I need help repairing my x0xbox

[donnie666]

I have a xox that I recently built a new box for. I figured it would be an easy project since I was only changing the box and not really messing with any of the insides. Well once I finished the box and turned on my x0x I noticed that my notes no longer play in sequence. It should go C>C#>D>D#>E>F>F#>G>G#>A>A#>B>C'.....but what I now have is something like C>F>F#>G>G#>F>F#>G>G#>A>A#>B>C'. Basically I have no C#,D,D#, or E and when I put it on random it will only play one note. I would really appreciate some insight on how to fix this. I would even be willing to ship it out to be fixed as long as it is affordable. I really dont have any skill or training so I really need some help figuring this out. Please let me know if you can help me with repairs. I feel very lost at the moment, I just dont know what to do.

[MMM]

Sounds to me as if one of the data lines (or one bit) is bad. I guess it is always high.

Does this problem repeat itself all four notes or all eight notes? The way you describe it it sounds as if this is happening in the non-transposed octave but that wouldn't fit my theory.

[donnie666]

well forgive me if I cant explain this very well. I am not musically trained and it hard enough for me to figure this out by ear alone. non-transposed i get C>F>F#>G>G#>F>F#>G>G#>A>A#>B>C'. If I transpose up I get E>C#>D>D#>E>A>A#>B>C'>A>A#>B>C'. And as I am writing this, I am playing the keys to make sure I am giving you the correct info. Funny thing that is happening RIGHT NOW. The notes seems to be back in order. If this post just got confusing, you dont know the half of it. It literally just fixed itself as i am typing this. I am slightly relieved but still a bit nervous that I caught a glimpse of the future. Is my x0x about to die. wtf just happened and how/why did it just fix itslef?

[MMM]

First of all you shouldn't worry too much. Even if the problem should reappear it will probably be comparatively easy to fix.

Second, I'm still not completely sure about the issue. Let's compare this:

non-transposed:
C>F>F#>G>G#>F>F#>G>G#>A>A#>B>C'
transposed:
E>C#>D>D#>E>A>A#>B>C'>A>A#>B>C'

Both can't be right at the same time because the highest note of the non-transposed scale and the lowest note of the transposed scale are the same note and generated by the same pattern.
If the transposed version is right (which I assume because it fits my theory) the non-transposed version would go like this:

C>F>F#>G>G#>F>F#>G>G#>C#>D>D#>E (with the last four notes coming from the higher octave).

From a technical point of view it appears is if "bit 2" is always high; this could be either the result of a data line from the processor to IC9 being always high (in which case it may be a processor problem) or a problem in IC9 itself. This should not be too difficult to find out if the problem appears again.

Just monitor the situation a bit; you can also contact me by private message if the problem appears again.

[donnie666]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to help me out. Like I said before, I am just guessing as to what notes are actually playing. I cant play by ear so its hard to know what note im actually hearing. I just know that C#-E produced the same sound as F-G# and while I was trying to deduce the changes after transposing up/down it just seemed to fix itself. I will keep you posted on any changes. I will say however that the random function is still only repeating one note. thats not really a bother but it does worry me.

[MMM]

I will say however that the random function is still only repeating one note. thats not really a bother but it does worry me.

It's certainly not the way it is intended to work; however I believe that certain firmware variants did not feature the random functionality?

Anyway, get back to us if the problem with the wrong notes reappears and I'll help you diagnose (and hopefully fix!) the fault.

[antto]

try reflashing the firmware

[donnie666]

so the problem came back. not sure what is causing this. i just turned it on and the notes were all screwy again. the same as stated above. I did try reflashing the firmware. no luck. I am using sokkOS 1.7.

[MMM]

so the problem came back. not sure what is causing this.

So let's try to get to the bottom of the issue. I need you to run a few tests; right now there is no real measuring required.

non-transposed range:
Play all the notes. Is there a "jump" in frequency between G# and A?

transposed down:
Play low C and C#. Is there a "jump" in frequency? If so, is it upward or downward?

complete range (from transposed down to non transposed to transposed up to transpose up twice):
Play all notes sequentially. If there are jumps: Is there are pattern recognizable after the first jump (like: after a group of four notes there's a jump)?

[donnie666]

http://soundcloud.com/complex-systems/transposed-down
http://soundcloud.com/complex-systems/non-transposed
http://soundcloud.com/complex-systems/t ... ed-up-once
http://soundcloud.com/complex-systems/t ... d-up-twice

transposed down and transposed up once seem to have the same pattern.
non transposed and transposed up twice also seem to have the same pattern.

[MMM]

OK, problem is clear: bit2 (or its line) is missing completely here; the pattern repeats after four notes. Now we need to find out where this happens. Could be IC9; could be the processor, could be one of the traces between processor and IC9 or the trace between IC9 and the resistor.
It's also possible that there is a cold solder joint which could be responsible for this; and by installing the PCB into a new box you very slightly bent it and so this solder joint make only intermittent contact. Or one of the traces may have a very small fissure that now has opened. But all in all it's a problem that can be tracked down to two IC's and their connections.

Do you have a multimeter and know how to use it? Can you solder?

[donnie666]

I wont lie, Ive never attempted anything like this before. I am however willing to learn. I do have a soldering iron. my father may have a multimeter and he can show me how to use it but he is an auto mechanic, electronics aren't really his fortay so some extra resources/schematics would really help. I can take photos of the inside of my xox and upload em. maybe you can help know what to look for. i looked inside and i can see ic9. i dont know what the processor looks like or the resistor. i apologize for my noobishness.

[donnie666]

so I opened my box and just pushed a little on ic9, just a little pressure. turned on the xox and played through the keyboard. all notes played in order but random still only plays one note repeating. I dont want to say that its fixed but i think we can say that ic9 is a problem.

[antto]

i'd say ignore Random mode for now, if Pattern Edit and Pattern Play works correctly (you have patterns playing normally) then it's fine

"Random Mode" originally wasn't very random, and it was also removed from some OSes (some versions of sokkos specifically)