Policies and Frequently Asked Questions
How to book a Black Lion Audio Mod
- Browse the Mod Shop at https://mods.blacklionaudio.com
- Search for a modification for your equipment. Mods are sorted by manufacturer.
- Choose the desired Mod, quantity, and click “Book now.”
- You will be asked to select an available booking date for us to work on your mod. Choose an available date and click “Continue.”
- Enter your name and email address to confirm your booking. This will add the mod to your cart.
- Click the cart on the top right to check out and pay for your mod. Here, you’ll enter your contact details and payment info and choose your return shipping method. Fill out all of the required information and click Pay Now.
- You’ll receive an order confirmation email as well as a mod appointment confirmation email.
- Carefully pack your unit and ship it to:
Black Lion Audio
ATTN: Mod Department
1801 W Belle Plaine Ave #105
Chicago, IL 60613
Please ship your gear to arrive at our shop 1-2 business days prior to your scheduled Mod date.
Once the modification is complete, the Black Lion Audio team will email you tracking information for your return shipment.
Mod Shop Sales and Policies
Payment
We accept all forms of payment supported by Shopify.
Tips for safely packaging your hardware
Be sure to pack your gear well to avoid damage from bumps in shipping, and also to avoid any additional charges for BLA-supplied packaging materials. We recommend 2”–4” of protective materials all around your unit. We won’t be held liable for damage incurred during shipping.
Shipping to Black Lion Audio
Please ship your gear to arrive at our shop 1-2 business days prior to your scheduled Mod date.
Our address is:
Black Lion Audio
ATTN: Mod Department
1801 W Belle Plaine Ave #105
Chicago, IL 60613
- Shipping fees are not included in the mod price.
- We strongly advise insuring the shipment.
- Be sure to include your unit’s power supply.
- Return shipping will be via FedEx.
International Shipping to Black Lion Audio
We welcome international shipments! In fact, many of our international customers purchase interfaces online from U.S. retailers, then have them shipped directly to us with their names on the shipping labels (“c/o Black Lion Audio”).
In this scenario, the shipping form can be filled out digitally and emailed directly to us.
Turnaround Time
Our turnaround time on modifications is typically 10-14 business days from the scheduled Mod date. This does not include any unforeseen issues, the time it takes for final billing, or return shipping. We will contact you if we’re experiencing a longer-than-usual turnaround.
The turnaround time will be extended if your interface arrives later than the mod date, and there is no “rush” service.
Return Shipping
Shipping fees are not included in the mod price. You will be emailed a tracking number when your completed Mod ships.
For return shipping within the continental United States:
- Black Lion Audio pays for return shipping
- Shipped via FedEx
Return shipping outside the continental United States:
- Customer pays for return shipping
- Shipped via FedEx or UPS
- Can be shipped via USPS or DHL upon request
We cannot adjust invoices to help international shipments avoid import duties.
Mod Warranty
We extend a three-year warranty on defects in materials and workmanship for all Black Lion Audio modifications from the modification date. This does not cover user error, wear, tear, abuse, or OEM failures related to hardware, firmware, or software.
Should your B.L.A. modification experience any problems or failures during the warranty period, please contact Black Lion Audio to request an RMA form. Warranty repairs that don’t include a completed RMA form in the box cannot be processed. A receipt within the warranty window must be sent to us to claim warranty status.
We will cover the return shipping cost if we are notified of a failure within 30 days of you receiving it back. However, if we receive your RMA and are unable to replicate the issue in our shop, we will charge you for the full shipping cost, plus a “No Problem Found” fee of $75 for our diagnostics time.
Non-Warranty Mod Repairs
If a Mod is in need of a repair that isn’t covered by our warranty, please contact us to request an RMA form. Repairs that don’t include a completed RMA form in the box cannot be processed. We charge a nominal bench fee that covers most repairs. If the cost of a repair exceeds the bench fee, we will contact you.
If we receive your RMA and are unable to replicate the issue in our shop, we will charge you for shipping, plus a “No Problem Found” fee of $75 for our diagnostics time.
Rescheduling
If you need to reschedule your modification, please inform us as early as possible. We will do our best to accommodate the change but the rescheduled date will be dictated by openings on our mod calendar.
Please contact us with any changes you’d like to make.
Cancellations
We accept modification cancellations for up to two weeks prior to the scheduled modification date. If you need to cancel within two weeks of your scheduled date, there is a 15% cancellation fee of the payment amount.
Returns and Exchanges
Once something has been modified, there’s no going back. We are not able to offer returns or exchanges on modified equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the modification price include the interface itself?
The interface is not included in the mod price. Please purchase an interface to send in to us if you don’t own one already.
Does BLA send out loaner units or compensate me for downtime?
