I have an old (original, pre Series II) Epicenter and I need to test it and make sure it works before getting a remote for it. Right now, I put power to it but the power light doesn't come on. I think this is because there is no remote plugged in, to turn it on. If someone knows how to bypass the remote as far as the on/off is concerned, that would be great. Or, if you have one and can unplug your remote and put power to it to see if the power light glows, that would be great too. I see no need to spend good $$ on a remote if the main unit is dead.
THANKS 🙂
THANKS 🙂
The lack of response to your post means that no one has any schematics for the control. AC never released any proprietary information to my knowledge so this is likely why no one has come forth with the info you requested.
For the record I have never seen one fail before, but that does not mean it does not happen.
AC will sell you one albeit not for cheap but you will need one anyway if you plan of using the unit. I found that they sound terrible unless used sparingly. They come from a time when low bass harmonics were almost impossible inside a vehicle. With today's subs and the current designs available the need for this device is highly questionable.
I suggest you go to AC's web site and dig around they list of spare parts on their web site. They sell replacement controls for everything they ever made.
And by the way it will not turn on its leds if it does not have a remote plugged in so odds are it works but just needs to be complete to operate properly. It should pass bass straight thru with out the knob. Have you tested it powered to the leads and audio thru the unit? Without the control it won't boost any audio. This I am sure of although its been a number of years since I actually had one in hand.
best of luck on your project...🙂
For the record I have never seen one fail before, but that does not mean it does not happen.
AC will sell you one albeit not for cheap but you will need one anyway if you plan of using the unit. I found that they sound terrible unless used sparingly. They come from a time when low bass harmonics were almost impossible inside a vehicle. With today's subs and the current designs available the need for this device is highly questionable.
I suggest you go to AC's web site and dig around they list of spare parts on their web site. They sell replacement controls for everything they ever made.
And by the way it will not turn on its leds if it does not have a remote plugged in so odds are it works but just needs to be complete to operate properly. It should pass bass straight thru with out the knob. Have you tested it powered to the leads and audio thru the unit? Without the control it won't boost any audio. This I am sure of although its been a number of years since I actually had one in hand.
best of luck on your project...🙂
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That's what I was wanting to know. Whether or not the LED will light without the remote. And yes, it will pass a audio signal without power.
From what I have found from various pics of the remote, looking at the PCB and a little bit of measuring, Of the 4 contacts that go to the remote, one is ground, one has DC power and the other two, I believe are signal (right & left) going to the dual gang pot on the remote and probably just simply go to ground after the pot. This is my best guess as to what is going on with the remote.
Honestly, I never really cared for them when they were new but, it would be nice to know if it works and could maybe sell it. Or if it's bricked, just toss it. I'm really not up for tracing the PCB and trying to figure out what's going on there. To much work for a piece I don't care that much about.
Hello Thump Lump -
To test your Epicenter on the bench, all you need to do is connect a jumper between the +12V in and Remote in. This may be an old enough Epicenter, which allowed you to bypass the bass restoration with the supplied remote. We do not make the old remotes any more, but the current ACR-1 will still function to adjust the restoration affect.
The Epicenter is designed to use a full range signal (not a sub out) to do its job properly. As a simple test, you could split the output from your source and run one pair into The Epicenter and the other pair straight into a preamp. Connect The Epicenter output to different input on your preamp. Now, play your music back and switch between preamp inputs and listen for the added bass restoration from The Epicenter.
The Epicenter works great to enhance old-school music, which wasn't mastered as bass-heavy as current music is. Also works very well to rejuvenate compressed music (mp3s) which tend to lose bass content through the compression process.
We do not provide any schematics for our products. Sorry.
Cheers!
AudioControl
To test your Epicenter on the bench, all you need to do is connect a jumper between the +12V in and Remote in. This may be an old enough Epicenter, which allowed you to bypass the bass restoration with the supplied remote. We do not make the old remotes any more, but the current ACR-1 will still function to adjust the restoration affect.
The Epicenter is designed to use a full range signal (not a sub out) to do its job properly. As a simple test, you could split the output from your source and run one pair into The Epicenter and the other pair straight into a preamp. Connect The Epicenter output to different input on your preamp. Now, play your music back and switch between preamp inputs and listen for the added bass restoration from The Epicenter.
The Epicenter works great to enhance old-school music, which wasn't mastered as bass-heavy as current music is. Also works very well to rejuvenate compressed music (mp3s) which tend to lose bass content through the compression process.
We do not provide any schematics for our products. Sorry.
Cheers!
AudioControl
As it sits right now, the light on the Epicenter does not come on at all. Powered up or not. Audio passes through whether on or off but is muted when powered off and returns to a normal level when powered. There seems to be no other effect other than the muting when off.
FWIW.....The serial number is H20077
FWIW.....The serial number is H20077
And this is with power connected to the Remote In? Well, for what it's worth, we can repair old units (most repairs are covered under a $85 flat fee). Best of luck in whatever direction you decide to go.
Regards,
AudioControl
Yes...........With the remote turn on seeing power as well.
I have repaired and modded a few amps before so I think I will take my chances and spend some time on it and see what I can figure out.
I have repaired and modded a few amps before so I think I will take my chances and spend some time on it and see what I can figure out.
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