TurboDuo sound issue - No Sound coming out of the left channel

turbokon · 02/01/2008, 07:44 PM

Hello, just got my turbo duo in mail today (fourth time I owned a turbo duo in 9 years). I'm not getting any sound from the left channel. First I thought it is the cable but then I plugged in an earphone and I'm still not getting in a sound from the left side. Could this be related to the capitor problem I've been reading about? I only have CD games. I don't have a turbo chip to check if sounds are coming from both channel ok. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ceti Alpha · 02/01/2008, 07:55 PM

Yes, the damned Turbo Duo sound issue. I'm currently dealing with it as well, but it is on it's way to be repaired - if it is, in fact, repairable.

But there are people around here who can fix this problem for you, most notably D-Lite. You just have to take a number as this is a common problem and only a small number of people who are able to fix it. Though I guess the sound fix is one of the easier fixes, but I didn't want to risk busting my Duo even more and I was also interested in getting mods done as well.

Anyway, there's also these guys up here in Canada who will do mods/repairs (can't or won't do S-Video on the Turbo Duo yet): http://www.oldschoolgamer.ca/information.aspx?SID=15

In the end, I know your pain and so do a lot of other Turbo Duo owners. lol

PCEngineHell · 02/01/2008, 08:19 PM

If you are going to have it done you should replace the laser also,just get it all out of the way.

turbokon · 02/01/2008, 08:29 PM

Thanks guys. I plan on having a friend do it for me. He works in a lab so he have all the tools and I'm not comfortable soldering in suck a tight place. I'm also having trouble with CDR. It is working intermittently. Also it seems to be loading slowly. Do you think replacing the lens will solve this issue?

nat · 02/01/2008, 08:31 PM

Yes, replacing the laser will solve this.

turbokon · 02/01/2008, 08:52 PM

Thanks guys. Its nice to know that there are still people care about the turbos as much as I do.

Ceti Alpha · 02/01/2008, 10:01 PM

I thought about getting the laser replaced as well. I was going to go to OSG so I was emailing them asking questions, but they told me that if my laser was working not to mess with it.

But to me it's cheaper (shipping and all that) and more convenient to do it all in one shot. I'll email D-Lite and ask his opinion. To be honest I'd feel more at ease getting the laser replaced as well. With my luck I'd get my Duo back and the laser would decide to clunk out on me.

Seriously, if you doubt my bad luck issues let me refer you to my recent side mirror incidents.

termis · 02/03/2008, 02:13 PM

Just buy a couple laser motors and keep 'em with you. Seriously, they're super-duper easy to replace once it does clonk out on you. No need to kill off an eye that might work for another 5, 10, or even 15 years from now.

Ceti Alpha · 02/03/2008, 02:33 PM

QuoteJust buy a couple laser motors and keep 'em with you. Seriously, they're super-duper easy to replace once it does clonk out on you. No need to kill off an eye that might work for another 5, 10, or even 15 years from now.

Yeah, I hear it's pretty easy to install a laser unit, though I have heard of some issues with it here on the board. Anyway, my laser is working great now so there really isn't any point in replacing it.

turbokon · 02/04/2008, 05:09 PM

My dou seems to be reading CD-Rs just fine now, better then when I first fired it up. Loading just seems slow. I will wait a bit before picking up a new laser unit. Spent to much money already. The wife is going to love this

Just ordered a 64MB PC-Engine Flash card.

OldRover · 02/04/2008, 06:07 PM

Quote from: turbokon on 02/04/2008, 05:09 PMSpent to much money already. The wife is going to love this

My wife loves it when I spend too much money also.

nat · 02/04/2008, 06:33 PM

Quote from: turbokon on 02/04/2008, 05:09 PMJust ordered a 64MB PC-Engine Flash card.

You should have waited to get in on the group buy of the 128 flash carts. You probably would've spent about the same amount for the 128 on the group buy.

turbokon · 02/04/2008, 07:02 PM

Oh snap! When were you guys planning to do a group buy?

