LDR3x.V2 DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote

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tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #40 on: 2 Dec 2013, 02:45 pm »
Hi Morten:

Which part number for the above mentioned Milspec wire...   M22759, M16878 or M27500 ?

Thanks,

Randy

M16878  :D     http://www.wesbellwireandcable.com/PTFE/high-temperature-wire-ptfe-type-e.html

juanitox

Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #41 on: 8 Dec 2013, 10:32 am »
 :( hi ,  mine is not working ,  i have passed all week to try to make it work but i failed.     i have tried 12V and 5V power supply , an apple remote than a 10K volume pot and i have no sounds coming out  :duh:

please tell me if you have an idea ?   or i will send you back for repair?

best regards

rohan

tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #42 on: 8 Dec 2013, 12:04 pm »
:( hi ,  mine is not working ,  i have passed all week to try to make it work but i failed.     i have tried 12V and 5V power supply , an apple remote than a 10K volume pot and i have no sounds coming out  :duh:

please tell me if you have an idea ?   or i will send you back for repair?

best regards

rohan
Hi Rohan,

We test each board with actual music before we ship them out and to date we've had 100% success with the boards working. While that is no guarantee per se, it's more likely that some little detail has been overlooked in setting up your board.

Based on customer experiences to date, the two mostly likely explanations are either: a) somehow the board isn't getting turned on; or, b) incorrect wiring of the audio signal wiring to/from the board

I've found photos of customers' setup to be very useful in sorting out issues like this. I suggest you email me a few pics of your setup that includes all wiring etc. to morten@tortugaaudio.com

I'm reasonably confident we can resolve this once I'm looking at what you're looking at. Of course in the unlikely case that it turns out the board is indeed bad, I'll ship out a replacement. No worries.

Cheers,
Morten
« Last Edit: 8 Dec 2013, 01:07 pm by tortugaranger »

tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #43 on: 8 Dec 2013, 06:21 pm »
Hi Rohan,
We test each board with actual music before we ship them out and to date we've had 100% success with the boards working. While that is no guarantee per se, it's more likely that some little detail has been overlooked in setting up your board.
Based on customer experiences to date, the two mostly likely explanations are either: a) somehow the board isn't getting turned on; or, b) incorrect wiring of the audio signal wiring to/from the board
I've found photos of customers' setup to be very useful in sorting out issues like this. I suggest you email me a few pics of your setup that includes all wiring etc. to morten@tortugaaudio.com
I'm reasonably confident we can resolve this once I'm looking at what you're looking at. Of course in the unlikely case that it turns out the board is indeed bad, I'll ship out a replacement. No worries.
Cheers,
Morten

Based on additional info provided by Rohan so far, the root of the problem appears to be related to using a conventional manual pot to control volume. This is a feature of the LDR3x and is provided for those who prefer control via conventional front panel controls like pots, push buttons and switches. Unfortunately, the pot control mode is incompatible with controlling volume via remote/encoder. The compromise solution is to utilize an encoder instead of a pot. Manual control via an encoder is fully compatible with control via remote and can be used to control the LDR3x interchangeably.

juanitox

Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #44 on: 9 Dec 2013, 07:39 am »
unfortunatly , after few try it seems more compacted that this.  the board goes into auto-mute with the remote..   :duh:
but make no mistake it's just a fonction problem  when i have sounds out the Ldr3x is far better than my khosmo vishay attenuator  :thumb:

thanks  to morten for his great support and fantastic service , very rare those days  :thumb:
« Last Edit: 9 Dec 2013, 03:43 pm by juanitox »

tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #45 on: 10 Dec 2013, 01:48 am »
thanks  to morten for his great support and fantastic service , very rare those days  :thumb:

Thanks Rohan.

Replacement board is on its way along with a few extra goodies. One way or another, we'll get you up and running with a passive preamp!

Cheers!,
Morten

tortugaranger

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Lock-up at Zero Volume - Just UnMute The Unit
« Reply #46 on: 14 Dec 2013, 04:00 pm »
Hi All,

Recent owners of the LDR3x including recipients of the HiZ upgrade have noticed that when they reduce volume to zero they then find they can't raise volume back up again (and the status light blinks indicating the unit is muted). Kind of like a mute lock-up. Not to worry.  Read on.

If this happens, just press the Mute/UnMute button. Once the unit is un-muted you can again raise the volume. This is happening due to a changes in the software related to a future product offering.

