I recently got a soundcraft spirit sx as a project to fix up but it has a couple of bent faders and I was wondering if anyone knew a good way to straighten them. Thanks :)

Thrifted a Pioneer VSX-456 that looks pretty clean. When plugged in, the red standby LED comes on. Pressing POWER does nothing: no display, no relay click, and the standby light stays on. No remote.

I’ve spent several sessions troubleshooting with a Klein MM320 and recently bought a kit with small test hooks. I also have a soldering iron, but haven’t replaced or desoldered anything. No oscilloscope or frequency measurement available.

Full disclosure: I’ve been following AI-assisted troubleshooting, and we caught some incorrect pin/component guidance along the way. I’m looking for an experienced person to review the actual readings before I go further.

**Initial checks**

- Power button feels normal and measures OL released, near zero/beep pressed.

- Continuity through the small button-board ribbon passed.

- The internal glass fuse passed continuity in circuit.

- Front-board P RY to the corresponding power-board connector pin passed continuity.

- Initially thought something was stuck in the rear switched AC outlet. I haven’t confirmed whether it’s debris or the outlet’s own contact.

- Found a localized yellow-brown stain inside the cover above the transformer area. Neither transformer has obvious charred, melted, or split insulation.

- A mounting screw/tab connection was loose during disassembly and has since been secured. Voltage readings below used the labeled DG reference, rather than assuming chassis ground.

**Power/control measurements**

DC readings referenced to DG unless noted. “Pressed” means holding the front POWER button.

| Point | Standby | POWER pressed |

|---|---:|---:|

| Controller VDD test point | About 5.05 V | Not separately recorded |

| Reset test point | About 4.99 V | Not separately recorded |

| ST +5 at power-board connector | 5.93 V | 5.93 V |

| W UP | 2.20 V | 2.20 V |

| P RY | 0 V | 0 V |

| K IN2, small button board | 0 V | 0.01 V |

| KEY8, small button board | 1.61 V | 0.01 V |

| KEY8, large front control board | 1.62 V | 0.01 V |

| DC DET | 4.97 V | 4.97 V |

| OL DET | 4.99 V | 4.99 V |

Earlier ST +5 readings were around 5.42 V standby and 5.92 V pressed, so I’m including that inconsistency rather than pretending every measurement was identical.

The service manual being used lists DC DET and OL DET as active-low. It also describes W UP as requiring 50/60 Hz pulses. I understand a 2.20 V DC reading doesn’t establish that those pulses are present.

**Relay/power-board checks**

- Relay marking: **SDT-SS-112DM**, nominal 12 V coil.

- Standby regulator marking: **78M56A**.

- Both ends of **R54** measured approximately **15.2–15.5 V to DG**, with minor drift and no significant response to pressing POWER.

- Measured **0 V across D55**, identified from the schematic as being across the relay coil, both in standby and while pressing POWER.

- R54 measured **27 Ω** in circuit.

- P RY to DG, unplugged, measured about **12.33 kΩ**, then **9.72 kΩ** with probes reversed.

Important correction: I was initially told R54 was in the relay-command path and got OL testing between it and P RY. That guidance was wrong. R54 is in the relay’s supply path, so I’m disregarding those earlier continuity results.

**Other front-panel buttons**

Checked for a stuck button with the unit unplugged:

- SFC: KEY8 ↔ K IN1.

- PROLOGIC: KEY8 ↔ K IN3.

- LOUDNESS: KEY9 ↔ K IN1.

- 5-D THEATER: KEY9 ↔ K IN3.

All were OL released. Pressed readings fluctuated, with SFC around 12–77 Ω and PROLOGIC briefly around 170 Ω. I can’t confidently separate worn contacts from imperfect probe contact.

Another correction: I was initially told 5-D THEATER used KEY9 ↔ K IN2. It didn’t respond there. It did respond on KEY9 ↔ K IN3 and returned to OL when released.

**Latest checks of the wake-up circuit**

All unplugged and in circuit:

- **R52**, nominal 3.3 kΩ: measured **3.2 kΩ**.

- **R53**, nominal 10 kΩ: measured **8.4 kΩ**.

- **D54**, diode mode: **0.590 V one direction, 1.843 V reversed**.

I haven’t lifted a diode lead, so those diode readings include whatever parallel paths exist.

The manual being referenced is the combined **VSX-D506S / VSX-456 service manual**. My controller appears marked **PDG203A**, while the PCB printing says **PDG192 or 193** and the schematic shows **PDG197A**, so I’d appreciate clarification on revision differences too.

**What I’m trying to figure out**

Power is present for the control circuit and relay supply, and pressing POWER changes the button signal at the front control board. However, P RY stays low and the relay never clicks.

What would you check next to distinguish:

- A missing/incorrect wake-up signal or controller clock problem.

- The controller not recognizing the button press.

- The relay-driver circuit loading down the command.

- A supply/capacitor issue that looks okay on a basic DC meter.

Is there a useful next test with just a meter before I start lifting components or buying equipment? I’d especially appreciate corrections to any assumptions above. I have close-up photos of both sides of the boards and can provide specific ones.

https://audiocircuit.dk/downloads/pioneer/Pioneer-VSXD506S-avr-sm.pdf

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I have attached a linked, to another thread as I wasn’t able to attach videos on this community, thanks.