Pt. 2

[Andre LaFosse <altruist@shoko.calarts.edu>]

In attempting to assess the apparently unrepaired status of my unit, I
have checked over as many details as possible.  I have noticed the
following items: 

-- The four parameter LEDs, which had previously been orange, are now 
green.  This leads me to believe that the front panel electronics were at 
least in part replaced.

-- The contents of the note which I wrote in the original box were as 
follows:

"This Oberheim has the following problems: The fade-in and fade-out of 
notes is accompanied by a distinct grainy digital noise, which 
corresponds to a flickering of the INPUT LED.  This occurs when notes are 
fading into or out of silence, or (occasionally) when notes of a 
continuous duration occur at an intermediate level, not loud enough to 
send the INPUT LED into normal illumination.

This noise is present both during loop recording and playback, as well as 
when the MUTE mode is engaged.  (It is equally as loud in MUTE mode as it 
is during normal recording/playback).  Note that when the INPUT/LOOP knob 
is set to either extreme setting (i.e. either one or the other source), 
the sound disappears.  It is only apparent when the INPUT/LOOP knob is 
set to a position somewhere between the two extreme settings.  There is 
also occasional popping and other noises present when turning the 
INPUT/LOOP knob, which suggests the problem may reside in the pot for 
that control."

The knob which I referred to as INPUT/LOOP in the above note is actually
labelled MIX on the unit, with sub-labels "dir" and "loop" on either side
of the knob.  There is a seperate knob labeled INPUT, which is the knob
that is currently loose from the pot shaft.  I can see where some
confusion could have been created from my mis-labelling of the MIX 
control, but my secondary description "(i.e. one or the other source)" 
should have cleared this discrepancy up.

Regardless, I would have hoped that from the description above, the
principal problem would have been searched for in the first place.  If
there was indeed any confusion regarding the problem or its localle, or
any inability to detect the problem in any form, I would have expected to
be contacted for clarification on this matter. 

Another possibility is that this phenomena is indigenous to the Echoplex
design, but Kim Flint said that if this noise was accompanied by a
flickering of the INPUT LED, then the noise was definitely above standard
levels.  The fact that no one else on this list has reported this element
suggests that the problem is with my unit; the fact that the circuit board
(and, apparently, at least some of the electronics for the front panel)
was replaced suggests it may be a more generalized symptom. 

Any insights or explanations as to any of the above, or any further steps
to take, would be greatly appreciated. 

--Andre