MD red blank screen - what’s wrong?

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

Hi guys and girls,

I recently started my MD (MK1 UW) again and it seemed to go all well, then I left on for a while, stepped out, returned and the screen was blank red.

Seems to function still well - i mean you still hear the sound, but it shows nothing on the screen. I turned if off and after about 10 minutes rebooting it, it showed again the proper splash screen and menu, but with a small unsteady flicker.

I assume the internal battery might be the reason and needs replacement, but I am not sure about it. Do you guys/girls have any possible reasoning for the described behavior? Any ideas? Anyone with similar experiences?

I checked the forum, but there was nothing conclusive. And yes, I made a Ticket, but it‘s holiday season and I do not expect a quick answer.

#2

If you feel confident, open the unit up and check to see if all the ribbon cables are seated properly.

The knobs can sometimes be difficult to get off (I use a teaspoon to lever them off!) and you’ll need a Torx screwdriver to take the faceplate off.

2 Likes
#3

Yeah, no worries to open it up. Did it already and exchanged the encoders. Can do check, if some connection is loose. I worry more about the battery change…i remember it was soldered on :confused:

#4

This seems the best course of action to me. My OT has had a similar problem twice and this fixed it both times.

I can’t see any reason to think that this would be a battery problem.

2 Likes
#5

I got the following answer from :3lektron: support (Thanks, Patrik):

"This is likely an internal cable that needs to be re-seated or has been slightly oxidized. If you have some experience with electronics, I would suggest that you open the unit up and press down on each connector on each PCB, or even better disconnect and re-seat them. ​

For a long term fix, we suggest de-oxidizing the connectors. This is something we can do at our workshop, but it might be easier for you to find a local technician that can do it."

…then let’s open up that thing and give it a thourough touch :smile:

1 Like