Repair of MOTU UltraLite with faulty LCD backlight
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- **NB1: It isn't necessary to completely disassemble your UltraLite if you only need to solder the 5V jumper wire between the main board and the LCD. Simply taking the top off might be enough. Watch the video and figure out how far you need to go.**
**NB2: Please look for the comment from F1 (pinned to the top) which explains the easy way to reassemble and get the power supply sub-board into place.**
This video shows how to disassemble a MOTU UltraLite and install a wire to feed 5 volt power to the LCD backlight, to make the display as bright as it should be. The video also shows how to get the UltraLite reassembled. Look for the pinned comment from F1 on reassembly. Enjoy. :-)
You temporarily assemble it in the top housing first then put on the bottom housing and remove the top housing screw down the pscb and put top back on.
I think this comment from F1 is offering advice on how to get the power supply board back in place, an easier way than I did it. If so, great advice! I can't wait for my UltraLite to break down again so I have an excuse to give it a try. It has to be easier than the way I did it, which I could tell was just not right. 'It shouldn't be this hard!'. Thank you F1. :-)
I repaired my Ultralite with your guide a few years ago, which kept it going for a while longer. So thanks a lot for that! However, unfortunately the LED light just gave up in the end. But the audio circuit itself was still working fine.
By searching around for a replacement 16x2 character LED display, I found an OLED 16x2 display on a well known chinese website. A green character on black OLED 5 volt display, which by the way also works with a current of 3.3 volts, with the connector holes for the 14 pins, which I had to solder back in. Size 80 x 30 mm, visible display size 66 x 16 mm. The pins you can also order separately; I ordered a double row of 2,54 mm spaced pins of 15 mm length, which fitted right in the holes. I had to cut down the length of the pins a bit.
The good thing is, with only the 14 pin connector back on, it lights up and works right away. The two other grey wires for the backlight are not needed anymore, because the OLED doesn’t need a LED backlight. It doesn’t have these two extra pins for a backlight anyway.
I tried the same display on my Motu 828Mk2, which I thought had the same configuration. And although it has the same 14 pin connector, and fits also just like in the Ultralite, appearantly the 14 pins are configured a bit different. The OLED display didn't want to light up in that device.
WOW this really worked. I followed the first video after buying a replacement screen 6 months ago and letting it sit in a drawer.. when I plugged it in after the install I had a "non-backlit" display.. I assumed i'd ordered the wrong part. NOPE! I added the 5V wire and I now have a bright green back light with black letters. Maybe not stock.. but it works for me! Thank you so much!
Hi Benjamin. I've just seen this response from you. Good job on your repair of your Ultralite and thanks for the feedback. These Ultralites are great so we gotta keep 'em going!
Hi. Thanks a lot for this guide. My backlight was fine but I had a power connection issue (I imagine this is common as the point where the adapter enters the box is under stress and any bump or drop will break it). Your guide gave me confidence to open it up and disassemble the boards and identify that the PCB in the power/MIDI had cracked (had previously been fixed - bought this second hand). So I jumped the cracked trace and reassembled and all great! Thanks again
Good work Paul. It’s great fun getting a useful bit of kit back up and working again. RUclips has been very helpful to me with all sorts of repair tasks, so I’m glad you found this little video helpful. Regards, Rick.
Thanks a million times for this instruction. It helped me to get the backlight back to work!
Thanks for your comment Pieter. I'm glad the repair worked for you.
Good tutorial. I tried it on my Motu Ultralite MK1 and it works perfectly. Thank you very much.
Great job! I faced the same problem and solved it thanks to you.
Great vid! My Ultralite display backlight only turns on when the unit gets hot, so I presume is a faulty contact that closes circuit when expanded by heat. Today my MOTU 828 mk3 backlight died, and after watching your video I feel more than secure to fix both by myself. Thanks!
