Reply to Allen + Heath DB4: Innofader Installation

So I installed an innofader in my DB4. The process was easier than I worried it would be but still posed some challenges that I'll share here for anyone wanting to do this mod.

If you're still reading this, you already know how amazing the DB4 is as a 4-channel digital mixer. It does have some issues though; one of them is the curve settings on the stock faders. The faders themselves are quite nice, very smooth, solid feeling, nice fader caps and you can indeed cut back and forth quickly on them. Skratchworx did a nice review of the DB4 when it first came out and there was a response from A+H providing detail about the faders; you can read the review and response here.

The bottom line is that these are indeed top quality faders that will last a lifetime, but they are not "scratch" faders. The main issue with these faders is the curve setting -- although the curve is adjustable, it does not turn the fader into an "on/off" switch at its sharpest setting the way you find on some magnetic and optical faders. The travel point for the cut-in is also not adjustable as it is on some other top shelf mixers (e.g. Ecler Evo series or the Denon DN-X1700), which means you will have to move the fader a few millimeters to get to your cut-in point, which will slow down your cuts if you are a serious turntable trickster. Nevertheless, you certainly can scratch on these faders, even do some crabbing and twiddling, but the sound will be a bit "smeared" as the fader is still moving the sound from zero to high volume over time rather than just cutting the sound on and off. This can sound ok, but the cuts don't sound as sharp as they would on a true scratch fader. I did a quick video example with the stock fader so you can hear the difference:


(and yeah I kind of suck at scratching; this is just meant to illustrate the sound).

If you're going to do this mod, make sure you get the Innofader Pro as the regular innofader probably won't fit. You also ought to check out SmiTTTen's excellent article on installing the innofader in the S4 -- this is a different model innofader and a different host unit, but it helps give you a sense of what you're in for. As smiTTTen points out, when you get the innofader, it comes with a dizzying array of goodies and minimal (but pretty straightforward) instructions:

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The first thing to do is identify the correct adapter board to use with this mixer; that's easy enough as it comes in two pieces. Look at the diagrams on the instructions and match them up to the pieces; the one you want looks like this:

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Then you want to connect the cables to the adapter board; make sure the connectors go in the right places as described on the instruction sheet and make sure the adapters are facing the right direction; you shouldn't have to force anything (though you do need to connect them firmly so some strength is required).

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Easy enough so far; the hard part is getting the thing into the mixer and getting your settings right. Thanks to mixarchitekt I learned that the easiest way to get to the fader is from the bottom of the mixer. I would have spent hours trying to get the top panel of the mixer off but this sage advice saved me all that frustration. Flip the mixer over (I put mine on a pillow so as not to stress the knobs and faders too much) and get to work on the 8 screws.

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(Continued in the next post as I am out of attachment space...)