Here's what's going on. We're about to come out with an optional display module that will display volume level and status information. The user will be able to increase and decrease the brightness of the display module using the remote. In order to add this functionality, we had to add a new operating mode - the Brightness Adjust Mode. The Brightness Adjust Mode is turned on whenever the volume hits zero. At that point the raise/lower  keys become increase/decrease brightness keys. To exit this mode, just press the Mute button and the unit returns to normal volume control again.

More on this once the Display Module is released.

Cheers,
Morten





glynnw

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #47 on: 14 Dec 2013, 04:45 pm »
I am ready to buy the display ASAP.  Hooray.

tortugaranger

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DM1 Display Module
« Reply #48 on: 21 Dec 2013, 03:55 pm »
We are pleased to announce the pre-release of our DM1 Display Module which we anticipate will be ready to ship by Januaray 6, 2013 (just waiting on the boards to be fabricated).

The Display Module ("DM1") is 2 digit (0.56 inch tall), 7-segment numerical LED display board (1.8 x 1.8 inches) that can be interfaced with the LDR3x Preamp Controller Board to provide numerical/visual feedback of volume level and status of the LDR3x.

You can use just a single module (master) or dual modules (master/slave) for left/right channel display. And they come in blue, green, yellow and red.

Pricing is as follows:
Single Display (right channel/master only) - $59
Add 2nd Display Later (left channel/slave) - $39
Dual Displays Purchased Together (left/right - master/slave) - $89 ($10 discount)
LDR3x Firmware Upgrade - $20 (required for all LDR3x units purchased prior to 12.18.13;  included with all new LDR3x)

You can now pre-order the DM1 and/or find a lot more info on the DM1 on our website/store: http://www.tortugaaudio.com/product/display-module/
Pre-order means you can order one now but won't have to pay until the DM1 is released and ready to ship.

Happy Holidays!  :thumb:


Atlplasma

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Re: Lock-up at Zero Volume - Just UnMute The Unit
« Reply #49 on: 6 Jan 2014, 07:52 pm »
Hi All,

Recent owners of the LDR3x including recipients of the HiZ upgrade have noticed that when they reduce volume to zero they then find they can't raise volume back up again (and the status light blinks indicating the unit is muted). Kind of like a mute lock-up. Not to worry.  Read on.

If this happens, just press the Mute/UnMute button. Once the unit is un-muted you can again raise the volume. This is happening due to a changes in the software related to a future product offering.

Here's what's going on. We're about to come out with an optional display module that will display volume level and status information. The user will be able to increase and decrease the brightness of the display module using the remote. In order to add this functionality, we had to add a new operating mode - the Brightness Adjust Mode. The Brightness Adjust Mode is turned on whenever the volume hits zero. At that point the raise/lower  keys become increase/decrease brightness keys. To exit this mode, just press the Mute button and the unit returns to normal volume control again.

More on this once the Display Module is released.

Cheers,
Morten

Has anyone had a problem with the volume playing very loud at turn on and then not responding to the remote or manually turning the pot?

rajacat

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #50 on: 6 Jan 2014, 08:00 pm »
I didn't have that problem with the tour LD1 unit.

tortugaranger

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Re: Lock-up at Zero Volume - Just UnMute The Unit
« Reply #51 on: 6 Jan 2014, 08:21 pm »
Has anyone had a problem with the volume playing very loud at turn on and then not responding to the remote or manually turning the pot?

That behavior will occur if the audio signal ground is not properly connected (grounded!)  to the J1-AG terminal. I've had this happen during unit build/checkout and chased this ghost all over the place only to fix it by tightening the screw on the audio ground connection.

What's happening is there's no reference ground to attenuate against. It would be like connecting a potentiometer to only one leg and the wiper (called a rheostat). You get series resistance but no shunt (to ground) resistance.

Atlplasma

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #52 on: 6 Jan 2014, 08:47 pm »
I have to run an errand but will look at the J1 terminal when I return.

Atlplasma

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Re: Lock-up at Zero Volume - Just UnMute The Unit
« Reply #53 on: 7 Jan 2014, 11:11 pm »
Has anyone had a problem with the volume playing very loud at turn on and then not responding to the remote or manually turning the pot?

Okay. The problem apparently was due to me mixing up the left and right XLR inputs. If you do that in a balanced configuration, volume control goes out the window with the LDR.

ClefChef

Re: LDR3x balance control issues
« Reply #54 on: 8 Jan 2014, 04:18 am »
Morten - I have two boards #2967 and #2969 with latest software I presume.

Are they compatible with Apple remote? Their remote controllers seem to control my Squeezebox Touch, so I think Apple may not work with them. Previously I received a board with controller that did not interfere with Logitech products - has the situation changed?

Both boards appear to have problems with balance control - instead of balancing right/left I get volume decrease when balancing Left and volume return when balancing Right from left position, nothing happens when trying to balance Right from center position.

