Funny smell - electrical fault ?

[Gone To Lunch]

Hi all, I am posting here as I think it may be an electrical issue.

I have been on my Mac working in Digital Performer as usual, and my audio goes out through my MOTU 828 Firewire mk3, which I have used without any trouble ever for the last years.

After a few hours, no longer than I often work, I began to notice a horrible fishy smell, with hints of burning plastic. The windows are open so I initially suspected a barbie crisis of some sort in the vicinity.

But I checked outside, and the rest of my flat, and found the smell was in my studio room only. I checked all my electrical devices, ie those with a mains connection, and found that the MOTU 828 was unusually warm, so I switched it off. That was about 30 mins ago, it has cooled down and the smell has subsided.

All suggestions gratefully received.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Doesn't sound good. Time for a visit to a tech methinks, before it expires completely and possibly terminally!

[ef37a]

Have you established that the MOTU is definitely the source of the smell?

I ask because a "fishy electrical" smell is very indicative of an overloaded 13A plug, socket or adaptor. Nothing in the studio is likely to pull enough juice to do this but you could have imported an old adaptor or strip?

Dave.

[Gone To Lunch]

Have you established that the MOTU is definitely the source of the smell?

I ask because a "fishy electrical" smell is very indicative of an overloaded 13A plug, socket or adaptor. Nothing in the studio is likely to pull enough juice to do this but you could have imported an old adaptor or strip?

Dave.

Thanks for your reply.

I haven't tested exhaustively, but will later today.

I was quick to blame the MOTU 828 because it was unusually warm, and the smell went away when it cooled down.

[Gone To Lunch]

I took it out of the rack and tested it with a different cable in a different room, and after being on for about 15mins the smell arrived and it was clearly coming from the vent on the right hand side.

So, off to Musictrack for a repair.

Just in case there are any other MOTU users with problems, MOTU's UK distributors Musictrack offer a post-warranty repair service :

http://musictrack.co.uk/repairs.html