gustavo bravetti Hi Gustavo. I think you might right about the faulty contact. Or it could be a problem with a capacitor that’s taking time to charge. I fixed a neighbour’s faulty television with a similar problem - took 45 minutes after switch on to start working. I found four bulging caps on the power supply board. I replaced those and bingo - as good as new. So have a careful look for this, with caps in circuit with the display. Check for shorts and open circuits across their terminals. Beyond that it’s necessary to desolder them off the board to check their proper performance. I ended up replacing my display with a similar sized but deeper backlit LCD, mounted on the other side of the display support board. It’s a 4.5v nominal display, so needed the new wire for the backlight. It wouldn’t work with the original 3.3v supply. I’m quite happy with the result. 😊
Thanks again for the tips! I'll check those capacitors too. ;)
Ive changed the wire and tried a thicker gauge but had no luck, i will probs undo the wire again and try and find a test lead somewhere and see what happens. Perhaps the display has just run its course? But i will keep u posted! Thank u so much for responding👍🏽
my led was broken, just cut the wires and replaced it with a cheap diode. works fine
that was heroic :) ...is there any chance for us to see the same process for 828MK3, coz mine display is just gone today about an hour ago, cheerio...great vid, nonetheless.
Wonderful, thank you sir!
Thanks Dean. Please note that if you have a dodgy display, the best option is to replace it with a new one. It's pretty easy to do, if your soldering skills are average or better. :-) Regards, Rick.
i just changed lcd backlight led. those green led is so tiny and weak. i put there biger blue led and put 100 ohm resistor in series. and backlight become bright. dont even need to change voltage.
Hi Selga. Yes, that was a good idea, to replace the LCD backlight LED. Elsewhere in these comments and in the video description I explain that I replaced the whole display with a new one, which is a better idea than upping the voltage. I’ve left this video here for watching as a guide for disassembly. There are some good tips in the comments on reassembly too. Viewers should look for those, including the one that is pinned. Regards, Rick.
Hello Valden23!!! Great videos !! many thanks for uploading them. My Ultralite is showing in the screen ( Bad Low power circuit ) and it just doesn't work at all it doesn't show as an audio interface. i have tried everything and it just doesn't work. MOTU says it is not fixable and even more dificult as i live in Canary Islands. By any chance you dont know how to fix this??
Hi Picnic. My first thought is that your Ultralite is most likely fixable, though diagnosing the problem could take some time and skill. MOTU have simply advised that they are not a provider for this repair. The only reason it would not be fixable would be if a proprietary integrated circuit has failed which happens to be no longer available and is not replaceable with a generic version. However, given that you're saying it doesn't work at all, the fault could be something simple like a power supply component. That's where I'd start looking. If you're tracing sensible voltages across the board and to the power input pins of the logic control and AD-DA chips, then the problem could be more serious. But still repairable, given parts availability.
There's three levels of functionality you want to be thinking about. 1 - is the Ultralite powering on and moving power to where it's needed in the device? 2 - is the Ultralite capable of communicating with other devices? 3 - is the Ultralite capable of converting between analogue and digital signals and communicating these signals? Work through these levels in this order.
First, some questions. Are you getting any kind of indication that the Ultralite is powering on when connected to either Firewire or direct DC power supply? As mentioned, if there is no sign of powering on, look for a problem in the power supply circuitry.
The fact that the Ultralite is not showing up as an available resource within your computer is another indication that it's simply not powering up.
I'll wait to hear what you see when you try these two power sources: Firewire and 9 Volt DC input. Ask for clues as you go, according to your needs. A quick thought - if you are good with a multimeter and a soldering iron you'll most likely be able to fix this, possibly learning some things along the way. If not, now's a good chance to get good with those tools. But if that's not your interest, look for a repair guy to help work through this. Regards, Rick.
Nice one. In my case I need to replace the LCD. I have a bunch of new style LCDs where all of the 16 pins are straight across instead of 2 rows of 7pins and to isolated pins for the back light. So I need to map the pins. Do you happen to have the mapping of the pins to the new style more common LCDs??
Hi Peter. Sorry for the delayed response. I've been away. Re the LCD, I did replace mine in the end, with one that needed a strip of pins to be soldered to it. Such LCDs are commonly available and the soldering job was easy to do, so keep trying to get your UltraLite back into service. It's a great bit of kit. BTW, since replacing the LCD, mine has worked perfectly. Regards, Rick.
I guess this would be the same procedure for the Hybrid model right? I haven't tried this yet, but it's just lifting the top, then I might go for it. Thanks a lot for this video!!
Hi Tiago. I'm thinking that if the Hybrid has the same chassis shape and screws, then the procedure for getting it open will work the same way. Take note of the helpful comment from F1etc that I've pinned to the top, to help with reassembly, if you pull the board right out. You might not need to, depending on how much of a repair you're doing.
