Micro Dark - Volume fault?

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Adam Ray
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Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:53 am

Micro Dark - Volume fault?

Post by Adam Ray » Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:48 pm

I've got a Micro Dark and it was working normally, but I went to use it today and it just has literally one (shrill) tone/volume and the volume pot doesn't do anything at all. The gain pot seems to react.

I've tried all the usual checks of swapping cables etc and nothing seems to work. I've tried with serval other cabs too and it has the same fault.

Anyone come across this before or have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Adam

Adam Ray
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:53 am

Re: Micro Dark - Volume fault?

Post by Adam Ray » Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:23 pm

Quick update, I’ve got it working fine when I tried with my pedals in the FX loop.

As soon as I took them out it wasn’t working again.

I grabbed a patch cable and put just that in the send & return of the FX loop and low and behold, the head works like normal.

There’s got to be something wrong with the FX loop if it has to be engaged for the head to work. Anyone got any ideas?

Should I just try and swap it out under warranty?

Rlw59
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Posts: 242
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 3:31 pm
Location: DFW, Texas, USA

Re: Micro Dark - Volume fault?

Post by Rlw59 » Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:53 pm

There's a switch contact in one of the loop jacks. Normally it's closed - the preamp signal flows through it to the power amp.

Sticking a plug into the jack opens the contact, diverting the signal thru the loop.

If the contact oxidizes or gets sticky, it acts as you've described.

Get some contact cleaner (Caig DeOxit or similar) and spray it into the jacks, then stick a plug in & out several times.

Very rarely, the contact gets bent somehow. Then you either bend it back, replace the jack, or just stick a patch cable in the loop all the time.

Running a permanent patch cable might be annoying but it wouldn't hurt anything. There's no "electrical" problem, just a physical problem with a hidden switch that's basically stuck in one setting.

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