Is anyone using these consoles? I am in need of a schematic/parts list showing the components of this console's motherboard. Static blew off one of the components on the board, and I can't find what the part is anywhere to replace it. The part on the board is "C45". Also, does Harris still service the individual boards in these consoles?
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Harris Impulse Audio Console
- Thread starter zachmorton
- Start date
All available Harris broadcast production documentation, including the instruction manual for the Impulse boards, is available on the Harris Broadcast customer portal"
http://support.broadcast.harris.com...ECmd=Start&SWEHo=support.broadcast.harris.com
You have to preregister but approval usually takes only a few minutes.
I have a PDF of the manual . . . contact me directly and send you email address and I will send it to you.
http://support.broadcast.harris.com...ECmd=Start&SWEHo=support.broadcast.harris.com
You have to preregister but approval usually takes only a few minutes.
I have a PDF of the manual . . . contact me directly and send you email address and I will send it to you.
Well, yeah, the console is supported right up to the point of purchasing new $2k DSP modules for them. They WILL NOT return phone calls about repair of them, whatsoever, as I've been calling the same place for two days about it. The support branch at Harris will gladly sell me the new modules, but anything beyond that had to be handled by the factory. This would be the Harris/PR&E factory in California that is supposed to "rebuild" modules and motherboards for these consoles. I got the number from support of a guy out there that was a "breeze" to deal with, and yet haven't heard one word from him since I left numerous voicemails yesterday and today.
I will go on record that as of this moment, I will never purchase another Harris product for any reason...ever again. Just another example of how customer service is, especially with companies that are making way too much money. Used to be a decent company...guess that has changed.
Why would I pay close to $5k to rebuild a console when I can get Radio Systems in the same ballpark of features for less than that?
I will go on record that as of this moment, I will never purchase another Harris product for any reason...ever again. Just another example of how customer service is, especially with companies that are making way too much money. Used to be a decent company...guess that has changed.
Why would I pay close to $5k to rebuild a console when I can get Radio Systems in the same ballpark of features for less than that?
Zach, focusing on your original question have you contacted independent PR&E rebuilder Bob Moore at http://www.mooretronix.com/ ?
Yeah called him yesterday as well. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the schematics for that particular console.
I don't know the Harris console, but I've always found the Radio Systems boards to be very robust, easily serviced and well supported. Because most are not modular and they are less expensive, people tend to lump them into the same catagory as some of the low end consoles, but I don't think that's accurate. I prefer the RS boards to most low end competitors because of service ease. I know of some analog RS-12 consoles that we installed in 1989 and they are still going strong. One converted to digital about 5 years ago, also with no problems to date. I'd have to say that one could do a lot worse.
I once had a fight with a contract engineering firm for buying a 12 channel RS console for an aux production room. They looked upon Radio Systems as fine for a college station that just couldn't afford real broadcast grade gear, but not for a major market. They had installed a 28 channel Pacific Recorders (before Harris) in main control and a gorgeous, but sophisticated, 32 channel Harrison in main production. It was much too complex for radio and almost everyone used aux production. That RS board got used so heavily and held up so well, that years later some of the contract engineers mentioned to me how impressed they were by that board and how they had recommended and installed many more based on that experience, all with similarly good results. If the RS board had the features that I needed for a given situation, I would have no problems recommending them today and I'd sleep easy knowing it was on the job. The only caveat is to make sure that you're not giving up some critical feature by switching.
I once had a fight with a contract engineering firm for buying a 12 channel RS console for an aux production room. They looked upon Radio Systems as fine for a college station that just couldn't afford real broadcast grade gear, but not for a major market. They had installed a 28 channel Pacific Recorders (before Harris) in main control and a gorgeous, but sophisticated, 32 channel Harrison in main production. It was much too complex for radio and almost everyone used aux production. That RS board got used so heavily and held up so well, that years later some of the contract engineers mentioned to me how impressed they were by that board and how they had recommended and installed many more based on that experience, all with similarly good results. If the RS board had the features that I needed for a given situation, I would have no problems recommending them today and I'd sleep easy knowing it was on the job. The only caveat is to make sure that you're not giving up some critical feature by switching.
Harris will usually give you a fair price on a board swap. They bill you full price, but then credit you a certain amount after they receive the old part back.
