Beolink Active 1636, stand alone

Hi,

I would like to use a Beolink Active 1636 sw1.1 stand alone for volume and balance control with input on the PC socket.

However after connecting it I realize it only reacts to L.Opt changes via remote commands, but no other commands makes it react, the led doesn´t even blink. It seems that the MasterLink needs to be present, and linked to a master, even for letting it use the local source on PC input.

Is there any way to “trick” the BL-active in to believing there is an audio master on the ML? Could for example any of the pins in the ML socket be jumped?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

//Goran

Hi,

i don't think it's as simple as jumping a few pins as the unit needs to receive some voltage to work. You can try putting it in test mode 03 (open ML signal path) by pressing Menu 0 3 Play. This will open the ML path without needing it to be connected to a Master.  Try using your local source now.  You only get volume control, no bass/treble/loudness.

pressing Stop will close out the test Mode. if this does work, each time you want to use it just press Menu 0 3 Play to start it up.  Press stop to shut it off.

Well that didn't work. Getting into Test Mode does work, but pressing any other button ends it, so it's not possible to select PC as the input without shutting it down first.

It's more complicated so maybe Steve at Sounds Heavenly can make something up for you?

Maybe use an MCL2AV instead. This works fine stand alone, and has PL output (and two line inputs).  From memory this can be controlled fully with any beo remote; volume and balance work but I am not sure about tone controls.

Alternatively (and if the input is a PC), have you considered a Beoport? 

Bill Briscoe:

Well that didn't work. Getting into Test Mode does work, but pressing any other button ends it, so it's not possible to select PC as the input without shutting it down first.

It's more complicated so maybe Steve at Sounds Heavenly can make something up for you?

No, you are right Bill, not even the volume control works in ‘03’ test mode, which means that operation similar to what that of the Beolink 2000 where “permanent” ‘09’-test mode is used wouldn’t be possible on the active. Thanks for the idea and for trying in out.

The input is not a PC Guy so Beoport is not an option, but MCL2AV could be I guess, if I had one :)

Any further suggestions? Feeding voltage or jumping pins to the ML, or is it even that there would need to be a simulated handshake to make the active think there was a master in the other end(?)

The cheapest ML master is the BeoLink Converter type 1611, typically found for 30 - 60 GBP on auction sites. I’ve not tried this method myself, but I read in a thread here that you can use the 1611 with either an Active or Passive, connecting your analog input to the socket on the 1611.

The ML socket on the 1611 then becomes the driver for the ML socket on the Active/Passive.

Lawrence