echoplex weirdness

[James Reynolds <tritone@dsp.com>]

hi all, i'm new to the list, and just got my echoplex the other day (i've
been using a jamperson for a while).  it's quite keen, but i'm experiencing
some weirdness with it, and i was wondering if anyone could tell me if it's
normal or if i got a bad unit (i'm tired of bonding with the answering
machine at oberheim tech support).  if there's a FAQ that answers my
questions, i would appreciate it if someone would direct me to it.

does anyone else's plex produce unpleasant clicks and pops when reversing a
loop?  the more i reverse and re-reverse, the more clicks get added to the
signal.

also, my unit seems inordinately noisy, even with a healthy signal level
(the playback is much noisier than the direct sound).  normal?  i left a
space below it in my rack for ventilation, so i don't think it's 
overheating.

finally, a couple questions about memory upgrading.  parity or non?  is 
60ns
preferable to 70?  also, someone told me i should get "low-noise" chips for
my echoplex.  what the heck are low-noise simms?  anyone know the "chip
merchant" (www.thechipmerchant.com) part number?

i will be forever indebted to anyone who bestows their knowledge upon me...

james