I'll add that I completely replaced the LCD in the end, with one that was a good fit, purchased from a local electronics store for not much. I had to solder on some pins but that was easy. It's working really well. :-)
@@Valden23 I'd love to replace the screen altogether but I've attempted similar fixes before and I'm usually left with open carcasses. No time + no patience, unfortunately. I will try to open the top and see what I can get done that way. Thanks again for this, super helpful!
Great video !
I'm facing a technical issue with my Motu AVB Ultralite audio interface and could use some guidance.
The USB port on my Motu AVB Ultralite has unfortunately suffered damage, and I'm in the process of replacing it. Additionally, I suspect that there is an SMD capacitor located nearby that might also need replacement. Unfortunately, I don't have information on the specific value of this capacitor.
If anyone has experience with the Motu AVB Ultralite or possesses knowledge about SMD capacitor, I would greatly appreciate your assistance. Any guidance, documentation, or resources you can share would be immensely helpful.
Hi D0cteurcraft. Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Firstly, I'm sure you'll be able to solder in a new USB port without too much difficulty. It's probably already done. As for the SMD capacitor, I've had to replace a couple of those, which was also quite easy to do, if you have a fine enough tip on your soldering iron. For one of them, I replaced it with a ceramic capacitor of the right rating, because that was all that the local electronics store had. I read the rating from the circuit diagram which I found online. It was a Tannoy studio monitor, so not as complex as the MOTU Ultralite. Anyway, I encourage you to get stuck in and solder in a replacement. You should be able to deduce the rating for the capacitor by measuring similar sized and looking SMD caps in similar roles on the board. Move a good one from elsewhere on the board that isn't needed for testing. Or pull one from a dead circuit board you keep for such purposes. Please let us know how your repair efforts work out. 🙂 Regards, Rick.
Hi there again Valden, so I soldered the wire onto the board without removing the board due to one of the screws being messed up. It worked for a few hours but then suddenly went back to the faded display. Any ideas what the issue could be? Its so frustrating! Perhaps a completely new LED?
Hmmm, that does sound frustrating. I think you've telling me the display is still operating, but is dim again. I'd be checking the solder connections and the cable you've installed first. Can you get the display to light up brightly by using a test lead between the voltage source and the display? Can you use a multimeter to measure the voltage available at the voltage source? As shown in my video, with the multimeter in DC Volts mode, put the negative (black) lead on the outside metal sheath of the power plug and then touch the voltage source with the positive (red) lead to make a measurement. What do you get?
Can you please advise on the functionality of the Ultralite, even though the display is dim again? Does it seem to be working in all other respects?
Oh,also,everything else seems to be working fine,its just the display thats very very dim
Any multimeter testing results? It would be good to know if there's still 5V at that source. As mentioned, using a meter to check voltage, but also using it to check continuity of your jumper cable and soldering work would be the first checks to make. I'm guessing that since you own a soldering iron you also own a multimeter! :-) Go to it man!
Valden23 lol sadly Im not that tech savvy,Ill have to try and borrow a multimeter from someone,I think my boss may have one,u mention I should check the continuity from my jumper cable? Is that the new cable I soldered on?
Yes, the 'jumper cable' is the new one you've installed. Good luck with running those tests. A work colleague or a neighbour will have a meter you can borrow. Here's a question - when you installed the new cable, did you disconnect the old power supply cable, by pulling the long, narrow, black connector off the gold prong? I'm pointing at this prong with my black spudger, at 6:00 in the video.
Thanks a lot for this video! I have a similar model - MOTU Ultralite Mk3 Hybrid Rev 2. There's a difference in the circuit from the v1 (the one in the video I guess), because I cannot find the pin point with 5 V on the board. Does anyone have
the same issue as solved already? Thanks!
Hi Fiore. Thanks for letting me know the video was helpful. I'll try to be helpful again by mentioning that the best approach to dealing with an LCD that is fading is to replace it. I needed to do this in the end and it was a good solution. Anyone who can pull their MOTU Ultralite apart and do some soldering will be able to replace the display. Good luck with your repair! p.s. Be sure to read the NB notes in the video description. There's some useful tips there. 🙂
Hi, thanks for your video .. so just one question , my mk3 hybrid memory problem, how can i sole this problem..? is that anything to do ..??
