AX8 volume problems - any resolution?

Hi all. I've recently - in the last 2 days - started having the volume fluctuation problems which others have had - volume dipping suddenly, then back to normal, then louder etc. It seems to settle after a bit, but today it's been going up and down since I switched it on an hour ago. My cables, monitor etc are all fine.

I've done loads of searches on the forum and can't see that there was any fix (and I've tried what others have suggested re switching patches, tweaking the Output 1 knob etc) - have I missed anything, and was there actually a solution to it?

I just want to check I haven't missed anything and thought I'd check with those more knowledgeable than me - never had reason to post before as it's the first issue I've had with it, and want to make sure I try everything before I have to upgrade the unit to the full Axe-FX or whatever. I'm a full-time musician and having something that's less than reliable in quite a big way like this is going to be a pain (I'm going to try the previous firmware, 10.00, just to see if that might sort it first!).

Many thanks in advance!

Ben
 
the only issue i've seen is the volume goes to near-zero, and if you look on the VU Meter screen, the Volume knob graphic is at 1%, while your physical knob may be higher.

i've not heard of any issue where the volume gets louder at any point. if you nudge the physical knob, the volume will jump back to where it was, but i've never heard anything about it getting louder than that.

the catalyst i've seen was only changing from preset to preset. i've not read about it happening without changing presets.

i've personally spent over 200 hours focusing specifically finding this bug over time, and it never happened during testing. it happened only once to me ever randomly at home, and never again during gigs, live streams, and testing. several other testers tried to make it happen, and couldn't at all. other users who had it happen "regularly" (no sarcasm there, just no detail on what that actually meant) couldn't get it to happen on video or trace the steps specifically to make it happen. this one is elusive and rare, making it near-impossible to fix without a reproduction procedure.

can you clarify a few things:

were you changing presets and it happened? or did some volume issue happen without changing presets?

did the volume definitely go louder than you expected?

if it happens again and you catch it, before doing anything, please go to the VU meter (last page of the Home view) and see what the LCD shows for the Output volume %.

if what you described is accurate, this sounds like something else and not the "volume drops to zero" bug.
 
Thanks Chris - actually I think the 'louder' is happening after I've tweaked the Output 1 knob, whereby the sound gets a bit louder at first, before rising to the new level I've just set the knob to (and it is a rise like that, not an immediate jump) - so I think you can discount that as I'm pretty sure it's all part of the same problem, apologies for seeming to add to the issue! After my initial panic I realised that was what was happening...!

I wasn't changing presets when it happened - I use a mildly modded version of the Brit 800 preset 95% of the time for playing - only change it for recording/band, and this wasn't the case. All of the volume issues were on this preset from startup.

I did try the VU meter yesterday - but of course it behaved perfectly from that point on.

I've already reinstalled firmware 10.00 - and have had no problems since. If it does happen again I'll check the VU meter as requested and try and catch it.
 
This sounds similar to a problem that I heard about, and experienced myself, with some Line 6 gear.

Potentiometers that aren't used regularly tend to oxidize. Once you have your presets set to your liking, most of the knobs on your processor tend to sit. This can cause a pot to oxidize and start cutting in and out, sending erroneous messages to the processor, even from vibration.

I had this issue start happening with a combo modeling amp I used to own. I opened it up, cleaned the pots with Deoxit and never had a problem again.
If you're leery about opening up your AX8, you might try rotating all of your encoders (knobs) back and forth, 360 degrees. This will sometimes wear away the oxidation (temporarily). If the problem goes away for a while, that's a good indicator that it's a pot issue. This method isn't guaranteed to work so it may not (temporarily) solve it.

Might be worth a try.
 
Ah cheers, can see where you're coming from with that one. The only knobs I regularly use on my AX8 though are the volume ones - Level and Out 1, both of which I tinker with daily - so those should be fairly oxidant-free. I'll give all the others a bit of a turn just to make sure though - no way I'm opening up the unit though, I'll never get it back together :)

Going to give it a good play with firmware 10.00 this morning and see if the problem has resolved. I did an hour-long lesson last night with no further issues so fingers crossed.
 
I don't have experience with incremental rotary encoders but I assume they are subject to break-down like regular pots. "Spinning them clean" is only temporary but, if it works, taking them all for a monthly spin may solve the problem indefinitely. Please keep us posted.
 
The issue with the volume suddenly dropping occurs at least once every time I have a practice session.

I have found the following:
- It only happens when changing presets.

- it only happens when I play my guitar while changing presets. I never get this issue if I stop playing before changing presets.

- When the volume drops, the output % on the VU page shows 1 or 2 % (or somewhere down in that range). A small adjustment of the Out 1 knob brings the level back to where it was.
 
The issue with the volume suddenly dropping occurs at least once every time I have a practice session.

I have found the following:
- It only happens when changing presets.

- it only happens when I play my guitar while changing presets. I never get this issue if I stop playing before changing presets.

- When the volume drops, the output % on the VU page shows 1 or 2 % (or somewhere down in that range). A small adjustment of the Out 1 knob brings the level back to where it was.
Interesting. I’m confident a preset change must happen to trigger it, but needing to play to make it happen is a new data point. I’ll see what I can find.

Are you changing presets with the footswitch only or any of the knobs/buttons?
 
I did 3 lessons on Friday, plus a 5-ish hour practice session yesterday - absolutely no further issues using firmware 10.00. It was all using the same patch which had experienced issues on Thursday. I messed about with the Level/Out 1 as I normally do, switched on/off a couple of effects - hooked up to Axe Edit too - all fine. So all seems to be ok now. I'll obviously keep an eye on it but feel I can use it with more confidence again now...the problems from startup on Thursday had me worried, but the switch to the older firmware seems to have eradicated that (or it could obviously be something else I don't know about/very intermittent, but it's ok at the moment! :) ).
 
Interesting. I’m confident a preset change must happen to trigger it, but needing to play to make it happen is a new data point. I’ll see what I can find.

Are you changing presets with the footswitch only or any of the knobs/buttons?
I only use AX8 Edit to change presets while practicing, so I don’t know if the footswitches also triggers this issue. So far I have only experienced this while AX8 edit is connected. But since I am aware of this issue, I take my precautions live so I don’t trigger this (like: don’t play when you change presets).
 
The issue with the volume suddenly dropping occurs at least once every time I have a practice session.

I have found the following:
- It only happens when changing presets.

- it only happens when I play my guitar while changing presets. I never get this issue if I stop playing before changing presets.

- When the volume drops, the output % on the VU page shows 1 or 2 % (or somewhere down in that range). A small adjustment of the Out 1 knob brings the level back to where it was.
I don't recall where the output meters measure the levels. I'm guessing post Level control but pre output 1 or 2. If you start the Output 1 knob at zero and slowly turn it up, does your level go up smoothly or erratically? Try the same thing with the Master and Level controls.
 
One week on from when it first happened and I've had no recurrence since switching back to firmware 10.00. I have no idea if that's what actually sorted it out, but suggest it's worth a go...
 
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