MD mk1 faulty UW - hangs on "cleaning flash" screen

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

Hi all!

Long time no see. I’ve got a client’s Mk1 MD in for repair, but I think it’s beyond my remit. The UW section simply doesn’t seem to work at all. If I perform a Soft Reset, I can access the RAM machines, but nothing plays back from anything I record in. Upon rebooting the machine, the startup then hangs on a “UW: Cleaning Flash” screen.

My customer tried getting in touch with Elektron, but was told that there was nothing they could do (which I find unusual…?)

Either way, any help would be much appreciated. I’ve tried reseating all internal connections, but to no avail. I’d love to look at the CPU board, but I can’t get the I/O board off - trying to loosen the jacks and it’s proving to be impossible.

Cheers!
Fin

1 Like
#2

Yeah what the heck,
who made the RAM?

Maybe just try triggering it as much as possible for a while, some minutes.
Trigs on all steps, change bpm, basically wiggle the digital ghoul out of the box…
or
Back up Data, do hard reset…

#3

i suggest restore the system

#4

i have no technical knowledge, but i have heard dying batteries could do weird things. did you check it?

#5

yes i would change the battery good point!

#6

Battery would be my first point of call.
Borrowed a buddies MK2 MM (no plus drive) that had a dead battery.
And MK1 Elektrons are much older than that.

Then again… the only effect of the dead battery was lack of remembering patterns and kits when powering down/up

Does it remember data when powering up?

1 Like
#7

Fellow old timer and I have not heard of this error message. That being said, have you searched the old forum for that message? Maybe there is something over there.

#8

you have to remove the i/o board and the CPU board both together, if it’s possible. the two unreachable nuts of the CPUB that are located under the IOB (near by the output jacks) can be losen by two screws that are located at the bottom (outside) of the casing. you have to detect them.

#9

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies! Both the customer and I have tried all the software resets possible, re-uploaded the OS, done everything I can think of to try and restore any in that world possible, so I’m down to thinking it must be the hardware at fault.

I’m doubtful that the battery is at fault as the rest of the unit works absolutely perfectly upon a Soft Reset. However, I may well give it ago. Who knows what the UW stuff does if it’s slightly under-voltage…

I’ve googled in various forms for the error message, but alas nothing’s come up (hi @Veets! :smiley: )

@MDMnM ah thank you, but the trouble I’m having is even in loosening the large nuts on the jacks themselves. Whenever I go to turn them, the jack starts turning with it. Obviously if I turn any more, the jack is going to rip apart from its chassis and then from the board.

Thanks all!
Fin

#10

the nuts are partly quite tigh, i’ve experienced that too, but managed somehow, just by pushing the plasric casing of the i/o jacks, that are soldered on the board, in the opposite direction while loosening the nut. the crackle noises weren’t as bad as i thought.