SSL Alpha Link AX + Madi Extreme - Help!

[Alexfrbc]

SOLVED! Thanks to specially Michael Wagener for his help, and all others chiming in with their thoughts!


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Hi

When i shut down my studio yesterday, all was fine and working. Now today when i fired it up, i get no sound from the Alpha Link!? And it's LED's show that it is outputting through both main outs + headphone jack on the unit. But i got nothing on either of them. I tried rebooting, switching off/on the alpha link, but nothing happened. Then i tried update to the lates driver 6.1.0.0 (Windows), but it is still the same thing. I can't figure out wether it is (hopefully) a software issue, or (hopefully not) something has broke in the Alpha Link ?

I also tried moving the Madi card to another slot, and reinstall, but nothing changed. Could the alpha link have a "mute" function or something like that ?

I'm desperate to get the studio up and running again asap. If anyone have some good ideas what to try, please let me know!

(updated MadiXtreme to latest firmware version - and sync and all is correct setup. Did not change a single thing since it worked yesterday)

[animat]

you forgot to power up your monitors

[Alexfrbc]

I wish it was just that!

Monitor controller is not getting any signal from the alpha link, but it does have signal through to the speakers when using other sources.


Edit: I also wrote SSL support, but Monday seems so distant right now.

[bexarametric]

Maybe unplug and replug your Dsubs. Happened to me once.

[Alexfrbc]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

Maybe unplug and replug your Dsubs. Happened to me once.

Thanks mate. Will try it out as soon as i get back to the studio, and see if it solves my problem.

[Alexfrbc]

It did not work........other ideas ?

[jkchuma]

Can you use the digital outs and another DA for the time being?

Sent from my Eris using Gearslutz.com App

[Alexfrbc]

Originally Posted by jkchuma

Can you use the digital outs and another DA for the time being?

Sent from my Eris using Gearslutz.com App

Thanks for the suggestion. Don't have any other DA ufortunately.

[Brandon Weaver]

Had a similar problem with my Alphalink SX. Digital outs worked, analog I/O did not. Just stopped one day. After a month of troubleshooting with and without SSL tech support, and relying on a backup, ended up RMA. FYI, William Maynard from SSL LA was instrumental helping me get everything resolved.

I hope for you it's not the same issue, as the RMA process is quite long (unit goes back to England for repair), but I have a feeling it is.

[Alexfrbc]

Hey Brandon.

Thanks for the information.

I have a feeling you're right. I've tried everything that they recommend in their support section. Disabling CPU Speedstep, disabling SLI on the Nvidia graphics control panel. Nothing have changed. But as the Alphalink keeps showing that it is sending audio out, is is most likely not something i can fix inside the computer.

How long after you bought yours did it happen ? I got mine from vintage king 2 years ago.

[Brandon Weaver]

I don't remember exactly, but it was about a year to a year and a half. Its been running great since I got it back, though the outputs are significantly hotter now. I have to watch out for clipping there more.

[Alexfrbc]

Cool that's great to hear, that you haven't had more troubles with it. But wonder why they modified the output levels. Did they say anything about it ?

[mwagener]

My Alphalink stopped working one day and I got into the whole "send it back for as minimum of $750" thing, but before I did, I opened it up and reseated all the edge connectors on the PC board inside. Plugged it back in and it worked fine. I also heard about having to resolder the fuse holder on the power supply board.

Keep in mind, if you're still under warranty, you might loose it. Mine was long out of warranty so I didn't have anything to lose by opening it up.

Hope that helps.

[Alexfrbc]

Hi Michael

Thanks for that information. I'm gonna look into the warranty thing. $750+ is a painfull amount of money, considering the age of the unit.

It just seems so mysterious that all analog outputs have gone silent. And same goes for the inputs i just discovered. LED's on the unit don't show what is coming into the unit either (of course when switched to AD)

[Killahurts]

Originally Posted by mwagener

My Alphalink stopped working one day and I got into the whole "send it back for as minimum of $750" thing, but before I did, I opened it up and reseated all the edge connectors on the PC board inside. Plugged it back in and it worked fine. I also heard about having to resolder the fuse holder on the power supply board.

Keep in mind, if you're still under warranty, you might loose it. Mine was long out of warranty so I didn't have anything to lose by opening it up.

Hope that helps.

Michael, this is just awesome! Reading this thread kinda got me worried about my Alpha SX. Made me realize it's the one piece in here I cannot do without. It works fine now, but if it were to develop a problem, I'd be in big trouble without it. Sending to England would kill me, time-wise, so it's good to know I might be able to pop the hood and find a simple fix should anything go wrong. Mine is still under warranty, but it's not so much the money, as the time without it.

[dave gross]

Dumb question, but is the sample rate on the unit the same as in the madixtreme control panel? If not, it won't lock. I've found it to send out audio through incorrect channels or not at all if the two are out of sync

[Alexfrbc]

Originally Posted by dave gross

Dumb question, but is the sample rate on the unit the same as in the madixtreme control panel? If not, it won't lock. I've found it to send out audio through incorrect channels or not at all if the two are out of sync

They are in sync. All triple-checked in that area. But thanks for the suggestion.

[Alexfrbc]

So i got the box opened, but i'm not sure exactly what to de-connect + re-connect.

Please look in my picture notes and tell me if it is correct so far, and i should do it with the other cables too.


[IMG]******//img43.imageshack.us/img43/4029/dsc00035kz.jpg[/IMG]

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Alexfrbc

So i got the box opened, but i'm not sure exactly what to de-connect + re-connect.

Please look in my picture notes and tell me if it is correct so far, and i should do it with the other cables too.


[IMG]******//img43.imageshack.us/img43/4029/dsc00035kz.jpg[/IMG]

The white plugs with the yellow black and red cables are mostly power cables. I t doesn't hurt to recycle those, but the more important ones are the flat cable (gray with red stripe on the edge) with the gray/black connectors. Be very careful when re-seating those, if you don't know what you re doing, you might mess something up. Preferably get a technician to help you. Also keep it static free, ground yourself to something, don't touch any of the chips on the PC board, and the wood surface would be better if you don't know if that carpet is static free.

[Alexfrbc]

Thanks for the info!

I was carefull and screw of the top PCB, to discover that it is on the PCB under, that they can be pulled out.

and......

WOOOOOHOOOOOO !!! I got sound back!


Thanks all for the help!! Now my studio don't have to be closed anymore! So happy

[Killahurts]

Originally Posted by Alexfrbc

Thanks for the info!

I was carefull and screw of the top PCB, to discover that it is on the PCB under, that they can be pulled out.

and......

WOOOOOHOOOOOO !!! I got sound back!


Thanks all for the help!! Now my studio don't have to be closed anymore! So happy

Wow that is GREAT news! Glad this story has a happy ending!!

[Alexfrbc]

Originally Posted by Killahurts

Wow that is GREAT news! Glad this story has a happy ending!!

It is! I'm so happy i shared the issue and got this valuable info here! Would have cost almost equivalent to $1000 to get it fixed/replaced. Would have taken at least 2 months in my current situation to raise that money. I would have died on the inside if i had to wait that long to get sound back!

[mwagener]

[skythemusic]

Awesome, nice work guys. I have the alphalink as well. Definitely some setup involved but I am happy with them. I just don't think about converters anymore and that suits me just fine.