No, we do not send out loaner units, nor do we compensate you for downtime. Please plan your projects/gigs accordingly.
Do you do partial mods if I only want certain things modified?
Unfortunately, we do not offer partial mods or any kind of variance from the modifications that we offer on the website. It’s in the best interest of both customers and Black Lion Audio for our mods to provide a consistent experience, so we stick to our standardized mods.
Can you repair my gear without me getting a mod done?
No, we aren’t a repair shop, but there are many out there that might be able to take a look.
Can you repair my gear before I get a mod done?
No. Your unit must be in working order for us to perform a mod. Non- and partially-functional units will be returned without having a modification performed.
Can I get a refund or exchange if I don’t like how the mod sounds or need the money for something else?
Once something has been modified, there’s no going back. We are not able to offer returns or exchanges on modified equipment. We have had many high profile audio engineers recommend our modifications over the years and many talented, not-as-well-known engineers do the same, so please search the Internet and the Raves on each mod page before booking a mod!
Do you sell stock interfaces?
No, we aren’t a reseller. All interfaces are supplied to us by our customers.
Do you provide sound samples of your modifications?
We have done this in the past, and will consider doing it again in the future. However, finding or creating quality source material that isn’t or won’t be copyrighted is an issue, not to mention many people distrust manufacturers’ sound samples. It’s ideal to have an unrelated third party providing sound samples, many of which can already be found online! We have had many high profile audio engineers recommend our modifications over the years and many very talented, not-as-well-known engineers do the same. Please search the Internet and the Raves on each mod page before booking a mod!
Why don’t you publish pre- or post-mod specs?
The short answer is “the proof is in the pudding.” We heavily weigh our design decisions based on listening tests; how a unit specs is secondary. Specs can be incredibly misleading (i.e. how does a slight increase in THD+N actually affect the sound within a given context, and is that slight increase appropriate or not to the desired outcome) and easily manipulated (i.e. THD+N = .01% vs. THD+N = .02%, but at what bandwidth, at what amount of gain, etc).
For example: which sounds better? A well maintained and calibrated 2” tape machine, or the latest $200 “triple-awesome lightning bolt” interface? More than likely, the interface will spec much, much, better than the tape machine, but many a trained ear will pick the tape machine any day. We encourage everyone to use their ears, even if you already know how everything sounds based on spec sheets. You might come across some surprising examples of how the subjective experience of listening doesn’t align with the more objective readout of a spec sheet.
Can you add a feature to my interface, such as…
No, we aren’t able to add any features to interfaces, with a few exceptions (the Apollo Twin optical output is one). Most feature additions would take an incredible amount of design time and resources.
Will my software and other hardware still work after getting a mod done?
Yes, the functionality of your other hardware and software will not be affected by the modification.
I just got my Mod back, and it’s acting strangely. My setup is exactly the same as it was before I sent my unit in to be modified. What should I do?
First, please remove the interface from any patch bay if applicable. We have come across many incorrectly wired patch bays that went unnoticed until receiving a modified interface back and putting it through its paces.
Second, try defaulting the drivers, including any software mixers. If that doesn’t correct the issue, try reinstalling the drivers and/or DAW software. Over 90% of interface repairs that come into our shop end up being software issues on the host computer that were later solved by reinstalling the software.
Third, try using the interface on a different computer using a different cable to hook it up, if possible. We have come across a lot more computer hardware/software problems than actual interface problems, so trying it out on a different computer will shed light on the situation.
I bought a used interface, and the seller claims it’s modified by BLA. Is it modified
Unfortunately, we didn’t track mods or customers by serial number for a long time, but if you know the name of the original customer that received the mod, we can try and look them up in our records. Or, if you feel comfortable doing so, you can remove the top lid and take some detailed pics of the internal circuitry and email them to us to review, and we can tell you if it’s modded or not, and what type of mod it has. Just be careful when removing the screws, because they can strip pretty easily, and be sure to unplug the unit before doing anything!
Can you help me set up my hardware/software?
Unfortunately, between handling our modification schedule and manufacturing our own line of products, we just aren’t able to devote time to consultation questions regarding software or hardware setup/configuration for non-BLA products.
Can you do level calibration for my interface? I’ve noticed that if I record into it and into a different piece of gear, the levels differ.
Only in a few situations where the interface has calibration pots are we able to offer calibration services (for a fee). If your interface has calibration pots, please contact us to request that we calibrate it to your chosen level.
Please keep in mind, if you take a reference analog signal and go into a wide range of A/D converters, you’ll find that the level recorded into your DAW will differ. The same goes for outputs as well. This is because there is no standard level calibration between the analog and digital domains, not to mention the input and output impedance will vary from device to device.