Hi Valden,what cable can I use for that 5v power, just any electronic cable? And is it necessary to remove the entire board or could I just solder the cable in place without removing the entire board? Thnx
Hi Walied. I've only just received advice of this comment. I don't know why RUclips didn't email me earlier. Sorry about that. Re the cable question - I simply used a cable I stripped out of a dead inkjet printer. As you can see in the video it's of about the same gauge as the other cables in the Ultralite. It's nothing special. If you are clever with soldering iron you could do the work without removing the board, though you would be limited to using the 5V source on the upper side. I see from your newer comment that you've been hard at work on this; I'll move up to that comment now. Regards.
Do you know why does the backlight start to fail in the first place? I mean, why does the stock connector stop delivering the correct amount of voltage to the leds? thanks, great video btw
Hi Gian. No I'm afraid I don't know why these Ultralites have problems with their LCD display brightness. I'm sure glad to have mine properly visible again. Even though it's years old we're using it frequently, making the most of its fantastic utility and great audio quality. A little while ago I did some outdoor recordings of morning birdsong, where I needed to crank the Ultralite's preamp gain up all the way, to get sufficient signal recorded. No noise that I could detect. I was using very good low noise large diaphragm condenser mics, which helped. The Ultralite really proved its value, so I'll be keeping mine working whatever it takes. :-) Thanks for the feedback on the video. I knew it would be useful to fellow travellers.
@@Valden23 maybe it needs some reballing or maybe the lcd part was low quality… motu is a great brand but sometimes gets some compromises…
Do you know if the plastic cover in front of the lcd is removable? Mine is scratched.
Hi John. Hmmm, I’ve watched the video again and I can’t quite remember if the plastic outer screen cover is glued to the inside of the front panel or not. I think it is. Removing it might require heat gun treatment to soften the glue. It would be replaceable if you made up a suitable piece of plastic to fit. The lettering you see around the LCD is on a simple plastic template that lies between the outer plastic cover and the LCD. It’s held in place with a pair of mounting pins. I’d encourage you to dive in and make the repair you want. The hardest part will be sourcing a new piece of plastic. :-)
@@SailingSnowGum Thanks a lot....really cool of you to answer. And speedy too! :-)
@@johnewald3148 Hi John. I can see I’ve forgotten to switch accounts to the appropriate one before replying. Stand by while I cut and paste my words of reply into a new reply, from the right account this time. Regards, Rick (Valden 23)
Hi John. Hmmm, I’ve watched the video again and I can’t quite remember if the plastic outer screen cover is glued to the inside of the front panel or not. I think it is. Removing it might require heat gun treatment to soften the glue. It would be replaceable if you made up a suitable piece of plastic to fit. The lettering you see around the LCD is on a simple plastic template that lies between the outer plastic cover and the LCD. It’s held in place with a pair of mounting pins. I’d encourage you to dive in and make the repair you want. The hardest part will be sourcing a new piece of plastic. :-) Regards, Rick - Valden23
Woo, great vídeo!
I was wondering, I have the very same interface and Mic input number one has really bad dc offset, to the point where it's unusable (Input 2 is fine). Do you have any idea what's the best way to troubleshoot, or what I should look for? Maybe a bad IC or bad cap?
Hi André. I haven't made the kind of repair you've mentioned on this device, but I have on others. Indeed, capacitor failures have been the most common fault - and easily rectified - though not always easy to nail down, whether electrolytic, ceramic or SMD. You're probably already well versed in this, but I suggest studying the circuit to identify what could be the likely culprit, then remove and test the caps, hopefully not too many before you find the dud. Solder in a new one and you could be back in business. As a diagnostic aid, try to replicate the problem on a different but properly working channel, by lifting or removing the probable suspect cap there. This could point you in the right direction. I think the problem is more likely to be a bad cap than a bad IC, but you could have dodgy solder connections with an IC. Like me, you've probably revitalised boards by resoldering ICs, or reflowing the whole board in an oven. That can work very well, but should not be your first port of call. It can also go badly wrong. I knew I was in trouble once when I saw ICs on a RAM board sliding around like pucks on an ice rink. Scratch that one. There's good guidance here on YT for doing this, but ask if you want my tips.
