Analog Four Stopped Making Sound

jo_seph · 2013-09-16T21:22:00.000Z

Hey kids,

I was jamming with the A4 the other day with a friend, and everything was working fine. Later at another friend’s place, I tried to set it up to jam again and it wasn’t making any sounds. I checked everything I could think of: cable, amp/PA, levels, filter settings, other parameters, global settings, etc. I checked out of the headphone jack and the main outs. When it was plugged into an amp with the volume at 10, I was able to hear some very quiet staticy sounds when I pushed buttons and I was able to very faintly hear a synth voice that I had an arpeggiator on, just barely.

Has anyone come across this or does anyone have any recommendations? I’ve already contacted Sweetwater and I’m planning to send it in (though I asked them to see if Elektron has any advice before I mail it). It’s still under warranty and I’m hopeful I’ll get it working again, but I figured I’d check here. If I can avoid having to send it in, that’d be ideal. Let me know!

Best,

jo(seph)

NRain · 2013-09-16T21:42:17.000Z

Are your track LED’s dimmed? Perhaps you have pressed Song+ Track Mute? Happened to me once.

jo_seph · 2013-09-16T22:27:25.000Z

I just tried that, no dice. My LEDs were at full strength. Though I’m curious now – what does that do? I can’t tell since my unit isn’t working…

Peoplemuver · 2013-09-16T22:42:12.000Z

That happens to me when i use the octatrack plug instead of the analog four. hopefully something as easy as that…

Herk · 2013-09-16T23:10:05.000Z

the same problem i had withe machinedrum dude!
the psu was the problem

jo_seph · 2013-09-17T15:23:31.000Z

My goodness, I have been using it with my Machinedrum, so I very well may have accidentally swapped the power cables! I was careful to keep track of them early on, but for some reason I convinced myself it didn’t matter. I’ll check that after work! Fingers crossed…

analoc · 2013-09-17T15:39:52.000Z

I had to calibrate the oscillators of the A4 before first use - there was nothing to be heard and I thought I might have a faulty machine.
Might want to try that one out.
Fingers crossed.

namnibor · 2013-09-17T20:29:27.000Z

""jo(seph)"":

My goodness, I have been using it with my Machinedrum, so I very well may have accidentally swapped the power cables! I was careful to keep track of them early on, but for some reason I convinced myself it didn’t matter. I’ll check that after work! Fingers crossed…

This may seem really crazy but I learned something from a pretty wise fellow synth-head when I was putting together my set-up three years ago, post-military.
He advised me to get a set of Sharpie Paint Pens or equivalent that have tip to write in a discerning manner, on each power supply name of instrument it belongs to both on the top of the PS and on side for this possible error aforementioned, and it comes in really handy in cable management when having to ultimately sort say a ground loop or issues that do come-up.
I know this sounds as basic as the wise use of power conditioners, especially when relying on House Power when playing out…but this has served me well and have even bought used synths where durable duct tape was still on power supply with label on tape of instrument.
Hope this helps even one person and hope your A4 recovers.

bluewolfse7en · 2013-09-17T22:13:44.000Z

I have RED electrical tape wrapped around the end of my A4 PSU connector & a square of tape on the back of the unit itself. You really don’t want to mix the A4 PSU up with the ones for the MD, MNM & OT!!!

jo_seph · 2013-09-17T23:23:09.000Z

Allelujah, it was the power supply! Everything is working fine again. These suckers are getting labeled and I am back in business! I will say, it’s peculiar that the MD worked with the A4 supply, but not vice versa. At any rate, I’ll consider myself lucky that nothing got fried! Phhewww… Thanks for the support, dudes!

July_in_Berlin · 2013-09-18T02:41:16.000Z

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After working on my a4 for about 20 minutes yesterday it gave me this weird message. Am I the only one that has gotten this message? I hope someone can help and give me some guidance because I’m about to freak out and am crossing my fingers so that it doesn’t turn out to be something really bad. Oh! And yes, it also stopped making any sound.

CarstenW · 2013-10-04T20:58:26.000Z

I just plugged my MD-UWII+ power supply into my A4 without noticing, and got no sounds. Checked the volume, reset the sound, nothing. Checked the headphones, and the jack converter, nothing. Then I realised that I had the wrong power supply, and my heart jumped straight out of my throat. I plugged the right one in, and the A4 started acting all weird, not resetting sounds properly, having effects on sounds which I know I never added. I kept trying to restart it, reset and change banks, etc., but eventually, simply playing the two patterns I have in there at the moment seems to have reset it and it is working again.

Knock on wood. I already have stickers on the power supply itself, but I am going to add ones at the end now too. May I never do this again, that was too scary!

plusn · 2013-10-05T05:37:14.000Z

[quote=““July in Berlin””]

image.jpg2048×820 293 KB

After working on my a4 for about 20 minutes yesterday it gave me this weird message. Am I the only one that has gotten this message? I hope someone can help and give me some guidance because I’m about to freak out and am crossing my fingers so that it doesn’t turn out to be something really bad. Oh! And yes, it also stopped making any sound.
[/quote]

[ol]
[li]Turn off A4.[/li]

[li]Hold Function button.[/li]

[li]Turn on A4.[/li]

[li]Try ‘1. Test Mode.’[/li]

[li]Try ‘4. OS update.’[/li]

[li]Try ‘2. Empty Reset’ - sorry, you will lose your patches.[/li]

[li]Try ‘3. Factory Reset’ - your patches gone already, so no loss.[/li]

[li]If a reset works, begin again, but do OS update.[/li]

[li]Still no luck? Email Elektron.[/li]
[/ol]

psicolor · 2013-10-05T09:57:45.000Z

Maybe you messed up the power suplies?
The analog circuits of the A4 need 12VDC, while the digital circuits seem to work with 6VDC as well (i accidently swapped A4 and OT power supply a while ago).

Cires78 · 2015-07-20T00:18:34.000Z

""jo(seph)"":

I just tried that, no dice. My LEDs were at full strength. Though I’m curious now – what does that do? I can’t tell since my unit isn’t working…

Doh! Thank youguys, I had the same problem.

plpicher · 2020-07-11T20:32:45.466Z

Now that’s useful. Worked for my AK.

plusn · 2021-10-13T04:32:27.650Z

Definitely contact support.