Went to switch my MD SPS-1 UW on for the first time in a long time the other day, and it’s bricked
Just no response at all. Not sure if it’s internal to the MD or the power supply. it’s a little dusty but otherwise has been in a stable environment.
Can I try other Elektron PSUs with it? I also have an OT and A4 (mk1 for both). Failing that I can buy a replacement PSU as discussed in many threads here, but I’m not sure what to do if it’s not the PSU. I’m reluctant to open it up in case I damage the knob stems or so, and don’t want to do any kind of soldering. Would I have to send it back to Elektron or are there dealers who will handle repairs? I’m in California.
Hi, that sucks, sorry to hear it. If you don’t want to work on it yourself, you’ll need to find a tech. Elektron themselves have stated they are only doing limited service to mkII MDs at this point and parts are extremely limited. You can buy another power supply on Amazon or something but make sure it’s correct for your model, not just any MD. If you have a mkI UW then I think it’s 6V AC and if you plug in your 6V DC octatrack psu bad things may happen. If it’s a mkII MD then you could try the OT power supply as it should be similar enough.
If you want to open it up there are things you can do without soldering that are pretty simple which might help but it depends on what’s actually wrong. First off, make sure you did not accidentally plug another psu into it and that’s why it didn’t turn on, also give it a sniff and see if there’s a faint odor of burnt electronics which is a pretty distinct smell. If the MD or the psu smells like that, then I might get a tech to check it out rather than messing with it too much.
Other than that, most advice is going to involve opening the device. Hope that helps. Good luck.
Thanks everyone! I have a Mk1 so I am going to try with a replacement power supply first. I don’t think it’s a loose connection as it hasn’t been moved in several years, and so I was pretty surprised when it did not turn on.
I guess the other possibility is a fuse, which I could replace myself, but I would prefer not to open it up if I can avoid it. However I kind of doubt this because there was no electrical activity at all, whereas my experience with a blown fuse is that you know ‘something’ has happened.
Hey, just so you know there’s also a battery inside the UW models, like a coin battery, for backup memory and I don’t know what happens when it dies, but the problem could be something other than the psu. If you have a multimeter or can talk to a friend who might have one, it would be good to check the power supply before you pay for another one.
Regarding loose connections, it’s more like an issue with machinedrums that sometimes if you unplug and then re-seat the ribbon cables, it can help with weird errors and similar issues, but to bring it back from fully dead? idk. It’s a common thing that people try when troubleshooting though.
Maybe someone can confirm if it just throws an error or what happens when the coin cell battery dies, I don’t know specifically but it’s something that comes to mind because you said it sat for hella long. Anyways, just don’t want you to waste money if the power supply is fine.
The 6V DC octatrack mkI power supply is definitely not compatible though.
Is the current psu getting hot when plugged in? Yes, probably working. No, maybe not working, but a solvable result.
A multimeter across the connector would tell all.
When you flick the rocker does it feel like it’s catching or does it feel a bit soft. Failed rocker switch would be the next best outcome. Easy to replace.
Anything after this is a bit more sinister….
Good luck and keep us informed!
As a mk1 user myself every session I’m wondering if this will be the final leap…
That’s a good point about the oxidation J. It’s been off for a while.
The power supply is stone cold, which actually makes me optimistic. I think I have a multimeter somewhere, I’ll dig it out to check…but a fresh power supply is not a big expense. Luckily the switch and everything else feels normal.