@@Valden23 Thank very very much for the information! I'll try the cap approach
Just found this video..nicely presented. Have a unit here with no phantom or mic input on mic input 1. Trs jack works, but not xlr..despite it being a combo input.
Hi I recently got an mkII for free... After replacing the big elcap I already got rid of the startup problem.... Is there any reason why te voltage should have dropped to 3.15V? Which component would be broken? Thanks?
Hi Thierry. The voltage will be different at various points on the circuit board, depending on the requirements of the circuit’s design. You have replaced at least one component so I’m guessing you already know about this. 😄 I remember finding voltage measurements in the 3V range, as well 5V. If you are measuring 3.15V at a particular point, it could be normal. Regarding the LCD, if yours is not working properly, be sure to read all of the video description and the comments and consider installing a new one. Regards, Rick.
Awesome video! Thanks for your knowledge! I have a UL MK3, long story short... I’ve hooked up the FW cables upside down. -sighs- yeah, I know. Am I out of luck? Or is there hope to save it? I was using the FW bus powered too. Anyways. Thanks ! Best regards,
Rick
carvedlegion G'day Rick. There's a fair chance your Ultralite will still work once the FireWire wiring is sorted out. Worth a try. :-)
Cheers! I’m a complete noob would you be able to shed some light on what could be done? (if it’s not too complex) shoot me a message. :)
Hello carved. Going by the clues in your first post, I'm thinking the thing to do is reconnect the FireWire cables the right way around. Once they're connected the right way, your UltraLite might work again. :-)
Cool! Do you know how to change the volume "power-on/off" button to be wireless remote control one?
Hi Jason. This question is easy. Nope, I don’t know how to convert the volume/on/off switch to be wireless remote control, though I can see some handy applications for this conversion. If you do work out how to do this, make a video of it! 🙂 Regards, Rick.
Just add a “bluetooth control wall socket” so you can off it from the couch…
Hello Valden23! I'm trying to repair a MOTU Midi Timepiece2 and would like to replace the screen. I don't suppose you know the display pinouts, or where I can find them? Many thanks! Ben
Hi Ben. I'm afraid I don't have the information you're looking for. However, I did replace the screen on my UltraLite with complete success (not shown in this video). The LCD screen I selected had the same pin settings as the original, which is no surprise really - it will be standardised across the industry. So chances are that a display you select as a good physical fit and with the same number of pins (which you might need to solder on - easy) will work. Give it a try and report back! :-)
@@Valden23 Hi there! Thanks for getting back to me :) I'll give that a try!
Ben Scott Definitely worth a try. As a guide, it cost me about $20 all up to buy a suitable display and a strip of pins to solder on to it, so the ribbon cable connector can be pushed on. A fun project for anyone with good, basic soldering skills and equipment. :-)
Hi again after some very long time, my final account with my 828mk3 is ; no usb recognition from pc but perfect connection over 1394 port (fw800) and the front knobs not functioning; i cant even reset it to any defaults or upgrade its anything in search of a proper functioning come back of its periphery, however, as far as the cuemix fx proves it has no flaw in any sort of function in the inside, each parameter including their lights such as pad or phantom responds to the cuemix fx commands performed within the pc. if anyone has a potential solution for the scrambled menu+non responding knobs and usb disconnectivity i am all ears respectfully. And if you know how to reset this device without pressing its hardcopy knobs please do share your wisdom on such a soft solution.
I just spent several hours with a tech and he watched your videos,it didnt work for me at all, instead of a dim screen I now have no screen,he was kind enough not to charge me, I think my display was just going bad, well I may buy another or get a motu traveler instead?
Denis
Hi Alien. Thanks for the follow-up. A good option to consider would be to buy a 16 x 2 LCD display at an electronics store and replace the faulty one. I suggest using the original wiring for the display in the first instance. The part should cost less than $20. These UltraLites are good units and are worth keeping in service.
I almost sold it on ebay as is,but then it dawned on me. the tech got paid nothing for his time which is so unfair.so I will do just that, buy a replacement lcd and have him replace it and charge me for his time.that way he gets paid and I get my motu working.good deal!!! by the way,I was upset,but I now realize how old these units are s the lcd giving ou t is no big deal.your videos were very helpful by the way.
