Sound devices 633 glitching

[henry miller]

Hi all, I hope you are well. 
 

I have a SD 633 that seems to have a mind of its own of late. The larger black gain knobs keep adjusting level up and down on their own accord. If I’m lucky I can get the volume to stay at my desired level but mostly the channel volume keeps altering and fluctuating. For instance if I set the pot to O zero a second later it’s dropped or increased in volume, I can hear it happening and I’m watching the levels also change on the digital meters.

has anyone had this problem? It’s obviously unusable at the moment. 
 

thanks 

[Conor]

Is it all 3 of the larger fader pots that are doing it? (CH1-3 faders). It would be odd for all three pots to fail at once, could be something a bit more serious. I'd get it to a local tech for assessment ASAP

[Axel Mishael]

1 hour ago, henry miller said:

Hi all, I hope you are well. 
 

I have a SD 633 that seems to have a mind of its own of late. The larger black gain knobs keep adjusting level up and down on their own accord. If I’m lucky I can get the volume to stay at my desired level but mostly the channel volume keeps altering and fluctuating. For instance if I set the pot to O zero a second later it’s dropped or increased in volume, I can hear it happening and I’m watching the levels also change on the digital meters.

has anyone had this problem? It’s obviously unusable at the moment. 
 

thanks 

 

I had a similar problem on the fader 1 from my cl9, had to send it to Sound Devices to change it.

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

Do you have any form of remote control attached?  A CL-12 or a keyboard?

[henry miller]

16 hours ago, Conor said:

Is it all 3 of the larger fader pots that are doing it? (CH1-3 faders). It would be odd for all three pots to fail at once, could be something a bit more serious. I'd get it to a local tech for assessment ASAP

Yes it’s all 3 faders 

15 hours ago, Axel Mishael said:

 

I had a similar problem on the fader 1 from my cl9, had to send it to Sound Devices to change it.

Did they tell you what the issue was? And how much please 

11 hours ago, The Documentary Sound Guy said:

Do you have any form of remote control attached?  A CL-12 or a keyboard?

No, nor do I have auto mix on. I did a factory reset and updated drivers and calibrated the nominal but it still happens 

[Mungo]

Rare but known issue. Occurs on some units after some time, similar problem with some 833. Unfortunately having the knob changed by SD is the only option that helped in the cases I know.

[Axel Mishael]

3 hours ago, henry miller said:

Yes it’s all 3 faders 

Did they tell you what the issue was? And how much please 

No, nor do I have auto mix on. I did a factory reset and updated drivers and calibrated the nominal but it still happens 

The problem was with one fader and they ended up changing all of them saying they were worn out. ultimately the cost was around 700 dollars... not cheap.

[Conor]

Definitely recommend the local tech route. SD bench fees have gotten quite pricey, esp for the older gear.

[Derek H]

I had this happen on mine. Nothing to do but send it to sound devices. I’ve never heard of an independent shop that offers this level of service but maybe it exists? Would love to know if anyone is servicing the 6-series stuff because factory service has definitely gotten cost prohibitive on the older gear. 

[Phillip C Dent]

I had this happen on my 633 but only on one fader. According to Sound Devices It is a known issue. I was able to work around it by running the fader at around 1 o’clock. 
 

I didn’t send mine in to sound devices because their service starts at $800 and goes up from there. I had Trew in LA “fix” it, which turned into a massive pain in the ass. They tried fixing it several times - each time making it worse, and even generating new problems. I ended up returning it four times. In fact, I haven’t even QC’d it since the last time I picked it up. I think subconsciously I don’t want to deal with sending it back a 5th time.

 

Currently it lurks in the dark confines of a Pelican case.  One day I will muster up the motivation to test its functionality. 

[Conor]

On 11/10/2023 at 12:37 AM, Derek H said:

I had this happen on mine. Nothing to do but send it to sound devices. I’ve never heard of an independent shop that offers this level of service but maybe it exists? Would love to know if anyone is servicing the 6-series stuff because factory service has definitely gotten cost prohibitive on the older gear. 