Ceti Alpha · 02/04/2008, 07:15 PM

Yeah, when is this group buy happening?

nat · 02/04/2008, 07:33 PM

Ask Dean, he said soon. Probably as soon as he gets his next big sale posted up.

Ceti Alpha · 02/04/2008, 07:49 PM

QuoteAsk Dean, he said soon. Probably as soon as he gets his next big sale posted up.

Cool. I'm not totally familiar with the flash cards. What exactly are they capable of doing? Obviously they can store games/ROMS.

nat · 02/04/2008, 09:20 PM

My primary reason for getting one was to be able to play third-party translated Japanese games on my real TurboDuo (or SuperGrafx). Also, independently released games like Tongueman's Logic which isn't available in ISO format for burning to a CD. Otherwise you'd be stuck playing these things in an emulator on your computer.

Blue Blink, Bubblegum Crash, Wonderboy in Monster Land, etc....

Good stuff!

You can also use them to play homebrew tech demos (such as Chris Covell's stuff and the stuff you find in Zeograd's Lair) on the real hardware. They interface with your computer via USB and transferring ROMs is quick and painless.

Ceti Alpha · 02/04/2008, 10:53 PM

Cool.

QuoteThey interface with your computer via USB and transferring ROMs is quick and painless.

Very cool. Would this assist in recording gameplay, or am I just completely off the track?

nat · 02/04/2008, 10:58 PM

Completely off track.

Imagine the flash cart as a "blank HuCard" in the same way a CD-RW is a rewritable blank CD. You can write ("burn") to the flash cart much in the same way you would a CD-RW. And like a CD-RW, you can write to it again, and again, and again. You do this via a USB port on your computer.

Ceti Alpha · 02/04/2008, 11:08 PM

QuoteCompletely off track.

Imagine the flash cart as a "blank HuCard" in the same way a CD-RW is a rewritable blank CD. You can write ("burn") to the flash cart much in the same way you would a CD-RW. And like a CD-RW, you can write to it again, and again, and again. You do this via a USB port on your computer.

LMAO! Yeah, I figured. It's awesome though. Beats using CD-Rs. Anyway, thanks Nat for clearing up my noob questions. lol

QuoteI will wait a bit before picking up a new laser unit. Spent to much money already. The wife is going to love this Shocked Just ordered a 64MB PC-Engine Flash card.

Hey, would she rather you be a compulsive gambler and drinker, or maybe she'd prefer you spending your money in greasy strip joints. I'm just saying there's worse things you could be spending your money on. A Turbo hobby is really quite innocent - maybe not as innocent as stamp collecting, but pretty damn innocent.

turbokon · 02/05/2008, 09:23 AM

Good point ceti alpha. Next time she naggs me, I'll play the gambling/strip joint card on here

turbokon · 02/07/2008, 08:40 AM

Went ahead and ordered the new laser unit yesterday. I played my cd-r copy of lords of thunder yesterday and it was loading really slow between stages and after getting murdered in the snow stage, it just stalled in the "game over" screen, you know the screen with your sword and helmet laying on the ground.

turbokon · 02/07/2008, 10:51 PM

I decided to open up the duo and you know what, looks like somebody already replaced the capicitors. It looks like the one on the lower left is shorted, maybe that's why I have no sound on the left side.

OldRover · 02/07/2008, 10:53 PM

Holy shit, that is one sloppy soldering job. My wife could solder better than that.

nat · 02/07/2008, 11:57 PM

Yeah see if you can separate that solder. It might fix your issue.

OldRover · 02/08/2008, 12:13 AM

A desoldering iron would be best, but a braid would work too.

PCEngineHell · 02/08/2008, 12:23 AM

Ugg. Get your equipment out and fix that crap.

