MD turns off by itself

Um, first post here, be gentle! And apologies if I have missed a topic in the same issue below - I have tried to search, but couldn’t find anything on exactly this issue.

A few months ago I bough a used MK1 MD on a whim since the price were very good. It seems to have lived a bit of a rough life, but worked fine initially, and is definitely one of the most fun drum machines I have ever used. Sound amazing in it’s own way too.

Lately, however, it has started to turn off and switch on again by itself when I’m using it. Sometimes it happens after long times use, sometime after 15 minutes. Yesterday it happend while I was recording and not touching the machine at all. There are non of the hangs in start-up, I have found other writing about, it just turns off and on again.

This is of course greatly unsettling, and I am curious as to if anyone knows whether this is a known problem with the older units? And whether it sounds like trouble with the power supply or the machine itself? (I’m probably also asking whether it is something fixable, or I should start the hunt for a more stable machine, because I really really love my MD…)

I had this problem with OT. The power socket metal part was too loose. I lifted up with a little screw driver and it’s ok now. I hope it is the same for you! :+1:

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Oh, would be wonderful if it is something easy to fix! I am not the most technical guy, so sorry for perhaps a stupid question, but do you mean the pin in the middle of the hole where I stick the power supply, or something on the supply itself. And did you have to open the MD to do this?

Yep. No need to open. Small flat screw driver.

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Cool. Thanks for the help! :slightly_smiling_face: I’ll give it a go and hope it solves the issue!

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To be on the safe side I’d use something made of wood or plastic instead of a conductive thing like a screwdriver.

Conducting what, without power?

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electrifying beats :wink:

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Well, the deed is done, but I assumed the unit should be unplugged (a little difficult to get to the pin otherwise), so non too electrifying beats here yet. The power supply seems a little more snugly connected to the MD now but time will tell whether we’re talking placebo or the issue is actually solved.

I did manage a lovely problem free half hour of fun coaxing strange sounds from the PI-machines yesterday (love the PI-machines!), but probably need some more quality time with my MD before I know if the problem has gone away.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it works :crossed_fingers: and you guys posted here for further reference. Thanks again for the input!

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Ah sorry, I thought you meant (semi) permanently using a screwdriver to wedge the plug in place. Disregard.

Sounds promising, my fingers are crossed catbox!

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Hi I experienced similar issues with my MDUW MKI power on off so I found that the problem was the plug of the power supply. The problem Was very tricky… with micro movements the unit shut down. First revision the engineer at the repair shop can’t find the issue so I push this guy to go deeper and the plug was the problem or the shell so my MD Never fails since this. Hope you get a solution for the unit…

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I have this same problem. When I plug my non-UW Mk1 into a power strip it is extremely loose and floppy. The slightest movement and it comes undone and powers off. If I go into a wall unit it’s fine. Thinking about just buying a replacement power supply

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Think you’re very close to the problem I know it’s annoying playing live with this issue Shure this can kill the vibe, the gig, etc

Thank you for the input! :slight_smile: Sadly haven’t had enough time for my MD lately to conclude whether my fidling with the screwdriver have solved the issue for good, but if not, I will definitely look into changing the plug.

I’ve been considering the same, but have no ide where to get one of those. Do you have a clue?

I just did a duckduckgo search and people are selling some on ebay. Be very, very careful–MkI and MkII need two different power supplies. Plugging in the wrong one would potentially be disastrous.

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A search on Elektronauts turned up this topic:

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There’s tangs inside electrical outlets that grasp the plug ends and hold it, newer ones grasp the plug much tighter and they eventually wear out and grasp loosely. If it is snug in a wall outlet and not the power strip it makes me think it’s the grasps in the power strip, have you tried another?

Ghetto fix is to bend one of the plug ends so that it puts pressure laterally against the receptical and holds it tighter…

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Ah interesting… I’ve tried this on two power strips and multiple slots. I may ghetto fix it though :stuck_out_tongue:

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Hi again! For anyone with similar problems searching the forum, I thought I’d better give you the end of the story also, even if it’s a sort of non-ending. For a while, it seemed that the good advice of @sezare56 had fixed the problem, but after a while, it started again.

Now while I take good care of my gear, the MD was bought used, and has clearly lived a rough life, so even though most evidence pointed toward the PSU (which was taped together with gaffers tape in some places - not a good sign!) I chickened out, not trusting it’s stability and fearing other technical trouble further ahead, so ended up selling it (very cheap) to a guy who seemed to know how to fix it. And then I went to Malmö yesterday and bough a new one - a lovely mint mk2 - from a nice Swedish techno couple.

So sadly I can give no straight conclusions, besides that the problem probably can be fixed, if you have the technical knowhow - and in that case, more power to you! (And I am very happy with my new mk2 and my upgraded 64 steps!)