Part 3: Everything you want to know about magnetic faders

The Magnetic Fader


Dj's are you sick of faders always sounding like shit after a few months? Are you tired of wasting a large portion of the price of a mixer for a crappy little piece of plastic that is outrageously overpriced? If you said fuck yes to these questions all of your prayers have been answered. Rane's new fader never will die crackle bleed die or whatever the hell you want to call it.. Mixers are mad loot nothing should break. And now it wont.

What you should know about these new faders
Right off the bat these faders feel different and are little short from right to left. Its a completely different feel but it's nice. They move like butter and you shouldn't ever have to service the faders. rane even has a 3 year warranty on the fader, Vestax would never ever do that. But if you are curious and like to break everything here's how you get at them.

Penny and Giles faders on the market cannot be used in the TTM 56. Some users have noticed connectors for them in the unit, but the electronic code required to correctly interpret the P & G devices is not installed. Plugging a P & G into your '56 should not hurt it or the fader, but it will not work correctly. Some websites are selling P & G faders for the '56 saying they will plug in and work. Trust me, it's not true. And this is fact, not web fiction.

1.Take off the face plate.
2. Unscrew the two silver screws on the left and right of fader.
3. Pull out the wire that is attached to the fader and remove it.
Ok look at the fader.. Pet it, sniff it, feel it!!! Ok sorry there really isn't much to it.. But it does a lot.. You have 2 rails a magnet in the middle.. And on each side you have a magnet sensor.

Sensors: These are called hall sensors and they are affected by the proximity of a magnet held in the carrier assembly. I've seen a few people bang them so much that the device was "out of range", which prevents full attenuation with fastest cutoff setting. The complaint is commonly bleeding. For those recurring situations where an individual just cannot keep from moving the sensor, I recommended a very small round cork pad be placed behind the sensor so it can not bend outwards. We got some from Lowe's Home Center that were about 1/6" thick, which work well. The correct spacing between end block and hall sensor is 0.062" (about the thickness of the actual circuit board).
If your fader isn't working it could be possible that the sensor is bent slightly away from the magnet so it won't pick up a signal. If so bend the sensor VERY VERY carefully... Otherwise DO NOT touch it. There is a sensor on each side.
Putting it all together: When the TTM 56 is assembled, the faders must be calibrated. Once done, the faders will not drift any measurable amount nor will they need any recalibration. However it is imperative that the same fader always be reinstalled in its original location. In other words, if you swap the Bus 1 fader with the Cross fader, then the calibration will be off. This affects the electronic cutoff of the fader and is most noticeable in MODE 2. Swapping faders will not damage the mixer or faders. The no-contact magnetic faders can be disassembled and repaired instead of replaced. We do not sell complete no-contact faders at this time. All TTM 56 mixers in the U.S. are currently F S O: Factory Service Only. Therefore if you experience a symptom needing attention, calling to obtain factory repairs is the correct remedy. A complete assembled replacement carrier assembly is available from our Customer Service Department. Its part number is: 13188. It consists of the magnet, carrier and torsion spring

Spring tension and the rods: The self-lubricating Delrin carrier assembly (a k a the carrier) rides on, two stainless steel rods. The first rod is called the support rod. It runs through a precision bore in the carrier. The other rod, which the torsion spring rubs against is called the drag rod. Along with providing proper feel and loading the torsion rod also keeps the carrier in proper alignment. This rod is rubbed by the spring. Some DJs slap the fader so hard it will glide across the support rod, hit the O-ring at the end block and literally bounce back. The torsion spring keeps just enough load on the carrier assembly to prevent it from free-traveling. Moving the tension spring above the rod is the only "adjustment" we condone. I have it listed on Rane's Frequently Asked Questions page. Bent, damaged or removed torsion springs do not constitute warranty failures, so like you say, it is better for people to move them above the drag rod, or just leave them be.

NO CONTACT setup
All you have to do is push down on the rod and move it under the first rail then it just floats above the rail.. Like this the fader is literally weightless and flies back and fourth so fast you'd never be able to do beat juggles or mixes. It just a fun thing you can do. To get it back the way it was just move it over to the left and down back under the first rail. OVER AND UNDER. You can make the fader really tight by bending this rod all the way up and then putting it back under the first rail. Then the fader is stiffer but still works great.

LUBE!!! OH YEA!
Lubricants: Yes CAIG CaiLube (say: 'KAg 'KAY-loob) MCL 100% liquid works marvelously well and is the officially recommended chemical. Also, I've told people to try sewing machine oil, since it's very light (about 10W SAE) and fairly harmless. Another one, which works well, is Tri-Flo with Teflon. Typically you find it in bicycle and motorcycle places because riders like it for chain devices. Basically, so long as the chosen oil is not too thick, and does not contain aggressive or caustic agents, it will probably be OK. As with any precision engineered mechanism, when in doubt, consult a specialist, (i.e. call the factory). 100% pure silicone is an excellent lubricant too, but you have to be careful that spray types do not contain other additives, which adversely affect viscosity.
Use a little bit!! it goes a long way! Get it at www.caig.com