Problem with TCH Play Acoustic...

Captain Jim · #1 01-13-2019, 06:15 PM

I have been using this unit for a couple years, and prior to that, the Gxt. I haven't run into this before - I did contact TCH Support, and they are less than responsive. So, I thought I'd ask here before sending the unit off for repair.

The issue is the guitar signal going from the Play Acoustic to the PA: it cuts out after a couple seconds on each strum. In other words, if you want a sustained chord, it isn't happening. Sounds like a complete shut down of the signal, not a natural fall-off.

It took a week to get a "canned" response from TCH ("A representative will contact you in one business day") and when I let them know what the problem is, I get a "If your unit was purchased within the last 3 years, it will be covered under warranty"). They did tell me to "check your guitar connection" as though I would not have done that prior to contacting them.

I'm about half inclined to try a Boss VE-8 rather than deal with this frustrating lack of support.

Any ideas if there is anything user-fixable happening here? Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

Jim

Chickee · #2 01-13-2019, 06:46 PM

Hey Captain,
Run thru all the settings in guitar set up menu and effect menus also. Maybe, just maybe, a setting got changed accidentally. I push things and later find I was in the wrong place and get very adverse affects. I correct errors I make on the PA menus all the time. What you are explaining sounds like a delay got changed, or a noise gate.

BTW- call these guys direct up in Canada. They are extremely friendly and helpful.

Bigredhog · #3 01-13-2019, 08:14 PM

Shot in the dark maybe try doing the factory reset as per the manual?

Captain Jim · #4 01-13-2019, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickee

Hey Captain,
Run thru all the settings in guitar set up menu and effect menus also. Maybe, just maybe, a setting got changed accidentally. I push things and later find I was in the wrong place and get very adverse affects. I correct errors I make on the PA menus all the time. What you are explaining sounds like a delay got changed, or a noise gate.

BTW- call these guys direct up in Canada. They are extremely friendly and helpful.

Thanks. I did check the menu and settings - no changes. No delay used. I thought maybe the battery in the guitar was dying - nope, plenty strong; tried two other guitars: same issue. I checked the 1/4" connection and the XLR out - nothing obvious. Ran the guitar direct to the PA (Bose, not the Play Acoustic) and it was fine.

Quite a maze you have to go through to get their support. They have given me a case number, no phone number or return authorization given. I had Guitar Center look up and send me a copy of the receipt. I'm jumping through their hoops, but no real response from them, yet. I have sent them my phone number, no call back. I have been trying to get someone there to respond for almost two weeks, thus my post here. I can't say I've had the same "friendly and helpful" response as you... yet. I even filled out their after-contact survey, requesting any guidance, or even info on what it takes to get an RA (they called it an "MA" in their vague e-mail to me).

At this point, I seriously doubt I would buy any other products from them (I own 3), given this experience.

Daniel Grenier · #5 01-14-2019, 05:36 AM

A factory reset would be my first suggestion (and TCH’s too, if you got a hold of them). Maybe do a firmware update while at it.
Try going to their “Forum” on Music Tribes (I think) It feels like a semi abandoned place but there have been some good answers in the past.
Boss support would be no better (from my experience anyway).
TC Helicon was bought out by Behringer’s parent company, I believe, a few years back which may account for the less than stellar service?

Captain Jim · #6 01-14-2019, 08:29 AM

Thanks, I'll give the factory reset a try... I have 6 months left before the warranty runs out. Who knows - I may hear from them by then!

Chickee · #7 01-14-2019, 08:36 AM

And also Jim, you didn't say if you have the firmware update for the PA installed? Or did I miss you saying that?

Gutch · #8 01-14-2019, 08:47 AM

Jim, the way you describe the cutoff sounds like a noise gate with the threshold set too high. Do you have one inline? I also use the Play Acoustic, but don't recall it having a noise gate...

MarkF_48 · #9 01-14-2019, 09:03 AM

- Possibly the output routing selection? Try each XLR out.
- Tried headphones?

Answers are are usually slow, if ever from TCH at the forum below, but perhaps another member has had a similar problem....
https://forum.musictribe.com/forumdi...136-TC-HELICON

RockerDuck · #10 01-14-2019, 09:06 AM

I had the play acoustic and Boss VE-8 at the same time and used them both. I've stated before that the guitar sounds much better thru the boss ve-8 than the play acoustic, and the vocals sound better thru the play acoustic , than the Boss VE-8, but only a little better. Both weighed against each other, the Boss VE-8 wins.
The play acoustic is glitchy as its software driven, so you should send it to be repaired at the shop under warranty.

Chickee · #11 01-14-2019, 09:10 AM

Hey Jim I found this. Maybe worth taking a look at.
"Depending on the settings of the other Compressor parameters, you may need to "make up" reduced gain to maintain output signal levels."

That's buried in the advanced compressor menu. I hope that helps.

Captain Jim · #12 01-14-2019, 11:11 AM

Thanks for all your help, folks! Please know it is much appreciated. I did finally get a response from TCH through their Las Vegas office. I now have an RMA number, the unit is boxed up, and I'll be taking it to the Post Office as soon as I am done writing this.

For those who offered suggestions: yes, I had done the latest firmware update. Nothing between the Play Acoustic and the guitar or between the unit and the Bose PA. I didn't see anything in the myriad of menus for a threshold gate and not using any compression.

It is covered under warranty, so I'll let them figure it out. In the meantime, I have the Gxt for harmonies, and the guitar sounds fine with the preset on the Bose.

William from TCH did tell me in his response to my (firm) e-mail that he had tried to call and "didn't get an answer." He also didn't leave a voice mail, so that number got blocked... just like all the many spam robo-calls we all get. Not sure what would have been so difficult about leaving a message and he would have gotten a call back from me immediately... I have plenty to deal with, considering all the calls I get about going to jail due to some IRS issue or "final warnings" to buy an extended warranty on a vehicle.

It has to be tough for a legit business to make phone contacts, but I'm thinking that leaving a voice mail would be a good start.

It took a week to get the first e-mail contact from them, so we'll see how long it takes to actually get this unit repaired. Not sure if anyone from TCH monitors these forums, but it wasn't until I made that post here that any earnest attempt to contact was made on their part.

Thanks again for the suggestions! This forum is great.

Captain Jim · #13 01-22-2019, 09:18 PM

Update on this saga: they couldn't find anything wrong with it. So, they cleaned it (it was spotless when I sent it in), did a firmware update (I already did the most recent update - from 2016), and are returning it. In other words: the intermittent issue didn't happen when they looked at it.

Those of you who have had good service experience with TCH are fortunate - this has not been my experience.

I have 3 of their pedals and like them. This is the first time I have required any "service." I can't say the level of their customer service is up to the same level as their equipment. Frustrating.

JackB1 · #14 03-29-2019, 08:25 AM

The guitar sound through the Boss V8 is shaped by their "acoustic resonance"....same as in their AD-2 pedal. So you could get the best of both units by using the Play Acoustic, disabling the BodyRez feature and adding a Boss AD-2 pedal for the guitar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockerDuck

I had the play acoustic and Boss VE-8 at the same time and used them both. I've stated before that the guitar sounds much better thru the boss ve-8 than the play acoustic, and the vocals sound better thru the play acoustic , than the Boss VE-8, but only a little better. Both weighed against each other, the Boss VE-8 wins.
The play acoustic is glitchy as its software driven, so you should send it to be repaired at the shop under warranty.