You could reach out to  SD and ask about authorized repair dealers in your area. I'd offer to help but I'm all the way in South Africa.

 

10 hours ago, Phillip C Dent said:

I had this happen on my 633 but only on one fader. According to Sound Devices It is a known issue. I was able to work around it by running the fader at around 1 o’clock. 
 

I didn’t send mine in to sound devices because their service starts at $800 and goes up from there. I had Trew in LA “fix” it, which turned into a massive pain in the ass. They tried fixing it several times - each time making it worse, and even generating new problems. I ended up returning it four times. In fact, I haven’t even QC’d it since the last time I picked it up. I think subconsciously I don’t want to deal with sending it back a 5th time.

 

Currently it lurks in the dark confines of a Pelican case.  One day I will muster up the motivation to test its functionality. 

That's awful, 4 times is a stuff up. I'd request them to have it repaired at SD seeing as they've increased the amount of issues. It is a tricky repair, they're obviously in need of a more skilled tech.

[henry miller]

Yikes! This all sounds a bit daunting and expensive 

[Derek H]

Sure but you know what the 633 can make you a lot of money. It may be worth it to make sure it’s in good working order. 

[henry miller]

Sound devices sent me the quote it’s 1,250 pounds sterling. Absolutely ridiculous 

[Axel Mishael]

They are pushing us to run and buy any of the 8 series or a scorpio, which we'd gladly do if it weren't that expensive and for any of us that lives and work outside the US, are not eligible to a credit for buying through the official distributors.

[henry miller]

It’s a business, i understand but I won’t be buying anymore of their products in the future. It’s simply too greedy 

[Derek H]

That’s fair. It is too expensive. 

[Johnny Karlsson]

The pricing for repairs of discontinued products was addressed in the SD FB group, and when you read that explanation, it actually makes sense. Lots of allegations and conspiracy theories there, but I have copied/pasted Matt Anderson's comment below (I hope this is ok?), which may help see the full picture. If you use these devices for your business, you should make the money back reasonably quickly. This is all just one more reason to make sure we all charge appropriate rates and gear rentals, with future repairs calculated in. It’s inevitable that all gear will at some point need service, repairs, and eventually replacement.
====
From the FB page:

"Matt Anderson
-
Hi all - thought I'd jump in here, since I'm pretty qualified to speak on this subject - having founded Sound Devices, being the original repair tech here, and still running the company after all these years. I'll also say for better or worse that I've been repairing equipment going on 50 years now which is a bit depressing since it means my physical age has far exceeded my mental age 🙂
At any rate, I understand that you think our rates are too high. However, the bottom line is that we're not trying to gouge, not trying to be monopolistic, or any of the other theories here. The fact of the matter is a few of things: Firstly, our company actually services equipment, and at the component level. I urge you to take note of how many other companies in any industry do this. [And we also have humans answering the phone and providing tech support - over my dead body will we ever get rid of that].
It is exceedingly difficult to find qualified techs/engineers who can repair products anymore. We are always looking (so if you know anyone, please send them our way). Our technicians are paid a good wage, and we offer health care and a number of other things which cost us a lot of money. And I'm not complaining about this at all - it is just a fact, and living expenses keep increasing, especially as of late. The techs that we employ are fantastic and very talented, however it has come an all-consuming job for our HR folks to find qualified people. Why? Because no one fixes anything any more, and because of that, there aren't people who learn how to fix things. I've taught all of my daughters how to solder and fix things, because I think the world needs more people who can fix things, but I digress. So -- good techs cost a lot of money, and we proudly employ them. Secondly, the cost of repairing *older* products is far more expensive than products we're still manufacturing. One of the reasons that we end up discontinuing products is that the parts get obsoleted, and we end up paying more and more for said parts. Sadly, this ends up consuming a good chunk of my time -- finding replacement parts and designing them in to existing products. This is the case with the 633, this is the case with the 970, etc. And the cost of repairing our newer products has gone up as well, because they are simply more complex, have tiny components, and take quite a bit of time to troubleshoot. I used to be able to repair our boards without glasses, and now I need a microscope. Partially, my increasingly poor eyesight, and partially our tiny parts! Thirdly, to keep an inventory of all of the repair parts (growing every day), and keep all of the test equipment on hand needed to verify that repairs are done correctly, is expensive. I've gone on a bit longer than I intended, but I started life as a repair tech, so this topic is near and dear to my heart. And I also feel strongly that we have an excellent repair group and we strive to have a better process than anyone else in the industry. Yes, our repairs are not cheap for all the above reasons, and we are trying to provide the highest quality service possible."

