Midas MR18 Mixer No Microphone Preamp Signal - Ribbon Cable Connector Fix

I had an issue with my Midas MR18 where all 16 XLR microphone preamps showed zero input signal and no audio, even with maximum preamp gain. The 17/18 1/4" line inputs and all of my XLR outputs remained functional however, as did all of the networking and other functionality. I suspected this might be a ribbon connector since the problem seemed isolated to signal from the mic preamplifier section. I opened the case using T15 bits to remove the rubber end caps, T10 bits to remove the 14 screws securing the enclosure, and I found two ribbon connectors, one of which seemed loose and needed to be reseated. I removed and reseated both connections and pressed down hard on the black plastic clamps to secure the ribbon connectors. That fixed my problem and all mic preamps work again! Do yourself a favor and carry Torx T10 and T15 bits with you to remove these screws in case you need to do this on a job site. Here's a brief video of the process.

[mwb]

Just wanted to say thank you!! Received this mixer brand new yesterday, and had same issues out of the box. It must have had a wild ride on the FedEx truck. This got the inputs working again in 10 minutes.

[eco]

Yoow man. I can't believed that actually worked.
I'm using the MR18 as an interface in my studio and a few days now the mic pres weren't working at all. I've updated the firmware,
cleaned it and even ran a loopback from the out of a bus into one of the mic pre amps but nothing was working.
Man I'm so glad I came across your video. You literally saved my life. So I pray that God blesses everything you put your hands to from this day till He comes. God bless you bro and thank you for posting your video. It helped me so much

[sbrave]

Same for the Behringer XR18?
I have a 5 year old XR18 that just recently started showing signal on Ch9 with nothing connected. I sprayed compressed air, contact cleaner (not at the same time) and even left 48v on the channel overnight, and I still see the signal. It only goes away when I switch the channel to USB input. I can hear signal when I connect a mic if the gain is in the right range, so maybe it's not fried, but a bad connection somewhere. Someone else said it could be a ribbon cable (fingers x'd) I'm not sure if it would be the same one you were showing, but I'll try that first. Thanks!

Unfortunately, after reconnecting that white ribbon cable and a couple others, my problem still persists. Not sure where to go from here...

[John-divl]

Hello, brother. I wanted to express my gratitude for the helpful video – it worked perfectly for us. I've noticed we've encountered this issue multiple times, and I believe understanding the underlying reasons would be immensely beneficial for us. Could you please share the reasons behind this issue? Thank you once again for the informative content.