Mark repairs an HH Electronics Digital Effects Unit, which was designed in 1977, using super rare BBD chips (Reticon SAD1024A / CC100D). Is luck on Mark's side, or is this one for the trash?
Thanks Mark for the inspiring videos! I have been watching quite a few in the last days; I like the varying camera views, the fast pace, and your good spirit to top it all off. Congratulations for a great combination!
Really enjoyed this one and had to comment. A nostalgic bit of kit for me - used a lot of HH gear back in the 80s - all second or third hand, of course. Two things: first, that mixer is in amazing cosmetic condition. Really nice to behold. I recall HH gear being exceptionally rugged - despite being dropped, thrown around in the back of a transit van, left set up in a field overnight to gather dew, etc., it would just keep working. Second thing, these days we tend to look back at BBDs with analogue fondness, but here it’s proudly labelled ‘Digital’. I guess this is 1970’s digital? Which is my favourite kind. Lol! Oh, third thing - it’s nice to see the UK does still have competence! Keep up the great work!
Hi Again Mark, another excellent video on how to repair electronic equipment, as a veteran Engineer I love your presentation and sharing your methodical fault finding skills on video. Now this module for the 1980's was revolutionary and I did quite a lot of development using the SAD1024 and reversed engineered this module for the requirement of repairs back then, as the circuit diagram you have was not available. There are some scanning/printing omissions on your drawing around the connections in the chain of SAD1024's but for repair purposes i don't suppose it matters. Your presentation has prompted me to dig out my original drawings from the 1980's and prototypes of this module for a further look at. I also have 2 of these modules one in the superb SM200 Mixer Amp you featured and 1 in HH's 16/2 Mixing Desk from the day, the desk one does have a fault which i have not been inclined to fix, however, after watching your repair it gave me a nudge to get on with it, maybe my module will have the same IC fault as your repair. One of the features of this module you did not explore was the use of the red button this allows a form of phasing to occur which if used correctly gave quite a convincing double tracking effect to the vocal. I used this module in a 16/2 mixer in the 80's and as one of your followers correctly said HH Electronic Kit was exceptionally rugged, my HH 2KW rig performed night after night, gig after gig throughout the 1980 without a flicker and i would wager would still out perform many of today's examples. Your follower Wildchurch does bring up a good point regarding the term "Digital" in fact the only true digital IC in the module was the CD4013 however analogue is coming back. A last note from my research back in the day, I added another CD4013 into the clock circuit to divide the clock frequency by 2, this gave the module some incredible long delays and very accurate repeats without suffering too much distortion or clock pulse breakthrough. The SM200 mixer amp you featured was also an under rated performer in the 80's giving a great 150w per channel integrated into a 6 channel mixer, again quite revolutionary at the time. HH Electronics were certainly on top of their game pity they went bust. Keep up the great videos and keep that enthusiast flowing we need more of it today. Best Regards Phill
Great video as always. I remember seeing BBD echo chambers and components in the Maplin Catalogue in the late 80s, though they were becoming obsolete even then. Should have picked up a flat of chips back then, made a mint! I have to say your channel is my favourite at the moment. You remind me very much of an old mate of mine who had a workshop like yours, loads of test equipment, drawers of components, and would fix up anything. I only ever had a passing understanding of electronics repair, but it was great to spend the evening with him while he fixed up someone's busted old telly.
I too have become a big fan. It is so amazing what you are able to fix, sometimes it's almost art. And seriously.. I can't stop smiling seeing the videos - have you ever not smiled? It's contagious... 🙂
Hi Mark, I have identified your channel just some days ago. I like your detailed serious repairs. Will enjoy your channel a lot.Thanks for your efforts.
Wow !! Around 1979 I’ve got the 12 channel version of this mixer, and bought also the digital unit (what a luxe those days!!). So useful…. So NOISIE !!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
Hi just wanted to say that I really like the way you present these videos and I like your methodical approach to repairing. Please keep these coming, people can learn a lot from your techniques here. 👍
i just found your videos and not only do they itch the part of my brain that loves people who can fix not just throw away but you also my love of ( as a man of a certain age) older stereo equipment a time when thugs where meant to be repaired. Also your enthusiasm and fun doing it. Keep it up mate it keeps us all so entertained
Another great video Mark - thanks for sharing. A tip for production - better to talk to the camera lens not the monitor, otherwise it feels like your looking at someone over my shoulder.
What a trip down memory lane .. fun to see an early BBD's deconstructed . I guess the method HH used to plug in the standoff pcb's was serviceable, but id have to think this made a lot of units sketchy over time as mixers take a lot of wear and tear transported to/from shows.
Just watched two of your vids today regarding HH - all very familiar! The S-500D (not my band, but mates of mine) that went DC and took out their four Bose cabinets.... The Digital FX module - again, not mine, but the mixer was house gear on many cruise ships at the time - never found one with a working module...to be fair, it was cutting-edge value for money at the time - until the moment that it wasn't. (I later bought a used HH mixer as a stopgap when ours blew up - and it had the FX module. And that one didn't bloody work either.) I love seeing work done with components that are visible to the naked eye !
I had one of these reverb units in an HH mixer back in the early eighties. Confused the life out of people when I fed my voce through it over the C.B. radio.