[jozzafunk]

My 633 has worked at least 500 days possibly quite a few more thru rain / snow / seaapray / racecar dirt track etc without missing a beat and still sounds great - hopefully for quite a few more - I don't begrudge these repair prices

[henry miller]

I’ve spoken to a few good technicians who all say the sound devices pots on the 6 series are pretty crap. They are not the same as the newer series  models. That I find annoying given the little use I’ve had of mine. It’s my spare mixer and I’ve kept it very well stored and treated. 
 

Can anyone be helpful and confirm the tool I need to get the pots removed. I would like to see if anything stands out as clearly broken. 
 

its a hex style screw but no idea which size. 

[OB1]

I can't imagine SD pots are custom in any way. Potentiometer technology is pretty standard. Find out what they are, apply the proper cleaner/lube (Caig, etc.) and hope for the best. 

Report back, too, please. Although my 6 series are backups I'm sure there's a broad audience that would want to know the outcome.

[Johnny Karlsson]

10 minutes ago, OB1 said:

I can't imagine SD pots are custom in any way. Potentiometer technology is pretty standard. Find out what they are, apply the proper cleaner/lube (Caig, etc.) and hope for the best. 

Report back, too, please. Although my 6 series are backups I'm sure there's a broad audience that would want to know the outcome.

The likelihood of all 3 pots going bad at the same time is pretty slim. I suspect there's something else going on.

[Mungo]

47 minutes ago, OB1 said:

I can't imagine SD pots are custom in any way. Potentiometer technology is pretty standard. Find out what they are, apply the proper cleaner/lube (Caig, etc.) and hope for the best. 

Report back, too, please. Although my 6 series are backups I'm sure there's a broad audience that would want to know the outcome.

 

It's no potentiometer but a digital signal switch which seems to be the problem. Many manufacturers have ones making trouble over the time built in their products: Multi dials on cameras (like FS7-2 or FX9) or on big mixing desks for foh or broadcast.

Had that issue on an 833 too. It developed its "own life", fading rapidly, sounding like digital wireless dropouts.

[henry miller]

1 hour ago, Johnny Karlsson said:

The likelihood of all 3 pots going bad at the same time is pretty slim. I suspect there's something else going on.

This is my assumption too 

56 minutes ago, Mungo said:

 

It's no potentiometer but a digital signal switch which seems to be the problem. Many manufacturers have ones making trouble over the time built in their products: Multi dials on cameras (like FS7-2 or FX9) or on big mixing desks for foh or broadcast.

Had that issue on an 833 too. It developed its "own life", fading rapidly, sounding like digital wireless dropouts.

Did you repair it ? All good now? 

A tech has now told me 

The Faders are closed and cannot be cleaned.  

They are not leveling audio,  but send a digital signal to the processor board. Pretty much as mungo said. Mungo how much do you know exactly about fixing the issue DIY? Is it definitely a sound devices service required?

[Mungo]

10 hours ago, henry miller said:

This is my assumption too 

Did you repair it ? All good now? 

A tech has now told me 

The Faders are closed and cannot be cleaned.  

They are not leveling audio,  but send a digital signal to the processor board. Pretty much as mungo said. Mungo how much do you know exactly about fixing the issue DIY? Is it definitely a sound devices service required?

 

Sorry, no experience with DIY, sent it to repair.

 

When the issue appears on the 833 I switch it off and perform quick fading from zero to full for half a minute or so. I imagine that blows away the dust inside. But that's unfortunately no solution for eternity.