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Crackling Control Pot


baddog

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Hi there.

I've got myself a Laney TH6150 PA mixer/Head, however there's loud cracking when I turn the master volume control knob. Do you think this is just going to be a case of replacing the pot? If so is it easy to do or can anybody recommend a decent repair place either close to Liverpool (where I live) or Macclesfield (where I work)

 

Thanks

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Is that like WD40? I've noticed the action of the knob is a fair bit looser than the others that's why I think it needs replacing?

No. WD40 is a water dispersant ("WD"), although it might have similar results.

Contact cleaners come in many flavours. Ones that come to mind are 'Servisol' or 'Fospro' (my personal favourite). If buying locally Maplin will have an alternative.

 

While it may need replacing, it is definitely worth spraying first. More often than not this can solve the problem by removing deposits and improving conductivity. Obviously you need to make sure the spray gets into the pot (ie. from within the unit).

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Be careful when using contact cleaner on pots.

 

The carbon based track used in most pots contains a lubricant; using the wrong type of cleaner will wash the lubricant out and knacker your pots within days. Use the right stuff.

 

TBH if turning the pot from minimum to maximum a dozen times doesn't improve things then it's beyond hope anyway.

 

Lots of info and proper cleanershere.

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To answer the second part of your question, more often than not replacing a pot is a simple enough job. As long as you're comfortable taking it apart (this could be a little or a lot of disassembly depending on how it's all put together) and doing some soldering you should have no problems. Bear in mind it's important to replace the pot with the same specification or as close as you can manage. Replacing a log pot with a linear one, for example, will cause all sorts of grief.
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Do NOT use WD40. Use a contact cleaner or Iso Propyl Alcohol (IPA) spray

 

IPA will take away all lubrication from the track and leave it dry, coarse feel and noisy,

Change the pot! all other suggestions are a fudge.

Too right, you'll end up spending more on cures that will probably do nothing or only offer a temporary solution.

 

Also it can be difficult to avoid getting the cleaner onto other components, even using a straw. We often see bits of kit in for repair that someone has tried to maintain this way and they've ended up doing more damage.

 

If you do decide to buy contact cleaner buy it from a decent supplier like RS who will give you a datasheet with it. Some of the cheap goo being sold on the likes of eBay will melt plastic and destroy the internals of your kit. I kid you not, one client of ours brought in some 'contact cleaner' that smelled like acetone and said he had been using it on his desk faders when they stopped working. The desk was a write-off.

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Do NOT use WD40. Use a contact cleaner or Iso Propyl Alcohol (IPA) spray

 

IPA will take away all lubrication from the track and leave it dry, coarse feel and noisy,

Change the pot! all other suggestions are a fudge.

 

Sorry, I read this and thought you meant the 'other' IPA, that you buy by the pint.

 

Would that work, and if so would there be any left?

 

Back on topic, if you feel confident taking the pot out, take it out, then take it to an electronics shop, who will hopefully help you source the correct replacement. Or try contacting the maker or importer, you never know, an exact pot might be available for little or no money from them. Customer service can be amazing sometimes!

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