Ceti Alpha · 02/08/2008, 08:44 AM

Yeah, I'm no Mr. Fixit in terms of electronics, but even I can tell that's a crappy soldering job.

turbokon · 02/08/2008, 05:40 PM

When I removed the cap, I saw that the contact point for burnt off. I was wondering why the system isn't fried since the cap was shorted. Anyway, luckilty I was able to re-route the positive end of the cap to a nearby resistor. Since I had it opened, I wented replace the two op-amps to give the sounds signal a boost. Works like a charm, sound from both channels and it's lord and pride

turbokon · 02/08/2008, 05:43 PM

Here is the pix for the two op-amps I replaced.

Ceti Alpha · 02/08/2008, 06:04 PM

Nice work!

OldRover · 02/08/2008, 08:02 PM

Sweet, good job. Welcome to the "fuck sending it to someone else to fix, I'll do it myself" club.

nat · 02/08/2008, 08:25 PM

Congrats man. Thanks for saving another Duo from the landfill.

turbokon · 02/08/2008, 08:56 PM

Thanks, guys. It means a lot that you guys cares.

turbokon · 02/08/2008, 09:01 PM

Even knowing I what I do now, I didn't regret picking up this bad boy off of ebay. I paid 210. It came with a convertor and "Riot Zone". Now I'm eyeing a turbo express.

nat · 02/08/2008, 11:41 PM

Hey, $210 for a US Duo, converter, and Riot Zone is a decent deal!

Turbo D · 02/09/2008, 02:43 AM

I can't believe a deal like that existed on ebay

Ceti Alpha · 02/09/2008, 11:45 AM

QuoteI can't believe a deal like that existed on ebay Shocked

hehe. Yeah, that is a super deal, especially since turbokon was able to fix the sound issue himself. Very nice. He makes me look stupid for sending mine to d-lite. lol

turbokon · 02/09/2008, 03:00 PM

Yea, it was "buy it now". I thought it was a good deal I snagged it up the same day it was listed. I'm going do the region mod next then I can put the convertor back on ebay. Hey, anybody have a sound issue turbo express they want to sell me cheap

turbokon · 02/10/2008, 12:04 AM

I got my new lens today. I removed the old one and put in the new one but I couldn't get it work even after tinkering with the potentiometer. The old one seemed to work better so I pick the old one back on.

NecroPhile · 02/10/2008, 01:31 AM

Congrats on getting the sound working, but sorry to hear that the new laser assembly didn't work.

turbokon · 02/10/2008, 07:57 PM

Well, a new sound issue arise today. I came across this new issue around this afternoon. This morning I was playing Lords of Thunder and even get to the last stage without any issue. Suddenly, when I went back to turn the duo on around the afternoon to see I could beat LOF, this issue came up. I have noticed ever since I had the duo, right when you turn on the duo, during the super system opening screen, there's one crackling sound and that's it. Now, this crackling sound is occurring through out and the sound is very low and sporadicly it goes back to normal level for a brief second. Any ideas? I'm thinking it's the potentiometers I relaced with.

turbokon · 02/11/2008, 03:12 PM

I have found the cause of that crackling (static) sound, it's those darn caps. I was able to see the one that leaked, it was the 22uf cap third one down on the pre-amp side. That leak give off a terrible stink. My duo's sound problem is yet solved again.

NecroPhile · 02/11/2008, 03:25 PM

Whoever did that classy soldering job must've used some shitty, Vietnam era, Soviet made caps; hopefully you won't end up replacing all of 'em. Even with the problems this Duo's thrown at you, it's still a pretty sweet deal for $210.

SNKNostalgia · 02/11/2008, 07:55 PM

If your new lens isn't working but your old one does a little, then just order another new lens. I might just order two of them and send back the one that doesn't work for a refund. I had the same thing happen when I order two of them from electronix.com. One lens doesn't respond and the other works perfect. Made in China, gonna have some bad ones out of the bunch.

turbokon · 02/12/2008, 06:40 PM

I hooked up the turbo duo to my surround sound system and it sounds great!! Absolutely no crackling or static and it's loud. The new premium opt amps used to modify audio devices really helps and also replacing those darn caps hepls too. You can really notice the differences. Let me know if any of you guys are interest in the opt amps mod or even if you need your bad caps replaced. If there are enough response I will consider taking orders.