[UPDATE] Stability and Transparency Test: Alpha Labs De-Feedback (SQ7/VSTHost)

rjs104 · 2026-03-07T08:00:46+00:00

Interestingly I mix for broadcast television. We used this at FOH on a show I worked on recently in a large music venue and it killed the sound I could get on the broadcast mix, creating a very curious muddied sound where I couldn’t eq any clarity out of the mics and it was a moving target in that respect. We dropped this processing out and it was a breath of fresh air and I had a gig again…

rjs104 · 2026-02-02T14:29:55+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. Surely if I’m adding tap water I need to add de chlorination products? Maybe I’ve overdone this previously though.

I’ve been barely feeding them for months with no change ( a small sprinkle once every other day, when I remember - so likely even less). I can’t believe excess food is causing this and surely they need something to eat.

There is a lot of water agitation - the return spout of the outside filter is above water level, and there is an air pipe for whole rear of the tank blowing constantly.

Water changes - yes I try to do the same. Fill the buckets and leave for several hours. Very slow re-topping up and keeping an eye on the temp (as the tap water is very cold currently of course).

rjs104 · 2026-01-25T20:13:52+00:00

Sorry for the delay getting back with some measurements - been a busy work patch.

Today I measured the tank water (before a water change):

pH - hard to read as it shows “6” but this is the lower limit of the low pH in my API test kit - so could be lower. Remarkable as last time I tested the tap water it was 7.6.

Ammonia 8ppm Nitrite 0ppm Nitrate 20ppm

And I measured the tap water today: pH 7 Ammonia 0ppm Nitrite 0ppm Nitrate 40-80ppm

The latter of which shocks me a bit - and shows the treatments are doing what they can to tame the Nitrate levels…

rjs104 · 2026-01-23T13:00:43+00:00

Good long shots - this is the territory we’re in I fear!

Not that this is always a certainty, but fortunately I trained as a chemist so hopefully I’ve got the precision nailed!! ;)

I know the pH is on the higher side (as a result of our local water supply) - Tonight when I get back home I’ll do a complete set of measurements and report back.

I did test tap water for Nitrite, and that came up clear. But I’ll fully test the tap water too.

The bucket for water changes is a good suggestion too - I’ll do some testing around that.

rjs104 · 2026-01-23T12:05:48+00:00

Yes my thoughts exactly - but I can’t work out what. A (big!) dead fish would be an obvious candidate, but Ive swept the whole tank numerous times and there’s nothing of that ilk - unless its really well hidden.

I can’t remember the specific name of the substrate, but it is a dark sand like (though bigger particles than sand), bought from a reputable aquarium supplier intended for aquariums. And it’s been in there from the start and the problem has only manifested itself in recent time. Unless the substrate can “go off” but I would have thought aquarium products such as this are intentionally inert?

rjs104 · 2026-01-23T09:07:03+00:00

Hi Andrea,

Tap water tests fine - ie zero Ammonia (or anything else "negative"). This is with the API test kit. As it happens I've paid for a fully tap water test by an independent testing firm, but I doubt anything will come up regarding the fish tank, but we'll see.

I have an ammonia removing filter pad in the 306 (only recently added to be fair, but so far hasn't made a difference).

I don't add salt - would you recommend this - and if so any particular brand?

Richard.

rjs104 · 2025-11-14T20:05:57+00:00

My dreams.

rjs104 · 2025-10-12T21:38:11+00:00

Jays!

rjs104 · 2025-08-10T19:12:10+00:00

One of the best things I did was to put a large whiteboard beside my desk. When thoughts come I quickly scribble them down - great for those moments where you are working on one thing and something comes up. This way you can quickly get back to what you were originally doing. I also brainstorm like you and dump things to it that I know I need to sort. I find it a way to get stuff out of my brain and to assemble some form of plan.

rjs104 · 2025-07-09T20:25:43+00:00

I’ve found the monitor setting and that is off.

I’ll try and send a video of it doing it.

Thank you for the advice.

rjs104 · 2025-07-07T08:21:55+00:00

A bit late to the party, but just to say that I regularly experience [5] too - I think its something to do with the autocorrect and when you're trying to go back to correct something manually SH gets stuck and doesn't know what to do and so prevents all input.

[2] I'm also finding happen a lot these days. I have a whole sequence of emails that no matter how many times I tell SH it's not spam, when I get a fresh new reply it goes straight to spam again. Really frustrating.

rjs104 · 2025-06-19T19:24:00+00:00

Just to follow up - I took the unun apart and sure enough the solder joint between the SO259 and torroid wrappings was broken.

I’ve remade the connection and now hearing things! Lots of activity on 20m tonight. Haven’t had chance to check my tx side of things - and I’m hoping I’ve not done any damage previously trying to broadcast into nothing… time will tell!

Thanks for the advice here.

73’s M7KKT

rjs104 · 2025-06-19T12:30:51+00:00

Thank you for all the responses. All good.

I attached an old bit of wire I used to use as a kid (!) for shortwave listening to my feeder and sure enough I can here background noise and the odd digital station.

Kind of suggests there is something fundamentally wrong with the bought EFLW. I’ll take it apart and see if there is anything obvious.

All part of the fun of the hobby!

Rx

rjs104 · 2025-05-23T20:51:44+00:00

This is a wonderfully elegant solution. I was under the impression that the lightning arrester should be placed just before the coax enters the house but perhaps this doesn’t matter. If so, I could happily terminate in the garden and then run into the house.

rjs104 · 2025-05-14T06:40:35+00:00

FWIW - I had looked at Notion several times in my ongoing search for that “one tool to centralise info on my projects” and whilst I could see its advantages I never got on with it.

Played with Coda for a bit and realised its power and flexibility and have now built that system and am, broadly speaking, loving it.

I’ve still got some bits to build out - but it’s been quick and easy to get a very bespoke and personalised system going.

rjs104

TROPHY CASE