#74 Focusrite Saffire 6 USB 2.0 modding (for stand-alone operation)

First of all, the main issue with using this stand-alone (without a computer) is that the Xmos controller only enables the analog power supplies (the two MIC2505's and the LM3488) once it's done whatever handshaking it needs to, with the computer. But since i'd only need / want it to act as a rudimentary preamp / mixer / headphone amplifier, i kinda-sorta need the analog supplies working.

#68 Alesis M1 Active Mk2 rehabilitation, part one

Over on the Badcaps.net forums, a thread was started all the way back in 2010, about power supply issues in these arguably "classic" low-cost active studio monitors. It even ended up being stickied just this winter, so it's been quite active and useful. It served as motivation for myself, to take up hunting for faulty ones - not sure if i had gone through three pairs, but at least two pairs i revived and sold off to a couple friends, some 7-8 years ago, and to this day i've yet to hear back about any further issues, so i take that as a good sign. In the mean time, i still contributed with thoughts and advice there, which helped lead to several successes.

Recently, a fellow forum member there got fed up with his failed attempts to revive his pair of monitors, and got himself a pair of new ones. In that context, we struck a deal for the Alesis'es, and a few weeks later, here they are.

#19 Takstar / Gear4Music WPM-200 Wireless Monitor System part 3: transmitter mods

And at long last(?), we've reached the point where we take a look at the transmitter end of this wireless monitoring system. Not a whole lot to see on the outside, really: power switch, power LED, channel select rotary switch (1 to 6) on the front, and the DC input barrel socket and the 1/4" stereo input jack socket on the back.

#18 Takstar / Gear4Music WPM-200 Wireless Monitor System part 2: receiver mods

Ok, turns out i lied in the previous post, as this part 2 won't be about the transmitter - so sue me...

Either way, into the meat of it: upon some listening tests with music, it turned out the expanders were misbehaving just awfully. They made the volume jump up and down virtually all the time, in a very disconcerting manner - basically briefly increasing the volume (noticeably) upon every louder bass note (and only for the duration), and dropping back down in between.

I took apart one of the receivers, and lifted the schematic of the expander chip and the associated passives around it. Pretty much exactly what's in the datasheet of the TA31101, with the exception of having omitted the coupling capacitor going to the "Comp In" (pin 11), thereby turning the compressor side of the chip into another 1:2-ratio expander, just like the other half.

#17 Takstar / Gear4Music WPM-200 Wireless Monitor System part 1: receiver teardown / li-po upgrade

This "part one" will be dealing only with the WPM-200 receivers and the lithium-upgrade pertaining to them. The transmitters and subsequent mods will be dealt with at a later date.

Fine, i'll admit, i miiiiiiiight be ever so slightly guilty of the whole "if all you have is a hammer, everything around you looks like a nail" thing, what with these nifty little one-cell charger & protection boards, but hey - at least it kinda validates(?) my "stockpiling" of laptop and phone batteries along the years. Now, i finally have the excuse to put some of them to good use and all that...

During my UK eBay browsing sessions a month or two (or seven?) back, i happened to come across a few listings of faulty wireless monitor sets (transmitter & bodypack-receiver) from this British music gear retailer. A bit of googling later, revealed to be straight rebadges of Takstar WPM-200 sets - nope, they hadn't even bothered changing the model number. The one thing they might've customized, though, are the radio frequency ranges / channels (since there are different regulations on different continents, and so on).