I have a few RS consoles. They both developed fader problems after about 2 or 3 years. The input gains are not trim pots. They are jumpers, so quite often you have to run the fader up high or down low for proper gain. And their "tel" buss is post fader/post on-off switch, which makes it pretty much useless if you record calls off air. No way the jocks are going to press 5 buttons every time they answer the phone off air. You have to create your own mix minus outside of the console to feed the phone and phone recorder. These consoles were moved to production room duties in pretty short order.
I admit the Haris Impulse consoles had lots of defects when they first came out, but we were given updated motherboards for free and have been problem free ever since. There is also some design flaws too like if you lift the top of the console up to access the inside, all the faders fall down. The headphone jack on the side was recessed in a few inches. That made it fun every time someone used a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor. Ended up drilling a hole in the top near the monitor volume control and moving it there. And of course it's not modular at all so you have to take it off the air to service it. But it does have three output busses and two more automatic mix minus circuits. Ideal for us since we use the phone, two comrex pots codecs, and a machine with skype which also requires it's own mix minus. You won't find too many consoles with those features for the money.
I have a few RS consoles. They both developed fader problems after about 2 or 3 years. The input gains are not trim pots. They are jumpers, so quite often you have to run the fader up high or down low for proper gain. And their "tel" buss is post fader/post on-off switch, which makes it pretty much useless if you record calls off air. No way the jocks are going to press 5 buttons every time they answer the phone off air. You have to create your own mix minus outside of the console to feed the phone and phone recorder. These consoles were moved to production room duties in pretty short order.
I admit the Haris Impulse consoles had lots of defects when they first came out, but we were given updated motherboards for free and have been problem free ever since. There is also some design flaws too like if you lift the top of the console up to access the inside, all the faders fall down. The headphone jack on the side was recessed in a few inches. That made it fun every time someone used a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor. Ended up drilling a hole in the top near the monitor volume control and moving it there. And of course it's not modular at all so you have to take it off the air to service it. But it does have three output busses and two more automatic mix minus circuits. Ideal for us since we use the phone, two comrex pots codecs, and a machine with skype which also requires it's own mix minus. You won't find too many consoles with those features for the money.
One of my new clients has an Impulse, and I'm learning it as fast as I can. This station is in the same boat as listner1's station...the need for lots of MM's, and the Impulse can do it. I'm working on a small problem, and I've had good response from the Harris/PRE guys in Cali. I also have schematic files...which board is your blown part on? I have the big console, so there are three DSP boards...left, center, and main/right.
B
bilco
Guest
I have 4ea 20 channel Impulse boards. They've been in place for 10 years now and are doing fine. I did hav e a motherboard failure on one, but I'd allocated the channels such that with the left MB out, I could still function with the middle and right MB's in place. I have spare motherboards and input modules, both analog and digital. One caveat, the middle and left boards have slightly different ROM's, otherwise they are interchangeable. I resolved one problem by pulling the ROM off the bad board and putting it on my spare. Now I stock both ROMs. I only use the digital in on three channels for CD players. I use the analog out rather than go through data conversions to my DSP6000's and access units over T1.
Actually finally got in touch with the Pacific Research factory in California...they replaced the defective parts and I'm back up and running now. Cost was hardly anything to repair...as opposed to the new modules.
They did say that Quincy wants to sell new parts, as opposed to fixing the existing ones, therefore the delay in getting to the right place.
I now know who to get in touch with should I have any other problems with this particular console or the Airwaves which I have several of.
They did say that Quincy wants to sell new parts, as opposed to fixing the existing ones, therefore the delay in getting to the right place.
I now know who to get in touch with should I have any other problems with this particular console or the Airwaves which I have several of.
I and probably many others were unaware there was anything of PR&E in existance in California or anywhere else, amazing how a company could buy the
number one manufacturer of audio mixing consoles in the US and likely one of the majors worldwide and in 5-6 years destroy it completely. People responsible
for this may have moved on to US government mandatory health care.
number one manufacturer of audio mixing consoles in the US and likely one of the majors worldwide and in 5-6 years destroy it completely. People responsible
for this may have moved on to US government mandatory health care.
The odd thing to me is that Harris has been in the console business before under Gates and later under Harris. They left the market in the past and yet re-entered it under PR&E. Now PR&E isn't doing all that great. What PR&E needed was capitalization. What they got is gobbled up by a big company that seemingly just couldn't leave well enough alone.
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