Machinedrum SPS-1 MKI Failed OS Update

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
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Just submitted a support ticket to Elektron, but also wanted to post here for help from the community. I am pretty torn up over this entire situation, feel like it was preventable, etc. Trying not to be hard on myself. My support ticket to Elektron reads:

" Hello. Last week i had the pleasure of purchasing secondhand a Machinedrum SPS-1 MKI. Yesterday, i attempted to update the OS from 1.19 (or something low like that, definitely 1.1X) to 1.63. I used C6, i sent the Sysex file provided on Machinedrum support page using a Scarlett 18i20 audio interface midi out port to the Machinedrum MIDI in. Everything seemed to go well at first, the progress bar was done on my computer, and the Machinedrum was showing the Elektron logo splash screen with the new OS 1.63 in the bottom right hand corner. The progress bar seemed to get stuck on step 15/16 (all lights lit up except 16). At that point (about 15 minutes) I then turned the unit off and powered back on. The same Elektron logo splash screen appeared but this time with speckled black pixels. I turned it off again and this time the screen turned on with jumbled black pixels. I am not able to use FUNC to enter the early start menu. When i power the unit on, All LEDs are lit up, and the screen is backlit with black pixels. I am not sure where to go from here, and I’m obviously worried i somehow bricked my unit during the OS update. Incredibly devastated by this as i know the MKI’s are no longer serviceable by Elektron. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. "

I understand the most foolish part of this whole thing was powering off when the progress showed 15/16 steps lit up after 15 minutes. I was about to head to work anyway, i should have let it sit all day and let it run its course. But that’s not what happened and i cant go back and change that now. All i can do is hope you lovely folks have any advice for me or next steps to get the unit unbricked. If i can somehow get to the early start menu and re attempt the update i want to believe i can bring it back to life. Otherwise my exciting new piece of gear is DOA after 9 days of ownership.

Any help is much appreciated, thanks you guys.

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If I was in your position, I would open it up remove the battery for a second, put it back in, and try to boot again. It’s not a solution, only something to try. You will lose data by doing so, FYI.

THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTION; DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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thanks for the suggestion - i actually realized this is the one troubleshooting method i haven’t been able to try due to the fact that my battery is soldered to the board. so gotta get someone to desolder it first, and maybe see if Elektron support will sell me a battery clip (or source that part myself) … seems to be my last ditch effort. i do know for a fact that the battery has never been replaced, not by the previous owner and i’d assume not by whoever he bought it from. Which means the battery soldered to the board is at least 19 years old. i never saw a low battery indication, however…

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To double check, the machine does not go to the early start menu when you hold FUNC, right? It’s not that it seems to not go into early start menu because you cannot see that screen? If it’s the latter, try to boot up to with FUNC held, assume that it worked and the menu is loaded even if you can’t see it, and press Trig 2 to factory reset it. Fingers crossed…

I don’t think nor know if there’s an issue with the battery per se or if a battery can cause this, maybe it needs to be replaced, maybe not. I considered removing it and putting it back on simply as a way to reset that machine in some way.

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I have done a little bit of testing with the assumption that the early start menu could be running in the background - like trying to resend the OS update - and i haven’t had any luck. LEDs stay lit up with no change in activity. I’ll attempt some more testing though to be fully sure.