MAM (Music and More) Service Centers?

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

Does anyone know where I could get a MAM VF-11 Vocoder repaired or looked at? Their website is down, i'm assuming they are not around anymore.

You can hear your voice through the mic (Analyze in w/ XLR mic) crystal clear, and the bands all appear to somewhat work; but the voiced/unvoiced detector and Synthesize in do not appear to be working properly. It could be a bad jack, or I could just be missing something. I read through the manual several times, but I cannot get it to create the robotic effects it is famous for.

I opened it up, nothing appears loose; all solder points are still solid ... it's strange.

machinefunk · Joined: May 01, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: uk

I'm pretty sure that MAM were taken over by Terratec; what used to be the MAM warp 9 filter module is now being sold as the Terratec sine warp 9.

Wether or not they still support other products I honestly don't know, could be worth dropping them an e-mail.

deknow · Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 am Post subject:

...you should be able to hear the "synthase" voice (oscillator) on the output if you turn up the synthase knob (and maybe play with the bands). if not, it could be something as simple as a dirty switch on the synthase in jack...you could try sending an external signal in there and see if it works.

deknow

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

I've tried it all.

I have 2 mics, one XLR one 1/4" ... both of those jacks work and you can hear your voice crystal clear. I only use one of these at a time, but I have tried both.

If I run my synth into the synthesize in, it is just not combining the signals. It seems that either the jack is not functioning or the voiced/unvoiced detector is not working. I messed around with the sensitivity controls on the back of the unit, tried them in all sorts of combinations as well as zero'd ... which is the factory setting ... and it just doesn't appear to be working right.

The bands all appear to do something, even with the clean voice from the mic; although it basically appears as though they are filtering low feedback or white noise.

deknow · Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 8:31 am Post subject:

the voiced/unvoiced detector is a very small part of the vocoder, and should have very little to do with anything....the detector is designed to detect non-harmonics (in the case of voices, mostly for plosives and sylibants), and inject white noise instead of the vco (or synthase input)...this should be the last part of the vocoder to test.

if you turn all bands to 12:00 (straight up), the voiced/unvoiced to min, and only turn up the synthase knob input and output mix knob (analase is, filter out, analayse out, and vocoder out should all be at minimum), you should be able to hear the vco in the output (and you should be able to change the pitch with the pitch knob). all this must work before the vocoder will work. to do test this, don't have anything plugged into the synthase or voiced/unvoiced inputs. if this does not work, try plugging something into the synthase input, and see if you get that on the output. let me know how this works out.

deknow

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

I'll give your suggestions a try when I get home tonight, and i'll post the results shortly thereafter.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it very much!!

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

Hey,

I tried your suggestions, and nothing tuneable or shapeable came out of the speakers ... either with something plugged into synthesize in or when nothing was plugged in.

The only things that appear to work are the analyze in inputs. I can run mics and even a synth through it and that audio comes out crystal clear.

I'm pretty sure it needs servicing. Do you have the manual or any documentation for your vocoder? There might be a listing for a service center or distributor to call. The manual I have is a downloaded version without any of that information.

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

I should also mention that the synthesize in LED on the left side never lights up, the analyse in does.

deknow · Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:20 pm Post subject:

if the synthase does not light up (i'm assuming you tried with both the internal and an external signal, and made sure to turn the "synthase in" all the way up), then there is a real problem there. you might double check the soldering of the synthase in mix knob, as well as check to see if the vco signal appears at the switch in the "synthase in jack".

deknow

x0x · Joined: Feb 22, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: St Louis

I'll check that this weekend, thanks!

-Kyle