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Post subject: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 2:55 pm
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The biggest issue with digital amps appears to be there are a few firmware updates then they are abandoned for the next lineup. I understand only so much can be done with what was sold hardware wise. Though it would be nice to refine the product or firmware before moving on.

Things like sound cutting out is a major bug and needs fixed before moving stopping development on the lineup. I have tried multiple guitars and cables and still unsure what is causing this to happen. I am starting to wonder if I have a faulty GT100 at this point... I have even tried plugging the thing into an uninterruptible power supply to see if its power sags/brownouts. Though I am starting to think the issue is with Bluetooth connection back to tablet/phone dropping out periodically as I do not think this has happened when Tone app is not open and connected...

Honestly, I wish my Fender Mustang III V2 never started messing up I really miss that combo and may just have to grab another on the used market. It was a much better amp than the GT100 I was sent as replacement.. Having to grab my phone constantly to edit parameters makes me really dislike the GT overall. That and the fact that the V2 sounded like a guitar amp and the GT sounds like a HiFi system is another gripe. If the GT didn't focus on playing back music and stuck to being a guitar amp I think it would have been much nicer amp overall.

Has anyone figured out what it for sure causing the intermittent sound dropouts? Also has Fender stated if there will be any further software development to be able to control amp from a PC? Lastly, is 2.x the last firmware update to the amp? I figured firmware likely won't be moving forward but might as well ask to see if there has been any official statements I have missed.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:55 pm
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I've done more than anyone probably to try and figure the dropout issue. Been inside many times and soldered bypass wire on all the pins of 2 of the main connectors. One of those did fix the footswitch freezing issues i and many others have had. The dropouts remain tho and i have tried most everything imaginable.

It's not the bluetooth because i have mine set to off. Also have the wifi off and tried everything in the menu from that to lowering and raising the DI out. Patching the send/returns. You name it. It's a tough one.

As for the hifi sound, thats the speaker. I got a 4 ohm GT100 celestion and with that speaker (same speaker as the old MIII except 4 instead of 8 ohm) it is IMO a much better sounding amp than my old MIIIV2. You ARE up to date on the firmware, right? I agree with u 100% and have said it over and over.....they should have made the amp a guitar amp, not 1/2 guitar amp 1/2 entertainment center. They have improved it since the original firmware a lot but till the last firmware update the amp didn't sound that great. The new models IMO are much better, at least to my ear. But the speaker is always gonna be the bottleneck. They thing is not a typical guitar speaker, it was developed by celestion for fender with the intention of making the amp sound good for streaming music via bluetooth and compromised the guitar tome with that coned monstrosity. The louder the amp goes the worse that thing sounds, and more that that even, FEELS.

Anyways, IF they ever fix the dropout issue they aren't going to tell us because in doing that they will be admitting a lot of amps out there are faulty and they didn't recall them, they just let thier customers deal with it. The only way they will admit it is if it turns out to be a firmware issue because in that case they can post an update and everyone's amp will be fixed w/o fender having to replace a few thousand amps.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:09 pm
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Running 2.0.25 firmware so current there and I have been trying to find a G12T-100 4 ohm version as well. I found a few on Reverb for about 130 shipped but just started trying to find one actually. I've also debated on checking out some other Celestion/WGS/Eminence options as well. Another person recommended an EQ pedal in the loop to kill off stuff over 5.5KHz

As for the sound dropouts, I would hope it can be fixed with a firmware patch. Though I am starting to think it might be due to the CPU overheating possibly. I've had it dropout even when only running an amp with zero effects so not sure if it is load on CPU. I am debating on voiding the warranty and installing a small fan or beefier heatsink with some good thermal compound. Though I am holding out till end of coverage I think in hopes of a patch before I go there.

Thanks for the suggestions and quick reply I truly appreciate it.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:19 pm
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I can't imagine the cpu is overheating for several reasons including mine can do it almost cold. Plus it will do it then rebooting usualy stops it and it can go a few hours b4 it does it again which shouldn't be the case if it were the cpu getting hot. But it would likely be a good idea anyways to put a fan in it.

As to the speaker, i found mine slightly used for $80 but they aren't easy to find used in 4 ohm. I'd stay away from WGS. They might be fine but i tried one in it and while i thought it was good at first it soon became apparent it was rather lifeless sounding. And it was a popular model, the ET90. the G2T100, or the "hot 100" as they are now called after celestion changed that model's name a few years back, is a really c]good speaker for this amp IMO. I tried a few others too that i already had in 8 ohms but the G12T100 just has a great balance for this amp IMO. Not too much or too little of anything and of course sounds much more guitar amp like.

By the way, theres a fender amp called a deluxe 90 thats a cheap solid state amp that you may be able to find dirt cheap to scavenge the speaker from. It uses the G12T100 in 4 ohms. If u can find one in craigslist or a pawn shop cheap you may be able to get it for less then people would typically ask for the speaker alone.

