Help! One of my PM1000 channels is distorting!

[Jonk]

I can't figure this one out.
Here's the facts.

1. It is the first channel I modified with a direct out (transformer wired to C37)
2. It worked great for awhile
3. It's distorting somewhere before the direct out
4. I twisted wires around(to make room for the new transformer), some of which are the series of wires that go to the output connector that connect everything to the board.
5. It worked great until I pulled the channel to replace a stripped nut that was being used to semi-mount the transformer. When I put another nut on, I wound up pulling these wires around to a better position above the new transfomer.
6. The distortion doesn't get worse or better with higher or lower gain. It's just always there.

I've tried moving the wires around again to see if the distortion goes away. No position they're in has helped yet.

I resoldered a few of the connections to that multipin output connector, but that didin't help. I guess I'll try resoldering all the connections to it, but I wanted to ask if anybody might have an idea what's going on?

If I pulled a wire too much and cracked the solder somwhere, could it cause distortion like this? Does it sound possible at all that it could be something else? Could the new output transfomer being making this happen, even though it wasn't an issue for quite awhile before I started trying to move the wires to a different position?

[buddy holly]

hey jonk,

I wish i could offer more technical advice, as i'm sure you've done all these things already, but...

1) isn't the echo send further upstream from c37? is it distorting from there?

2) don't the first 6 or so channels have add'l input trannies mounted at the xlrs? you could maybe rule out the input transformer for that channel by going in through those.

3) have you tested with a dynamic mic to make sure its not a phantom power issue?

4) you could at least rule out the direct out output transformer by routing the channel through the busses.

5) did you clean the molex connector?

6) is there any metal from the added connector touching the circuit board or other components?

7) did you try the other channels to make sure that it isn't a more global problem?

8) did you listen through the monitor out rather than the (oh so crappy) headphone outs?

keep us posted!

--BH

[Jonk]

Thanks Buddy,
I figured it out. There was a wire caught underneath the new transformer and when I tightened down the mounting screws, I smashed the sh*t out of the wire, enough to smash a hole in the rubber coating so the wire was touching the chassis. This wire happened to be the lead from C37, so the negative side of C37 was being grounded to the chassis.

Boy! Watch out for that one guys!