I measured shunt and series LDR's on both boards and they track simultaneously on both channels when trying to adjust the balance, both shunts increase or decrease, both series increase or decrease together, not apart as they are supposed to.

Checking the resistances I noticed that the differences in resistance values between channels vary significantly (up to 1k) on both shunt and series on center balance on different volume positions within 10k (most critical) range.

I checked and re-checked both boards, making sure I did not confuse inputs and outputs. Having successfully built several LDR3x I am scratching my head.

I wonder if all these issues could be related to some new software problems, or could it be a defect?

tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x balance control issues
« Reply #55 on: 8 Jan 2014, 12:18 pm »
Morten - I have two boards #2967 and #2969 with latest software I presume.

Are they compatible with Apple remote? Their remote controllers seem to control my Squeezebox Touch, so I think Apple may not work with them. Previously I received a board with controller that did not interfere with Logitech products - has the situation changed?

Both boards appear to have problems with balance control - instead of balancing right/left I get volume decrease when balancing Left and volume return when balancing Right from left position, nothing happens when trying to balance Right from center position.

I measured shunt and series LDR's on both boards and they track simultaneously on both channels when trying to adjust the balance, both shunts increase or decrease, both series increase or decrease together, not apart as they are supposed to.

Checking the resistances I noticed that the differences in resistance values between channels vary significantly (up to 1k) on both shunt and series on center balance on different volume positions within 10k (most critical) range.

I checked and re-checked both boards, making sure I did not confuse inputs and outputs. Having successfully built several LDR3x I am scratching my head.

I wonder if all these issues could be related to some new software problems, or could it be a defect?

All LDRx units shipped after 10.1.13  work with both the Tortuga remote and the Apple remote. It's automatic and doesn't require any special steps to enable or switch.

The balance adjust confusion you described is due to an incorrect compiler setting when your chips were programmed. The compiler thought it was programming a balanced audio build whereas your boards are single ended. This is a harmless error until you try to use the balance adjust feature.

With balanced audio boards channel balance adjustments is done by adjusting the master (right) and slave board (left) whereas with unbalanced boards it's done with the left/right channel within a single board. If the programming gets switched, trying to chase this down with  with resistance readings will make no sense because.....well...it makes no sense.

The  fix to is to burn a new pair of chips (correctly!) and ship them to you. No worries.

Cheers,
Morten



tortugaranger

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Re: Lock-up at Zero Volume - Just UnMute The Unit
« Reply #56 on: 8 Jan 2014, 12:25 pm »
Okay. The problem apparently was due to me mixing up the left and right XLR inputs. If you do that in a balanced configuration, volume control goes out the window with the LDR.

Glad you got it worked out. Working with balanced audio is inherently more complex than single ended and with complexity comes more opportunities to find new ways that don't work. I've discovered quite a few myself :wink:

Cheers,
Morten

Atlplasma

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #57 on: 9 Jan 2014, 12:32 am »
I'm really liking the LDR in my set up but would like to integrate a sub for more base. Has anyone tried doing that with an Art Cleanbox or another type of low pass filter?

tortugaranger

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #58 on: 9 Jan 2014, 08:40 pm »
I'm really liking the LDR in my set up but would like to integrate a sub for more base. Has anyone tried doing that with an Art Cleanbox or another type of low pass filter?

Just an FYI, when I was running a sub off my LDRx preamp I simply used an external output splitter and ran parallel ICs to the sub (which had an integral adjustable filter). I wasn't able to discern any negative impacts on the audio quality coming through my main amps/speakers. Then again everything was RCA so no need to convert from RCA to XLR or visa versa.

Atlplasma

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Re: LDR3x DIY Passive Preamp Controller Board w/ Remote
« Reply #59 on: 9 Jan 2014, 10:31 pm »
Just an FYI, when I was running a sub off my LDRx preamp I simply used an external output splitter and ran parallel ICs to the sub (which had an integral adjustable filter). I wasn't able to discern any negative impacts on the audio quality coming through my main amps/speakers. Then again everything was RCA so no need to convert from RCA to XLR or visa versa.

My M&K sub lets you adjust the cross over as well, but it is supposed works better with a separate low-pass filter that keeps the highs out of the signal. I bought one a year ago to go between my Dodd buffer and the Ncore amps, and it integrated the sub without any problems. I'm assuming I can do something similar with the LDR3x. The Cleanbox is affordable, so maybe I'll just experiment.

Or I guess I could use RCA to XLR cable to plug into my existing low-pass filter box. Decisions. Decisions.