hello

I have an digitech rds-8000 (8-second delay/sampler) i just picked up on ebay. The unit allows a clean signal to pass through but no delay. I'm familiar with the layout so it's not a question of user error (Proud rds 7.6 and the pds-8000 owner since the early 90s). The box also has a noticeable hum. Any similiar problems from other RDS users? Any suggestions? quick fixes? Nothing seems out of place on the board (no sketchy solder joints or loose chips). I'd take it to the local authorized digitech repair but i was burned on an amp repair at that joint.

guitargeek

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Heh.

I almost bid on that as well, and had the same debate...."Where the hell can I get this thing repaired...."

Didn't IVL make those things for Digitech?
IVL


I'd see if you could send it to them. I had to send a DHP-33 to them for repair and they did a great job and the service was quick and friendly. Or you could contact Digitech and see if they have in in-house service center.. their number is (801) 566-8800

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After playing with my RDS4000, I realized that your RS8000's bias trim pot might need an adjustment, my RDS400s bias pot when adjustment fully to either side doesn't allow the effect to come through but it does pass signal, so you might to try that.

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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
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wow.... I'm glad you mentioned this.

i was just about to send it off to harmon for repair. time to bust out my mini-screwdriver on that thing...

guitargeek

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jetpackmods xp pedal conversions -
xp-1000 mod - This modification enables any xp pedal to switch between all four xp modules. This means you will have the xp-100 whammy, xp-200 modulator, xp-300 space station and xp-400 reverberator all in ONE pedal! pre-modded xp1000s also available: pm me for pricing & availability

Cool, I hope it works. Let us know the result, I'm very curious about these units now.

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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
- Thomas Jefferson

get this!

my original note to digitech was directed at two things on rds-8000

1. a loud hum
2. no delay... only clean signal

so i get an email back from digitech tell me the loud hum might be caused by the fuse being set on 220 instead of 120. well, i look at the fuse cartridge and it is set at 220. i pull the cartridge out, give it a quarter turn and the hum stops immediately. that solved one issue but the delay still wasn't working.

two days later i decide to try "nobody's" advive and give the internal bias a twist. i yank the top off and before i even turned the knob i decide to give the unit another spin. i strike a chord and the delay starts working for some odd reason. maybe it was a clean 120watt startup that did the trick? who knows... it's working perfectly now!

I increased the feedback and delay time right away. like nobody said in the "anyone using Digitech RDS units for looping? " thread, the feedback knob, when pushed to the maximum, is insane. lots of analog-esque type feedback that nearly destroyed my monitors. i backed it off to the edge of insanity and my repeats go on forever before fading.

the delay pot (not labeled on my 8000) yielded close to 22 seconds of garbled ring mod delay. i backed it off a little and now have 16 seconds of sweet sounding delay.

guitargeek

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-----------------------------------
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alison's halo | geek'd rig
lochheed | geek'd rig
insta
-----------------------------------
jetpackmods xp pedal conversions -
xp-1000 mod - This modification enables any xp pedal to switch between all four xp modules. This means you will have the xp-100 whammy, xp-200 modulator, xp-300 space station and xp-400 reverberator all in ONE pedal! pre-modded xp1000s also available: pm me for pricing & availability

What an easy fix! I'm glad it's working now.

I wonder why my rds4000 can only get about 5 seconds.... Did you touch the Bias pot at all?

That feedback runaway think is crazy, eh?

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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
- Thomas Jefferson

Dammit.

I would have picked that up if I had known the fix would have been that easy. Oh well, now I know for next time.

i was lucky. i bought a broken PDS8000 from the same seller and it cost me close to $85 to fix.

i hope the rds8000 keeps working...

the bias pot on the 8000 cut the delay just as you said. what's weird is the bias pot on the 7.6 actually controls the delay time....

guitargeek

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www.guitargeek.com
the guitar rig database
official guitargeek merchandise
-----------------------------------
bands
alison's halo | geek'd rig
lochheed | geek'd rig
insta
-----------------------------------
jetpackmods xp pedal conversions -
xp-1000 mod - This modification enables any xp pedal to switch between all four xp modules. This means you will have the xp-100 whammy, xp-200 modulator, xp-300 space station and xp-400 reverberator all in ONE pedal! pre-modded xp1000s also available: pm me for pricing & availability

I too have an RDS8000 with perfect clean signal on the dry, direct output-but nothing on the delay output. I cant find a schematic for the unit-digitech only have the 7.6 delay schemos, as I gues this unit was made by someone else for them (is the company called IVL or something)
It seems to have an opamp going into a NE570 chip-std set up for an analogue type delay-but I dont see how twiddling a bias pot can bring it back to life!!-Ill try it anyway and post results
DOES ANYONE HAVE A SCHEMO PLEASE????

ALL THE BEST

V

wow! Thanks for keeping this thread up, I actually have a "for parts not working" rds8000 coming in I think theres actually a good chance I might get it working.

I never realized but there are 2 different RDS8000s: RDS8000 (black version) and RDS8000 time machine (silver version),

The one Im supposed to repair is the silver version, but if you look at it, its less like a PDS8000 and more like a DOD DFX94 with 8 seconds. (possible clue for the DOD DFX98 vaporware mystery!)

silver RDS8000 insides
dod dfx94 insides
PDS8000 insides


Does anyone have pictures of inside a the black RDS8000?

I was actually able to fix this thing up!

This must be a big secret, I of course messed with the trim pots, and it gets up to 58 seconds of OK sounding repeats

there is some level of high frequency aliasing at the full 58 seconds, but its not full on ring modulation and mangling like the pds2020. It sounds more like something sampled with an Emu Emax or Akai s950/900. 42 seconds sounded pretty decent anyhow.

I dont think so, the vapourware DFX98 has a reverse setting, which none of the RDS did [and if they could i assume Digitech would have been all over that]. I think those cheap DOD sampling racks with the huge delay times [great delay ****ty sampler] are closer.

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