Soundcraft APS - 520 P.S.U.

Hello all,
Just had a Soundcraft DC2000 console, as mate rate payment for work done on a Trident TSM.
Only one problem, Which to be fair, I knew there was a risk of not being able to find the power supply for the console.
you guessed it, we cannot find the power supply anywhere !! :twisted: ,so here are my options.
Phoned Soundcraft yesterday, they were about as helpful as a hole in the head. basically, they've discontinued the console, along with the power supply. They didn't have any replacement supplies. the only information i could get out of them, was that they have only one main transformer left in stock, and that would cost me £ 350. sheesh !
anyway, managed to get a service manual for the power supply.
this carries on to my next option,

DIY power supply. - or the other alternative,

locate a replacement power supply somewhere in the world.

So, as always, any help would be a great help.

Best Regards

Steve :guinness:

A power transformer at 350£ is just plain stupid.

You can have a custom-wound 1000W-type with any bells and whistles you like for around 100£ at most manufacturers.

If you have the PSU manual with appropiate voltages, it shouldn't be that hard to DIY..

Jakob E.

Thanks for the help Jakob,
I know £350 is a bit salty !, when i get the schematics, I'll try and get a transformer made.
Any preferences as to which are best ??
Best Regards
Steve :thumb:

No, just check out your local guys.

My favorite is our local Ulveco, http://www.ulveco.dk/

They have done the most wierd constructions for me - at surprisingly low cost.

Go for a toroid if possible at all - those behaves really nice at high powers.

Jakob E.

Thanks again :thumb:
Steve

And try funkyjunk, they may have something that would need very little modding.

..I think I have a couple... let me look.

Keith

Hello Chaps,

Jonathan, already tried !!, but to no avail !
Keith, my fingers are crossed !!

Steve :thumb:

I-gotta-couple-a MPS-290's... and a load of toroids... but the shipping to Wales will brobably be prohibitive...

WHat's the connector/pinout, -this might be modifiable... I'm thinking shipping of about £50 "slow-boat" from here...

Keith

Keith,
what model console has the mps-290 come from ?, don't worry about shipping costs - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Anyway, after looking at soundcraft's site i found these specs


OUTPUTS
APS500/A APS520
DC. voltage Max. O/P Max. O/P Max. Noise Description
Rail Current Current
+48V 350mA 450mA -65dBu Phantom Power
+/-17V 3.2A each 4.5A each -61dBu Audio Supply
+/-12V (A) 10.25A each 12.0A each Fader Motors
+/-12V (B) 0.8A each 1.0A each Disk Drive Motors
+5V (A) 4.5A 5.0A C3 (automation
I/O supply)
+5V (B) 3.5A 3.8A Meterbridge Supply
+5V (C) 3.2A 3.4A Unregulated (nom. 10V)
5V reg. in the console

hope this can help,

Steve :thumb:

Hmmmm, I think this might have been a ghost supply... no automation rails... just ±18V and +48V.

Those DC2000s are trouble anyhow. Most were abandoned. If the computer screen dies, you're hosed!

...Scenaria is the local authority on what to look for...

Keith

Hello Keith,
Do you know where the DC2000 graveyard is ?, i feel like doing some bodysnatching !!!

seriously - I hope scenaria has some info, do you know his mail adress?

Steve

-You can certainly get him at:

kits -AT- bellsouth -(dot)- net

About 4 years ago, I hooked him up with a DC2000 that I'd looked at and didn't want to get involved with. Basically (from memory) the early ones had computers which -if the screen is dead- you can't do a darn thing with. This one had somehow got a corrupted boot, so the cut and solo buttons were offset at random amounts... -Cut/solo on input 3 actually ioerated on input 7. Cut/solo on input 7 operated on input 21.... very random & wierd.

Anyhoo... since the integrated LCD screen had died and there was no other screen hookup available on themotherboard, Soundcraft would only sell you a complete new computer... $8000. More than the whole thing was worth, by a long margin. -Scen bought it as a gamble and for a while nothing happened until he stumbled upon a spare computer with integrated screen... Then it was up, running and sold before anything else could go wrong with it!!!

When they're working they're pretty decent, but if the computer dies, they're an absolute orphan. From what I learned from the SOundcraft guys over here, the computer is the main reason for dumping them. -If you invest a bunch of cash into a PSU you might still find that you have a big paperweight, unless you are willing to rebuild the modules to include flip-flops to operate the cuts, and probably just forget about ever making the solos work.

I can't remember if the EQ in/out was computer controlled, but if it was, then it too won't work if the computer won't come to life.

Put it another way: If I had one and the computer died, the most useful part might be the PSU... Is there any way to find out for certain that the computer did indeed work and that the PSU wasn't 'raided' from an otherwise mortally-wounded console?

Scenaria should hopefully be able to fill in /correct any poor recollections of mine, but I think that's a fair summary/warning...

keith

Oh Shite,
i'll try scenaria for the bad news !!


Steve :shock:

didnt recognize the p/s supply model so I didnt even peak in here... sorry about that

Keith nailed most of what I dealt with....

only difference, was I couldnt find a *spare* computer.


heres the scoop..

as keith suggested the software on the computer eventually will go corrupt. Usualy from not "shutting the computer down properly" and just flipping the power switch.

A number of switches on each I/O are logic controlled, requiring the computer to opperate properly.

When the software goes wack the desk follows suit as keith mentioned.. you might cut channel 6 but actually channel 23 mutes... very weird crap.

The common problem with this desk isnt that the computer goes bad. Its that the LCD eventually fails. The first to fail is the backlight but soon after that the contrast on the LCD will start to reduce to where you can barely see anything.

My temp fix was to put a new backlight behind the LCD. Once I did this it would take about an hour fo the LCD to warm up enough to make out the screen. This allowed a new install of the O.S.

hate to say it but as soon as I had the new O.S. installed I sold that damn thing faster than you could blink an eye :\

power requirements isnt too high on this console. The supply that comes with it is pretty beefy in contrast.

Personally... I would gather up enough power supplies modules (scrap ones laying around) to fire up the computer and logic. See if the LCD even works. If it doesn work... get rid of it! sell it as a "fixer upper" on ebay... I'll bet you can get atleast a thousand for it at that rate.

It simply would not be worth the 3 or 4 hundred in power supplies, time and effort AND to try and fix the LCD which by the way is impossible to replace. There is no VGA out option on that console.. u have no choice than to purchase an entire new computer from soundcraft ($8k as keith mentioned)

No they cant sell you the LCD as the new LCD that they use only is compatible with the newer style computer....

Your shit outta luck if that computer doenst fire up

and to be honest....

even if it does work... FIX the P/S issue and SELL IT ASAP!! you will be gambling if you use it as im sure that LCD is on the edge of being dead if it already isnt. So sell it to some other poor soul and build some more DIY. perhaps use the money on a ghost or something if you need a small desk

Peace!

I think my options are before me !

Cheers Scenaria.


Steve :shock: