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This is a question Absolute Power

Have you ever been put in a position of power? Did you become a rabid dictator, or did you completely arse it up and end up publicly humiliated? We demand you tell us your stories.

Thanks to The Supreme Crow for the suggestion

(, Thu 8 Jul 2010, 14:09)
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The power over middle-aged ladies' sexual fantasy gratification
When I worked for a mxing desk company as a test engineer, I had to test, diagnose and repair any gremlins that crept into the 48-channel monster while it was assembled in South Cornwall. All of a sudden my usual day's work was put aside as a previously-sold console was being shipped back in as an emergency case needing TLC and fixing and had to be done WITHIN 3 HOURS so they could get the thing back out- apparently mid-tour the thing had cocked up and they didn't have a spare backup. So, as I laboured away taking the thing to pieces and chasing the elusive fault through the 48 channels, 8 busses, 10 AUXs, 8x4 matrix, master section MIDI mute assignments and meter bridge. With minutes to go and with managers standing around watching, shuffling and grumbling and looking at their watches, I finally found the cause of the problem- a faulty NE5532 IC putting out a DC offset on the main L-R buss.

Quick as a flash I desoldered and replaced the chip, ran the console back through the automated end of line test sequence, air-wrench spun up the securing nuts and screws and handed it over with 15 minutes to go before the dispatch driver had to leave with it on board.

Modestly accepting praise from my immediate managers for saving their reputation, I asked whose musical event, nay UK national tour had been saved by my skill, my intuition, my manual manipulational prowess and above all working half an hour over the end of work so I had to hitch hike back home after missing the bus.

"Ah! Daniel O'Donnel's UK tour is BACK ON thanks to you".

The power to end it was in my hands and I FUCKED IT UP by NOT FUCKING IT UP! Scores of middle aged flushed ladies with repressed desires to either a)seduce the chirpy curly haired singer into a bed of lewd debauchery or b) take him home and feed him up and knit him a jumper (thinks Father Ted here) got their audience with D O'D because of me.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 1:18, 11 replies)
Soundcraft Live48?

(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 2:35, closed)
GL4000
Allen and Heath...
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 10:27, closed)
You're a marked man now, RWH.
You've made a lot of people very unhappy.

Clicky for the technical skills - I've got a little Behringer 12 channel, of which only two channels get used, and both of them confuse the hell out of me.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 4:51, closed)
I recently got a 'faulty' 24:8:2 Mackie analogue for £200 with a thought to fix it up and sell it.
Got it home. It wasn't faulty, the bloke who bought it just didn't know how to select input channel to bus and assumed the whole desk was KAPUT. Amateurs :-)
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 10:31, closed)
Blue Rinse Medal of Honour
Grannies everywhere will be yours forever thanks to that!

You will never be short of a melted cheese sandwich ;P
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 8:04, closed)
Fucking Allen & Grief
Should have directed him up to Kidderminster to buy a REAL desk.....
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 11:12, closed)
Oddly enough I got offered a job at Klark Technik later on
but not for £14.4 kpa. Not to live in Kidderminster.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 16:32, closed)
A lucky escape
From Kidderminster, and worse, from Behringer. HAHAHAHAHA, Behringer.....jeez, what were they thinking?
(, Sat 10 Jul 2010, 0:11, closed)
Socket?
I hope you put in a good turned-pin DIL socket so that the chip can easily be replaced next time!

Paper thin copper traces and tiny pads that love to just hop off the circuit board when it comes to desoldering a chip - not to mention the chip legs being folded over so that pulling the chip out is even more difficult *grumble* - mind you that was a Soundcraft mixer, not A&H.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 13:52, closed)
just good old fashined hard-wired solder pads.
Solda-mop is your friend.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 16:33, closed)
NE5532...
... bastards. At least they're not TL084s or 4051s, like the thousands and thousands that haunt my dreams after I've taken the lid off an old synth.
(, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 19:42, closed)

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