to simulate a real show going through it?
Another thing I haven’t tried was reinstalling the software. I was hoping that the board would act up so that I could redo the software and see if it fixed it. Replacing the motherboard has come up. It’s a $1000 option that I’m not sure is the problem.
Any thoughts?

[digidesigner]

What is the software version on the desk? Stock /latest plugins? Did BE install any plugins?

It is said to be healthy to completely reinstall software on VENUE desks time to time.

[vikingthor]

If it's ram or the motherboard you might also get the same problem if you run Pro tools into venue just to see it handels the workload. As i'm told the motherboard of the venue sc48 is more sensitve then the other Venue boards.

A clean install is a good way to start. Or as digidesigner said it could also be bad plug-in

Though it might be something elsee too. I had once our venue sc48 acting weird(selecting different snapshots and recalling different snapshots, changing window view). And no one could tell what it was. turns out to be the keyboard was causing all that.

[doug sjostrom]

Did all this happen in one location? This is sounding like dirty power to me. What was the power source. Was it stormy on these days? I have an SC48 that did something similar a few times back in Sept. on one rainy night and has been fine ever since. I did not even open it up to reseat anything. I think it was bad power from PG&E - possibly brown out conditions.

[albee1952]

Digital consoles should ALWAYS be fed from a UPS And never EVER let them get damp

[doug sjostrom]

I actually have a UPS on one of the power outlets but I found out after I bought it that generates a simulated sine wave not a true sine wave. Not sure if the SC48 cares or not... In any case if you are looking for a UPS you might as well get one that generates a true sine wave. It is usually in the specs.

[Mark R Hartzell]

Originally Posted by digidesigner

What is the software version on the desk? Stock /latest plugins? Did BE install any plugins?

It is said to be healthy to completely reinstall software on VENUE desks time to time.

Yeah sorry - the desk is a bit over 2 years old with V 2.9.1. Basic plugin package with Phoenix Cranesong being the only "extra." the desk initial failure to boot-up was before the BE got a chance to put his plugins on it. Although after he put his in (waves V8, and a McDSP something), I would get an error when the rack was initializing telling me "Software requires a new version of Interlok device Drivers & reboot before running." Avid support said that when the BE loaded in his plugins, it might have screwed up a driver. Seemingly unrelated, and downloading the latest driver from Paceap fixed that error.

[Mark R Hartzell]

Originally Posted by vikingthor

If it's ram or the motherboard you might also get the same problem if you run Pro tools into venue just to see it handels the workload. As i'm told the motherboard of the venue sc48 is more sensitve then the other Venue boards.

Good idea with the Protools, I'll give that a try.

Thanks!

[Mark R Hartzell]

Originally Posted by doug sjostrom

Did all this happen in one location? This is sounding like dirty power to me. What was the power source. Was it stormy on these days? I have an SC48 that did something similar a few times back in Sept. on one rainy night and has been fine ever since. I did not even open it up to reseat anything. I think it was bad power from PG&E - possibly brown out conditions.

I would say that that could be an explanation - especially since the desk seems to crap out under show conditions (full PA, some lighting.) Although the desk is powered by a pretty decent UPS (Tripp Lite SU1000RTXL2UA), with one PS into the UPS, and the other into the live AC.

[digidesigner]

Originally Posted by Mark R Hartzell

Although after he put his in (waves V8, and a McDSP something), I would get an error when the rack was initializing telling me "Software requires a new version of Interlok device Drivers & reboot before running." Avid support said that when the BE loaded in his plugins, it might have screwed up a driver. Seemingly unrelated, and downloading the latest driver from Paceap fixed that error.

With that error BE could not run any of his plugs. Instaling V8 you need to get in and install latest Ilok drivers from Windows desktop for anything Waves to work.

If I was you, I would do a complete restore of the system. Then download stuff again that is not on the DVD's (including Phoenix, I have had an BE with bad Phoneix installer screw up stuff for some time until Venue Support finally made me download the installer again instead of just re-installing from recent installers).

And then stress-use the desk with PT, in live situation like you described, as an third desk until you are confirmed the problem is gone, or the other way around and if there is a problem send it in for repairs.