iConnectivity Audio4 - input distortion

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-17T10:39:46.389Z

Just wondering if any other iC audio users have had their units repaired? My Audio4 has developed an issue with one of the inputs (number 3, Mic/Line) where the level is really low and turning up the input gain even a little causes input to badly clip (while still being low level). I’ve tried a factory reset and firmware reinstall just in case but I suspect it’s a hardware fault. I’ve sent a support request to iC but I thought I’d ask here in the meantime.

I’m hoping it’s something I might be able to repair myself. I’d hate to lose the Audio4 (plus) as it solves so many routing and audio/midi functions.

handed · 2022-09-17T10:59:26.391Z

I have an ICA4+ but haven’t had the issue you’re describing. A long shot but… Is it possible you’ve created a feedback loop with your audio routing? That can sound similar to what you’re describing. Obviously if you’re using factory settings after a reset/reboot then this possibility is ruled out, but I thought I’d mention it in case you keep reloading the same faulty user preset directly after resetting each time. I had a similar issue with another device recently and I was pulling my hair out until I figured it out… I hope it’s an easy fix for you.

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-17T11:08:12.503Z

Thanks. No, it’s not a feedback loop but thanks for the suggestion.

It’s a weird one. I fed a sine wave into the input and recorded it (in Live) and it’s a quiet sine wave until you start to turn the gain up then it flattens out into a sort of square-wave. Definitely some sort on clipping going on. Doing the same thing in Input 4 behaves normally.

I’ve just opened it up to have a look in case there’s anything physically obvious but I can’t spot anything. I don’t know enough about audio interface electronics to have an idea what it might be.

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-17T13:00:10.333Z

In case it comes to it, are there any other similar devices that do audio and midi and can do dual USB hosting?

I’m presuming the Audio4+ is discontinued.

rephazer · 2022-09-17T15:16:50.579Z

There is the Audio4c now which was released not that long ago.

It’s the same as the Audio4+ except the USB ports and is the one I am getting if my 4+ ever breaks down

Mistercharlie · 2022-09-18T07:51:40.837Z

You don’t have the inputs set to instrument instead of line level?

And have you done a factory reset yet?

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-18T10:03:44.947Z

Its input 3 which is the mic/line ones (not 1/2 which are the hi-z ones). Tried with 1/4 inch jack input and xlr and the result is the same.

I have done a factory reset too.

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-18T10:06:30.897Z

Reckon something has failed (input opamp or caps) but I don’t have the knowledge to debug that. Hopefully iC support will come back with something useful. Then again, seeing as the A4+ has been suoerceded in guess there’s less incentive for them to help me fix it.

Mistercharlie · 2022-09-18T10:08:45.295Z

IConnect support is good. I had a dead output channel and it took us a while to debug. It turned out I had balance set hard left on one set of outputs .

In my defence, the iConnect app is super confusing, even after years of using it.

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-18T11:30:45.258Z

Mistercharlie:

n my defence, the iConnect app is super confusing, even after years of using it.

It gives me brain bleed when I have to try and configure a new setup

Only slightly less confusing than Beat Cutter app!

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-19T15:58:44.982Z

@Mistercharlie or anyone else who has an iConnectivity audio interface and has a MIDI monitor.

Since having to redo my iCA4+ setup from scratch I’ve had MIDI Monitor (free OSX MIDI monitor app) running so that I can determine which devices are connected to each host socket etc.

I noticed something odd which I’d appreciate if you could try yourself. With MIDI Monitor running, whenever I’m on the Audio Mixer tab of iConnectivity iConfig, there’s a constant stream of sysex arriving at my Mac. It varies between 30-40 bytes per sysex message but there is tons of them - like every 100th of a second!

Just wondering if yours does the same? It looks like I have a MIDI loop somewhere but I’ve been through all the routing and filtering and can’t see what it could be. Never noticed it before. The odd thing is, if I go to any other tab on iConfig it stops. Only starts again when I go back to Audio Mixer tab.

The sysex starts with F0 00 01 73 7E 00 07 and sometimes contains the name of each of my devices that are connected to the USB Host socket. It’s bizarre!

karkwai · 2022-09-19T16:46:53.822Z

I think it’s normal, I get the same sysex on mine on the mixer page, I think it is the interface transmitting continuous levels information.

neilbaldwin · 2022-09-19T17:16:28.403Z

Thank you, really appreciated

pedroconforti · 2024-02-26T19:01:23.091Z

Hey.

I have a faulty Audio4+ with the same symptoms. Actually this is my second unit since the first one became silent after a few months (it looks like it’s ok but no audio comes out of it) so the guys at iC sold me a refurbished second one for half the price as it would be too expensive to send it from Brazil to Canada and back paying the abusive electronics custom taxes in my country. It was a few years ago.

But now my second one has the same problems you have mentioned (VERY low preamp levels and digital distortion if I increase the gain or the input signal). Other than that the unit works, but preamps are doomed.

So I had an electronics technician investigating and he told me the problem is with the DAC chip, which also controls a lot of stuff on the preamps. The part number / code is AK4627 but it is very hard to get it as he could only find them at a Chinese dealer called TABAO but the website is in Chinese mandarin only and they won’t ship it to Brazil.

alldatasheet.com

AK4627 Datasheet(PDF)

Part #: AK4627. Download. File Size: 668Kbytes. Page: 46 Pages. Description: High Performance Multi-channel Audio CODEC. Manufacturer: Asahi Kasei Microsystems.

Anyway unfortunately I guess i’m giving up on these Audio4+ since in my experience they are not reliable and I cannot justify to myself getting a third unit. I love to be able to have it connected to my iPad and Mac at the same time but I can’t waste more money on things I cannot repair living in Brazil.

I just wanted to post about this DAC info and my experience since I have seen other posts in foruns about this preamp gain/ distortion / low volume on these units but nobody ever replies or has any clues about what is going on and it seems this DAC chip is the culprit. I suspect that leaving the unit on all the time (it gets very hot) and / or electricity instabilities in my house may have shortened its life. Who knows.

neilbaldwin · 2024-02-26T19:30:40.629Z

Thanks for taking the time to detail your experience. I eneded up just replacing it with a newer C version (USB-C) but I would certainly think twice if this one ends up with a similar problem.

The problem is - what do you replace it with as nothing else on the market does what it does for the price