It sounds like a good plan to replace the LCD. Yes, these original UltraLites are pretty old units now, but the sound quality is remarkably good and they are genuinely versatile. Once again, thanks for pointing out that it isn't necessary to follow all of my disassembly instructions if soldering in that jumper wire is all that's needed. I wonder if I can add a notation to the video, to draw attention to this?
it looks like you can replace the lcd screen with the much brighter 16x2 OLED screen
Excellent news! I'm hoping you will give this a try and report on your success. I might follow your lead. :-)
nice vid! I have a Motu 828mkII, do you know how to fix a mic/guitar in? I have one working properly and the other one is doing noises and latency
MrDobleagent G’day Dobleagent. No, sorry - no experience with the 828. My initial thought is, the problem you describe doesn’t sound like an easy one to diagnose. Sometimes it’s easier when they flat-out just stop working. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with a Tannoy studio monitor, which works for a few minutes then starts crackling, then goes silent, then comes good again, sometimes. If it would just die I might be able to fix it! However, if you have some skills, even basic, with a multimeter, I encourage you to lift the lid and look for and probe for dodgy connections. It might simply be a case of resoldering a component, or finding a blown one. Sometimes the dodgy component is visually obvious. But it can become very time consuming, if you’re still learning. Perhaps asking a repair guy or girl for a quote is an idea? Or the MOTU techs. They’re probably familiar with the fault, and should have the right spares. All the best with getting your 828 back in the game. It’s good gear!
Thank you very much by the dedicated answer. About 828 and ultralite, im pretty sure are the same components, the only problem on this equipment is that one about the mic/guitar in, and also... another noise coming inside the case after few hours of use, this doesn't affect render or producing / time, I guess can be maybe a transistor or something else like a capacitor... I dont know, but im curious to opening and see from where comes the noise, but maybe better if I go with a repair guy than try by myself hehe, also I hope you fix your Tannoy monitor! all the best and thanks again by the reply
MrDobleagent Doble, another thought I’ve had is - have you searched the MOTUnation forum for clues? I found some key and encouraging information there which helped take my Ultralite repair efforts to the next level. Sometimes just a snippet of a clue is enough to get you looking in the right place, such that with a screwdriver and a basic multimeter you can find the problem. A careful approach comes in handy too, of course. Watch out for static electricity buildup from movement of your clothes and dissipate it by touching a grounded object, then staying calm and still while working. Easy to manage. Apologies if your experience level makes you rolleyes at this advice. 🙂 I do urge you to at least get the case open for a look. A baby cockroach might have got itself zapped on a capacitor. A simple clean with isopropyl alcohol or a straightforward component replacement could be all that’s needed. Case in point - last year my neighbour asked for help to take his broken big screen HD Samsung television to the recycling depot. I asked if I could look inside, noting I have no experience with such devices. I saw four capacitors that were obviously failing (swollen tops). He’d already bought a new one and said if I could fix it, my family could keep it. It cost $3 for four caps and took an hour to replace them, including driving to the electronics store to get them. My kids were very happy with the ‘new’ TV. Good luck.
Hi there, here I have 2 of these ultralites. One with very dimmed display and one with a broken lcd. I did the modification on the dimmed one, and the display became just a little bit brighter but sercainly not enough (or like your one). On the motherboard the nearest 5v point was the one you used, 5.03V. But this point you showed 5,12V. Nowhere on the board I found more then 5.03V (the lcd displays can me powered up to 5,3V) Is this 1,2 V difference the answer to the too dimmed lcd? In china I can buy these LCD's for around $15 (ex transport cost). But after the modification I contacted the former owner, and he said that you don't need the display at all for using the box! Is that true? Ps, dit any of you replaced the lcd display with a new one? Thanks for the video. Josefskil, Amsterdam
Hi Josefskil. Yes, I replaced my whole screen in the end, and it’s a great result. I had to solder pins onto the screen’s contacts, but that was easy. I encourage you to give it a try. It should work and you’ll be happy with the result. I found a suitable 16x2 screen at a local electronics store. Regards, Rick.
Re not needing the screen, I’m pretty sure the Ultralite can be controlled by a PC, if the software that came with it is installed.