EDIT: See the thread i just started "Well i'll be da##ed ! (dropout issue possible fix)". Looks like you may be right about the cpu getting hot !


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:53 am
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Thanks for the speaker suggestions and the info about the Deluxe 90 I will keep my eye out for both. I'd really like to get a G12T100 to try out I really loved it in the III V2. I found many units 8 ohms but just like you said the 4 is much more difficult to source.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:15 pm
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Of course if you really like the amp a lot like i do it could be worth it just to bite the bullet and go new. You can get them new anywhere that is an authorized celestion dealer.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 7:17 pm
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Yea that's a consideration but I am pretty patient and will see if any open up on used market in next few months.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:32 pm
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Well, good luck with that. In the meantime if you have any good sounding 8 ohms in another amp or whatever u might try that just to see what you think. It loses some volume of course but at least it will give you an idea of what the stock speakers is doing to the sound.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:39 am
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No speakers laying around unfortunately to test different speaker sound. Might make a project out of it and snag 2x8 and run them in parallel. Could be fun to make a new cabinet for the unit. I know lots of folks did that with the V2 units and some looked pretty killer. Plus I could put the panel on the front of the amp and not on top. I might take the unit apart later today and clean it out of dust. While in there will try reseating any ribbon cables etc type connections since these can become poor connections over time. Also curious if there is a header for running a 2nd speaker like the GT200. I would imagine there are missing electronic parts for the 2nd speaker header in the GT100 though. Curious of the board is the same board and just the parts are missing on the smaller unit or if they used totally different boards.

Is there a schematic of the amp I cannot seem to find it on Fender support or fmicassets website. I know they had the V2 schematics out for everyone to have but cannot seem to find the GT40/100/200 schematic. Happen to know where I can get it at? I may make a 2nd thread about it in hopes of someone from Fender seeing it.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 12:02 pm
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I did that....wired a parallel jack to the internal speaker that i replaced with an 8 then ran a second 8 ohm speaker in a home made cabfor a while. But to me it wasn't a good solution because i actually prefer the sound of a single speaker. But i had speakers i wasn't using (one was a G12T100 8 ohm) so i did it just to get away from that stock speaker till i could find a 4 ohm G12T100.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:01 am
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Yea I might just need to play around with some speaker options to see if that might do the trick. Though honestly the G12-FSD is not that bad of a speaker once broken in. I will say it took this speaker forever to soften up though. I really wish I could find a spec sheet on this speaker I checked and couldn't find anything whatsoever.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and knowledge from your experiences, truly appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 11:26 am
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TorpidAnima wrote:
Yea I might just need to play around with some speaker options to see if that might do the trick. Though honestly the G12-FSD is not that bad of a speaker once broken in. I will say it took this speaker forever to soften up though. I really wish I could find a spec sheet on this speaker I checked and couldn't find anything whatsoever.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and knowledge from your experiences, truly appreciated.


Just look at the celestion 70/80 specs and they should be very close aside from wattage. I emailed celestion long ago about the stock speaker and they told me it's basically a higher powered version of the 70/80 made specifically for the GT amps, a speaker by the way (the 70/80) that is almost universally hated.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 7:05 pm
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Ah OK so the old 70/80 go figured... The V2 4x12 came with the rocket 50's as well. Lots of options to tinker with at some point.


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:35 pm
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TorpidAnima wrote:
Thanks for the speaker suggestions and the info about the Deluxe 90 I will keep my eye out for both. I'd really like to get a G12T100 to try out I really loved it in the III V2. I found many units 8 ohms but just like you said the 4 is much more difficult to source.

Not sure where u r, but in case u r in the L.A. area theres a deluxe 90 on craigslist for $75. Speaker appears to be stock, so for $75 theres your 4 ohm G12T100 and a speakerless amp u can probably sell for $30-50. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/m ... 96793.html


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Post subject: Re: Digital Lifecycle / Sound dropouts
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:58 pm
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I had issues with intermittent sound drops and it occured to me that this was taking place since an upgrade to my internet connection.
My previous wifi signal was split into two manually selectable networks, one with a 2.4ghz signal and one with a 5ghz signal.
Now they are unified under one network login. It is up to the wifi device to select which signal it connects to.
Fender Tech Support told me that the GT100 (and the GT40, GT200 series) is designed or optimized to work with a 2.4ghz signal.
The automatic switching between 2.4ghz and 5ghz signals is what causes the sound to drop. On my amp it simultaneously causes a "click" sound similar to the amp powering on, like a momentary power off/on.
Tech support recommends leaving wifi turned off when it is not needed for a firmware update.
Having wifi turned on takes resources away from the processor (according to tech support) and isn't necessary to manage the amp's presets with a mobile device connected by bluetooth and using the Fender Tone app.
Tech support is aware of the wifi issue, but as it involves hardware issues there may not be a firmware resolution.


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