DigiTech X-Series Digiverb Issues

Erskine

I Have a strange issue with this pedal and can't work out what can be wrong with it. I don't use affects much and have had this one for 3 years - maybe longer. It has been used less than 10 times at home. However, when I plugged it in yesterday, the light flashed as I plugged it in - which may be normal - but none of the settings would work on the pedal. Both on and off the signal was simply playing through unaffected. I assumed there was a battery issue, so changed it. Then the pedal would not work at all. No light - no signal - no affects. So, I tried a battery from a pedal I knew was working. Still nothing. At this point I dismantled the pedal to check if there was any problem I could see, but nothing obvious was seen. So, I charged a rechargeable battery over night and tried that. Nothing! No signal passing though the pedal. However, whenever I put the original battery back in, the signal does pass through, but the effect will not work. So, I bought another new battery and same issue. No signal passing though.

Plugging into a mains adapter does bring the pedal into life and the settings work. But I seem unable to use a new battery in the damn thing and only the old battery will enable the signal to get through the pedal at all.

Anyone any idea what can be happening here?

UnclePsychosis

I'd guess that you either have an intermittent fault in the battery snap or, possibly, that the new battery you bought is slightly physically smaller than the old one and so isn't making a proper connection with the terminals on the snap. 

Flanging_Fred

I had exactly the same issue with mine. I gave up trying to sort it out and eventually filed it under “totally buggered”. I ended up giving it to @HarrySeven for parts. Maybe he fixed it?

I did a google search for the same problem at the time and a couple of similar queries came up, but with no solution as far as I can see. 

Sorry

steamabacus

I'll add that rechargeables don't quite give the full 9V of an alkaline battery which might explain some of what's happening.

One thought I had - plugging the mains adapter in will bypass switch the battery power connection at the same time.

Maybe the switch inside the socket is dirty? (which might cause a drop in current or intermittant fault).

If you have some switch cleaner, try squirting some into the socket and then inserting and pulling the power plug (without the adapter plugged into the mains) a few times. This may be enough to clean the switch if indeeed that is the issue.

Erskine

Thanks. I did think the rechargeables would be a waste of time, but since I had tried other batteries, I thought it may be worth sticking them in just in case. I'll try what you suggest about spraying the adapter socket and see how that goes. Thanks.

Interesting what you say about the size of the battery and connection to the snap, UnclePsychosis. When switching batteries, I tried to put the one that worked into another pedal and had really trouble getting the snap on that pedal to fit the battery. Weird, but maybe there is something in that too.

thermionic

I had one of these and never had any problems. I don’t think I ever tried it with a battery as dsp-based circuits will need a lot of current and might well do strange things if a dc-dc converter decides that the voltage it’s getting isn’t high enough.

There’s also a cab sim that’s activated by powering up when the footswitch is held down (or something), which might be explain the flashing led. Shouldn’t affect the dry/effected sound though.

Erskine

I have never used that cab effect and wondered about that. However, the instructions on t are not that clear. I was assuming that unless you held the switch down while powering up, then it would automatically be off.

I did try some switch cleaner last night on the plug socket, but it made no difference. So, I am just about to take it apart again and see if there is any way to replace the battery snap and I may try a new snap on it.

Erskine

Ok, found the problem. One of the snap clip terminals had come off and was lodged in the battery that was partly making the switch work. So, it is either a new snap switch or mains power. The contacts are really small on the board, and I am not sure that tip of my soldering iron is small enough for that. I'll give it a go though.

57Deluxe

/\  @Erskine -  get a  non painted paper clip, straighten it then, with pliers, wind it tightly around  the tip of your soldering iron tip, leaving an extended end which you clip off at 45 degrees. It will take longer to heat up but will get you into tight spots.

Erskine

57Deluxe said:

/\  @Erskine -  get a  non painted paper clip, straighten it then, with pliers, wind it tightly around  the tip of your soldering iron tip, leaving an extended end which you clip off at 45 degrees. It will take longer to heat up but will get you into tight spots.

Brilliant. Thanks for that tip. I am very grateful.