I re-measured with ‘A’ weighting and get similar readings. Perhaps I’ll try a lower tech approach to mitigation and move it away from head level in the rack 
When your synth stands 7’ tall 
You know my studio desk wouldn’t accommodate the skee-ball version… 
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just received my TBC2, and upgrade my MP from v18 to v2.0.2 (sync won’t work before update). Very nice gears but indeed TBC2 fan is even louder than MP one…
I got a deep diy case and some good enough skills, so I got some idea :
I plan to make some kind of ducted fan with larger fan (9 or 12cm).
But I don’t wanna fry anything, so a question @creatorlars does TBC2 have any overheat protections? I saw some temp prob displayed on the TBC2 menu, that’s encouraging…
the fan is overheat protection
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I mean auto shutdown when overheat @brownshoesonly … I allready moded some devices with custom caleoduct+fan, but no device such expensive, I’m a bit nervous. According to datasheet I found there no significant noise reduction for same size factor fans & air flow. So I want to try bigger ducted fan. As a musician too, this noise is a bit annoying for me.
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There is a thermal limit on the power supply components in the case of an extreme condition, but there is no auto shutdown behavior for overheating. The device should run within limits up to 85C, and needs air cooling + heatsink to reach that condition. Beyond that temperature, you could experience performance degradation or a system crash.
It is likely the fan is obstructed by a ribbon cable or is possibly pressed against an internal element in the EuroRack enclosure. Otherwise, try adjusting the mounting screws to see if one has loosened. A larger fan may run quieter, but you would still need to mount it directly above the heatsink on TBC2’s interior assembly, so that air is being pulled thru the blades of the heat sink.
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I have 6 120mm fans in my Gen3 rack cabinet. I’m not currently powering them, as the cab is less than half full and still open, so it still has plenty of ventillation. However, when I do power the fans, they may drown out some of the TBC2 fan noise. This will depend on the fan noise level for my replacement TBC2 module, of course. (The replacement discussed in another thread.)
From my experience testing the cab fans and fans from two other TBC2 units, this will depend most of all on the frequency of the TBC2 fan noise. The first TBC2 fan noise had an unpleasently high pitch, while the noise from the fan in the second unit had a much lower pitch. So that was a big improvement.
If I could place the cab fans and TBC2 so that the airflow is directly on the ear of the module, would a module fan even be needed? I very much doubt I’ll want to disable the fan to test that, even if it might work. I’ll simply trust that the noise will be acceptable. If it isn’t, then I’ll either find a way to cope or just live without a TBC2. I can’t speculate about that.
So far, the fan noise has been the least of my TBC2 problems, I’ve not yet had a unit long enough to properly evaluate the noise. At least I have a dedicated PSU for it, so I can switch it off when I’m not using it. That’s not ideal, obviously, but it helped.
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You can keep an eye on the temperature monitor on the system page. You’ll want to keep it below 85C at all times. The biggest load you can put on the system is taking CVBS in and upscaling to 720p formats on both input channels. If you can do something like that, leave it on for an hour, and the core temperature stays below 85C, your alternative cooling solution is adequate.
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Yes, I really appreciate the temperature monitor. Thanks.
nope, the bottom of the case is open for install/servicing and nothing’s wrong, screws is ok… from datasheet original fan is 25-30db, but it is in normal range for this fan size & air flow. I used to play videosynth live with modular musicians, in some cases 25 db is too loud. thank’s for the tips, if I can trust the temp probe displayed I gonna redesign the cooling, carrfully monitor temp and I will share results. cheer’s!
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TBC2 Fan replacement. I had this fan already, so I used it. I have been impressed with noctua fans, although no fan is ever silent of course I made this jig and a stepped drill bit to increase the diameter of the hole (trickiest part of the mod, fine with a jig though. The cable could be shortened though I am able to fit the connector in without trouble and without soldering so . . .
The original fan made a hideous noise from the start, perhaps it was defective. Anyway the replacement works fine with only 59 degrees reached after an hour of upconverting 2x CVBS to 720p as recommended heat test by @creatorlars
Replacement fan uses 0.05a instead of 0.07a of the original. Airflow is hugely increased as expected by the size difference in the two fans.
This model fan (404020 @12v) was about 15e. As I had it going spare I think it was a great replacement. I have two other fans in my cases, I used noctua 5v versions (to reduce the chance of noise on the 12v line as they use the case PSU (Erica Synths 104HP powered)
Because I had spare Raspberry Pi heatsinks, I put some on the other chips on the TBC2.
I was busy for a couple of hours with the mod, tho I have quite some exp with modding.
I make AV pieces with my (mostly )LZX modular.
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Fantastic!
I’ll try the same with mine. Is that the pwm version? Can’t find an a4x20 12v
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Hi @VanTa yes it is the PWM version. It comes with the correct 3 to 2 pin adaptor cable. I used screws (because I already used the rubber mounts) though I would recommend using the rubber mounting bolts.
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If the fan is not hitting his case, maybe its just dried out: Try to re-grease the bearings next time. Has brought miracles with my ET structures. Carefully remove the plastic sticker, lubricate with bearing grease (or even soldering grease) inside and distribute with a clean brush. Degrease the surface and put the sticker back on. Danone
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With an old, worn out fan, this can help. I have done it. However, it’s never worth the effort in my view.
In this case the fan replaced was a brand new fan : )
It’s just the revs are very high indeed because it’s very small. Which makes it whiney.
A larger fan with more airflow runs much quieter.
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Any fan replacement should be a ball bearing fan (more expensive)
Avoid sleeve bearings which are not meant to be mounted vertically.
most of the fans you find in these smaller formats are sleeve bearing. especially when shopping for price.
this was a recent discovery while doing fan research at lzx
“Sleeve bearing fans are more economical; however, it is not recommended that they are mounted in any position other than horizontal. Temperature is another consideration; if the temperature exceeds 70°C the fan will become inoperable. The lifetime of a sleeve bearing fan is often shorter than that of a ball bearing fan, however, if the temperatures are low within the application then similar lifetime expectancy can be achieved. So if the application generates low heat or has a short life span than a sleeve bearing fan can be considered.”
source: https://www.axair-fans.co.uk/news/sleeve-bearings-ball-bearings/
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@creatorlars Just received our TBC2 and the fan is not working. The fan spins freely when you touch it but it does come on or spin or blow air. What is the appropriate next step?
Write a email to lzx support
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@raster-fari Thanks for posting this.
Folks, take a look at your fan before buying a new one.
My TBC2 is s/n 196 and has a 5V fan and of course I bought a 12V fan. So I need to exchange it, no big deal.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071W6JZV8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
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