OFC, who knows what you connected it to - as I said in a comment above, there's a ton of revisions. Your 5V rail might be limited to 10 mA, you can't know going in blind. My advice is to create a voltage regulator using LM7805 and take the power supply input directly from the input power supply connector. That way, you are sure that you have a dedicated 5V rail for the display, without loading something else inside.
@@Valden23 Thank you for your instructional video ! I was also wondering what was the real issue on your board. Is it a power regulator (explaining the 3V you measured) or the 16x2 screen itself ? I am about to do the same repair (I guess) on a 828x.
@@Natoozz Hi Nat. The problem I had was with the display and I had to replace it in the end. This worked well and it’s like a new unit again. I recommend that you source a 16x2 display and the pins you need and put it in. It’s quite a doable job. 🙂
@@Valden23 Thanks for your response ! I will surely do it, its indeed quite doable. 🙂 Si just out of curiosity do you know why you measured 3.4V with the original wiring ?
iska pwar supply karab.ho gaya hai kya.alg mil Sakta.hai hai
WHY REMOVE THE BOARD AT ALL?! seems you can just sauder the wire, going to try today
aliengtr . You're right Aliengtr! If all you need to do is solder in the new wire, if you can work in the tight space, do it the quick way that you'll be trying. Please let us know how you go. :-) . The full disassembly shown here was what I did while investigating what might be wrong. It will be handy if users have other problems to look for. These are good units and are worth keeping in working condition. Thanks for your comment.
Would You know where to find the .5 volt feed for the Traveler to fix the same problem?
It should be labelled but if not use the multimeter like he shown.
@@thelabby9998 I actually tried that, to an extent , But I didn't want to fry the board by having a lack of knowledge on my part, never found a feed. There was a spot labeled .5v but there didn’t seem to be power there.
@@jayfarber3559 well another user recommended a workaround getting power from the power connector and using power regulator (similar to “step down” board ) so check the regular power it goes into the power socket (it’s 12V? I’m talking from memory) and add that extra stage so you can get 5V and regulated (that other user said it was wrong idea to get them from pcb spot since it could be not regulated or proper Amps) and feed from that extra stage the lcd board. If the motu gets any strange behaviour then change the psu adapter to another with some extra milliamps (because that could be the source of the new behaviour if the extra stage // step down gets too much power and the motu is sensitive to that what I can know by assumptions). If none of these “works” then think about replacing the lcd component itself as OP suggested in other comment. Excuse me if my first comment sounded insensitive, without your background/attempts it seems you were asking for “clean hands help” so that’s why I pointed the straight answer (check the vid blabla). Peace and good luck
Hi Jay. You’re best to hunt for it with your multimeter. Make sure it’s on DC volts mode.
My best suggestion is to replace the LCD with a new one. I did this in the end and it worked well. Basic soldering skills needed. Good fun project. 🙂
@@thelabby9998 Thanks
really great video thanks
Can you give me some hint for replacement part ?
Need to change my headphone output,but i don't find anywhere ?
Anybody ?
Thx
Hi shini. Sorry for the delayed response. If you are talking about replacing the jack for the headphone, that should be available at any decent electronics DIY store or from an audio repair technician. One resort would be to take the MOTU to a pro music store, where they will have a repair technician. S/he will be able to either provide the part you need, or tell you where to get it, or do the job for you.
Have you looked at eBay? I've bought the smallest of surface mount components from there when needed, always at good prices, though I always end up with 10 when I need one. Oh well ...
@@BBAF-3012 Hi shini. I know what you mean about a lack of electronics DIY stores in France. I was there for much of the last 18 months and I missed the kinds of DIY stores we have in Australia. Anyway, I found a small electronics repair shop in the town I was in and the guy there had what I needed, at reasonable prices too. I tried to pay with Australian money the first time, which caused a very puzzled look on his face. hehe. Anyway, you'll be able to find a small repair shop which will have the parts you need. Or they'll be able to order them in for you. Then it's a case of getting busy with your soldering iron. A good fun project. Please let me know if you get the job finished and your Motu back in working order. It's a device that's worth the effort to fix.
@@Valden23 Do you remember the shop ? That was in Paris ?