I have merely a fraction of your intelligence but around 26 yrs ago i was given an old Moog keyboard to repair ( i just loved tinkering & only knew the basics) keyboard had around 5 keys not working so i just assumed the M083 chip ( if i remember correctly) sitting in front of the dead keys was to blame, swapped them around & hey presto. The chip was well out of manufacture... i ended up being given the phone number of Rod Argent who actually had a junkbox full of very useful bits including an M083. Hold your head up Woah, Hold your head up, etc
I had an H&H SM200 6 channel stereo mixer amp on a stand with sound effects, like reverb an echo. I used it for my Pearl Electronic kit (Drum X). It was perfect for it. As I had the effects built in, never needed to get a seperate box for it. I also had the boxy H&H monitor combo with a u shaped bar to alter the angle of it.
BRO,,I love your channel. you are so much fun to watch and llsten to. You have a great attitude too. You''d be a chum to have a beer or 2 or maybe even too many!
I recall JVC's first consumer front-loading (and rather advanced) HR-7700 video recorder from the very early eighties, which also featured a BBD. Thus enabling stabilised audio playback in x2 play (i.e. no 'chipmunks!'). The Ferguson Videostar 3V23 clone was more common sight, and/ or a badged rental (Baird, DER, Mulibroadcast, etc), but I digress. I wonder if it used similar chips?
Another great video Mark! I always learn something watching them. Wish I had some of your test gear! Could you post a TV power supply repair, I'm stuck on one that is dead.
Hi Ric, I don't have any TV's in for repair (I stopped doing them - too many screen rebuilds!). A quick trouble shooting: If the fuse is blown, look for a shorted transistor on the primary (mains) side. If the fuse is not blown, check for shorted diodes on the secondary side. If not, check for faulty capacitors... Have fun!
keep posting, I get the feeling you'll gain lots of subscribers, although your channel is more of a niche channel, there are still a lot of us out there interested, I personally would like to see more on your hybrid dead bug/manhattan/ island circuit board style.
Can't say I was ever fond of those sockets. Sometimes the chip left its pins behind when you levered them out. But the old 'Texas' sockets were worse. The 'fingers' that 'pinched' the pins were so weak the contact failed over time. A board full could be a nightmare.
Very strange that HH called this module "digital effects"... the circuitry is based on purely analog BBD "Bucket Brigade Delay" ICs manufactured by Reticon (SAD1024). As always, your work and skills are GREAT!
I have one of these modules that doesn't seem to work. I can't find the schematic you show in your very good video. Clock gen is fine, think it something to do with input or out as it overloads with 10mv in. Are you able to let me know where I can download it from? Cheers, Dan
Just a follow up to my reply below, I have watched your video a couple more times and my comment about your drawing not being clear is wrong, my screen grab from your video caused some resolution error on my part, however, when i looked at the "official" service manual from the HH spares supplier MAJ Electronic it turns out that this also has scanning/printing resolution errors showing the same fine line omissions as the screen grab. Your copy of the circuit is a far superior copy, where did you obtain that from?, As usual keep up the good work,, another very interesting module from HH Electronic in the 80's was the so called Valve Sound Module fitted to the VS Musician Range of amps and combos, again i did a lot of work on these modules and I thought you may do a teardown of this if ever one comes your way. As usual keep up the good work
Just out of curiosity, Where abouts do you order your electronic components? Im looking for a reputable website in the UK, Something similar to Mouser, But has to be UK based.. I found Digikey website, Looked promising, Stocked pretty much anything i searched, But after registering, i found out its actually USA and deliveries take weeks... I also found Enrgtech, which looks pretty good for stocking most things, But it says on the website "delivery to UK"..... So that makes me think that ITS NOT actually in the UK :( - I find myself needing to order quite often, And cant be dealing with waiting weeks for orders.. Thanks
I get them from anywhere I can. Preferably UK stock, but some vendors prices are not amusing, and they still take over a week to ship. I try to stick with RS Components, CPC, Farnell, Digikey and Mouser. Sometimes, eBay is the only choice. I think you have to sense check what you are buying. New Old Stock tends to be genuine, but I wouldn’t trust any power transistors from China. I have no idea how it is economical to manufacture a tiny BJT silicon, and bond it in a big TO-3 case etc, because they do not sell these fakes for big money. Honestly, if they are clever enough to make a working silicon die at all? Why not make proper power transistors???
@@MendItMarkThey probably buy whatever BJT dies they can get their hands on - can be rejects or what have you. I bet the quality of the TO-3 packaging job also would be somewhat lacking. After all, as long as it sells, it's making money. Most people don't bother returning and that's how they make money. Little by little. :(
The effects aren't unique to this unit. Flanging and other phase tricks in particular are favorites of sound effects. Early on you didn't even need a chip to do it! The bucket brigade chips are a nice neat solid state way of doing things originally done with fancy tape machine tricks...
But who did HH think they were fooling by calling this a digital effects module when everyone knew that BBD were analogue delay devices? They were so easy to spot because of the amount of background noise they generated.
"Digital" was the buzz-word of the 90s. Simply by adding it to anything electronic you were bound to increase your sales because everyone wanted this "new" "digital" technology. I remember seeing home stereo units with "DIGITAL" emblazoned on them, and there was absolutely nothing digital about them.
If there are no new, but obsolete parts, they are soldered from old boards. Not a problem at all. Or order a Russian or Chinese equivalent. The manufacturer of the original may no longer produce this chip, but other countries produce its exact analogue under their own name and marking.
Unfortunatly, Bill Gates left a bunch of morons in charge of Windows updates. After some update, I have driver issues on my laptop. Some "service" is stomping on my sound card's I/O, and I get a lot of random noise and volume jumping around during playback! Pfffft. Are you sure it's not my black country accent? Keep watching, I'm still learing to edit....
