Monacor Active Speaker System.

[Robin D]

Our village church purchased one of the from a dealer who no longer exists a few year back. Perhaps 6-8 years. I am not an attendee but know the church warden well and have previously done sound and lights for concerts. 

Now it emitting a loud crack every so often. I suggested he contact the UK agent, no response received, or Monacor on Germany, also zero response. He rang Germany and no answer.

Does anyone know anything about the company or have a current contact, or know anyone likely to undertake a repair please? 

Monacor Active Speaker System.  model C-RAY/8  number 25.5630,  Maker, Monacor International. Germany.

Google shows the UK distributor as 'permanently closed'. The main website is still up and running. 

If I need to I will dismantle it myself, but have a lot on at the moment so would rather not. 

Thanks in anticipation. 

Robin

[bruce]

I've got a set of these lying in the garage, awaiting a minor repair. Not an electronic/audio repair so I can't help you on that side - my repair will involve screws and epoxy....

Usual faultfinding questions:

Are both units making the noise or just one?

Do they do it with no input connected?

Is the power supply clean? Do they make the noise when in a different location? Are there any (eg) fluorescent light fittings nearby?

If it's any help, these units were sold under several brand/badges - the one I'm looking at is also C-Ray/8, but badged IMG Stageline. They sound OK for what they are, but don't go particularly loud.

[sunray]

Ah yes, I have a singer friend who has one, I've also done some mechanical repairs on that with the locking system.

I have found they it is susceptible to mains bourne interference, one hall in particular has a big high level heat exchanger/fan unit, there is a significant click when the room stat switches off and another about 20 seconds later when the heater stat clicks off followed by the crunch of the contactor. One of thesefollowed by a 6 inch IEC lead helps considerably.

I didn't realise they are supposed to be 400W, she also has a QTX12PA with internal battery, but also under other badges such as Pulse, which I think is 50+50 biamped and would have only said the Ray8 had the edge over it but does sound a little better for her voice. Occasionally she will use the QTX as the slave/stereo and I'd describe it as holding its own.

Edited February 4 by sunray

[Robin D]

Thank you @bruce. I have not t witnessed the crack. No fluorescent tubes. Nothing with motors. The organ is out of use as they don't have anyone to place it, the bells are hand pulled (by a prize winning team), heating is by tubes under the pews.  Lighting is all incandescent (or candles). Heating is always turned off before the service starts I am told. It's an 8th Century church updated in Victorian crimes. Nothing appears to have changed recently. The power is the same supply to the whole village, so while I may be on a different phase, it's actually been reliable since the substation was upgraded about about a decade ago. The lace was rewired less than 20 years ago.

There is only the one set of sub plus pillar. Everything stays connected all the time. I suspect a problem with the internal PSU, but it could be many things. Ian reports that there is no pattern in terms of how long it's been on. 

I guess I will have to find time to go down to have a play to see if I can recreate the problem.

[Robin D]

Hi @sunray and thanks. What is the device you have pictured please? Some sort mains filter? 

[DrV]

The device Sunray pictured is an IEC inlet with an integrated mains filter. He's recommending that you replace the existing inlet with one of these but that will depend on whether there's space inside your unit.

Do you have any idea very roughly how frequently this sound happens? You just put "every so often" but are we talking about once or twice in a week of use or once or twice an hour (or minute!) I'm finding it hard to think of ways you can get a single "crack" with a long delay before the next one, other than some sort of static buildup or leakage charge which eventually arcs over. Any idea of timings? And a fuller description of the sound too - is it literally a single crack or is it more of a fizz taking maybe a quarter of a second or more?

[Robin D]

I will endeavour to find out more. 👍

[Robin D]

Just to update this. A call to Monacor in Germany gave me the current UK distributor who are Epic Audio. https://epicaudio.co.uk/. Neil there has proved very helpful in arranging a return to their workshop via a more local distributor. I am still chasing the church warden with the other questions, but it looks like a resolution may be on the way. 

Will try to remember to update as and when the matter concludes. 

[sandall]

Thanks. Useful to know.