Thx
cheers
@@BBAF-3012 Hi Shini. The particular store I used was in Cherbourg. AED Electronique in Cherbourg, on rue Jean Moulin. But there will be an electric or TV or music/audio repair shop in every town. I used Google maps to find the one in Cherbourg. Good luck with your repair work. I’m sure you’ll succeed. 🙂
hey there mine, i guess got its usb input fried or sth due to some ac surge (there were a lightning botl so close to my house recently and it clipped during that flashes couple o times, i regret not shutting it off) it boots up decently but when i unplug or re-plug the usb cable i cant hear any win signals to indicate such a connection to be established, could its usb input be repaired and could i have made it done, on my own? would you please tell me if you do have an idea what should i do about it ? thx in advance
Hi Cankut. I'm thinking you must have a later model than my Ultralite I, which only has Firewire. However, yes, I do think you can diagnose the problem with your USB, given your advice that the unit still boots up. Does it function properly, apart from the USB problem? The job for you will be to use a good multimeter and trace the continuity and voltages from the USB cable, then to the port, then through the components and traces to see if there is an interruption, a failed component, etc. You might find that a single component that is easily replaced has failed. Good luck with your diagnosis.
hello Cankut, i have the same problem with my Motu 828 MKII usb 2.0 .
The usb port seems to be fried. When i plug in a Windows i can hear a connection established, but Windows give me an Error like ' Usb Device not recognized' . I Also tried on Mac , but same situation..NOT RECOGNIZED
But i identified the semiconductor that Motu installed for the USB 2.0 port.
It is the 'ISP1581BD,518' by NXC.
Unfortunately, seems that no one shops (online also) have this Semiconductor available cause it's very old!
Anyway, i'll try to just replace the USB 2.0 Type B female Port, to check if it is enough.
If you have any other informations about the fix, please send me message to : sawevibes@gmail.com
@@Valden23 it boots up ok i think, and the sample rate led goes ok, then, it has audio signal when i get in a guitar, on the meterbridge...other then those i have no clue but im gonna do your biddings asap thank you so much for being concerned.
@@ewwewwewwe8520 sure, but its a little bit terrifying what you say coz if u somehow get a reconginiton signal, in my mind, you should have been far away from having a replacement issue for that port, and by only having the card reinstalled properly the rest of the obstacles would have been dealt with at the instance... coz mine got no sorts of a connection signal at all...im thinking as if the common protocol for the USBs is similar with the conventional PC in principal, then i would be made thinking like perhaps main chip has a rebooting issue, like a bios update to be made properly rerouting its related peripherals, so i would suggest for it if there is such an option in these cards...i mean like a bios update or sth equivalent in effect...please record your operation if you go for it, there is not much on the net, visualizing the box opening on mkseries...best.
@@Valden23 greetings...this evening my friend got the box opened and replaced the usb type b but since we do not profess in electronics to suffice in the tasks you've given i am a bit stuck right now, i will check for the service fees first and then hopefully get it fixed. ive to admit, its horrible already :D...best.
This is Mk3_
sigh......
An old video, but one can't help but ask - are you on some heavy drugs Valden23? Did you sniff some glue? That's the dirtiest fix I saw in my life. Yeah, who cares additional 200-300 mA drawn from whatever that test point was connected with. You got maybe lucky and hit some regulator's output, and luckily, Motu left enough headroom, but you might just have blown your unit altogether. Please, guys, DO NOT DO THIS, find a proper way to repair your unit - or just go ahead and risk frying something.
As a side note, the unit is a mismatch of different revisions: mine looks completely different, it has the mainboard PCB rev 2.0, display PCB is NOT made in China, but it's S&S (whoever that is)
Hi Dare. Thanks for your thoughts on this. You clearly have a valuable contribution to make. The question is, are you actually going to go to the effort to make a valuable contribution? Are you going to help your fellows by making and publishing a video that demonstrates what to do? It’s easy to take pot shots from the sidelines. Being a contributor to the advancement of knowledge is much harder. The ball is in your court. I will be the first to congratulate you if you do step up to the plate and provide some useful leadership. 🙂
Since in the board you can find a +5V label… anyone could make the assumption that’s the right spot to drain vcc into the other board (which btw could use 5V or 3.3V so no great mistake if someone mismatches them. Proper inspection of the receptor board will clean any doubt and even if there’s some voltage difference just get an step down board from aliexpress (peanuts) and add to the mod/hack. That’s it. Stop scaring people about blowing units. It’s not recomendable as “starter project” but rocket science neither…