Monomachine buggy

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-14T17:41:20.338Z

Hey people,

My Monomachine is buggy very often.

Most of the time I’m assuming user error at first, but after trying to figure it out unsuccesfully i sometimes just turn it off and back on again, and then it works.

Is that normal? Has anyone similar experiences? And how could i fix this? Would re-loading the firmware help?

Thank you.

obscurerobot · 2022-12-14T17:42:46.823Z

elgenkeep.Stelling:

My Monomachine is buggy very often.

Can you provide a specific example?

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-14T18:40:00.993Z

For example not responding to External Clock, but letting it through…

thermionic · 2022-12-14T18:44:03.923Z

So it doesn’t sync to clock until you restart the device?

Does it stop responding to transport or tempo changes mid-jam?

obscurerobot · 2022-12-14T18:47:39.961Z

image4032×3024 2.68 MB

image4032×3024 3.26 MB

Do you have Temp Sync set to Ext MIDI Clk?

FWIW, my MnM has been extremely solid since I bought it in new in late 2014.

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T10:22:44.593Z

Yes, Temp Sync was set to Ext MIDI Clk the whole time.

@thermionic Usually it starts/stops the pattern and sets the BPM to external like it should, but yesterday i had to restart the device… I’ll have to check if it’s responding to transport or tempo changes the next time it behaves like that. But i can imagine that it won’t because the BPM was not showing “external”…

I will post other bugs, which might happen in the future here aswell.

Thank you very much!

guga · 2022-12-15T11:23:34.706Z

is the MIDI clock coming from one device and going straight into the MM or is it coming from chained machines or is the machine sending the clock, sending only clock and doing it properly? maybe there’s something else causing the issue…

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T17:11:12.499Z

Clock/Start/Stop is coming from Ableton through the Octatrack into the Mono, out of the Mono into the Machinedrum. Don’t know if it’s really something else, cause hitting the spacebar starts ableton, the ocatrack and the Machinedrum as well…

the_duckchild · 2022-12-15T17:18:33.978Z

this thread is much less about a VW Beetle converted for beat making and beach driving than I had hoped.

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T17:35:14.136Z

lol feeling kinda bad now

obscurerobot · 2022-12-15T17:46:43.661Z

elgenkeep.Stelling:

I will post other bugs, which might happen in the future here aswell.

If you have the tools and are comfortable working with static-sensitive devices you could try opening up the MnM and gently and carefully reseating all ribbon cables. That often fixes “flakey” digital synth problems.

Patience is required to gently remove all the screws, keep track of them, and put them back in place. Avoid carpet & synthetic clothing to keep the static down. If you have a friend who has successfully built a lot of PCs or repairs phones, offer them a six pack of their favorite beer or a few fancy espresso drinks and they may do it for you.

Edit: if you need help, let your friend know that the MnM is worth $3500 or so, and isn’t some weird old thrift store find.

thermionic · 2022-12-15T18:08:56.199Z

elgenkeep.Stelling:

Clock/Start/Stop is coming from Ableton through the Octatrack into the Mono

As with any of these problems, the next step of isolation is to go direct to the MnM and see if this goes away and we can progress

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T18:36:52.267Z

It went already away after i turned it off and back on again - but i will check if it’s going to happen again

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T18:38:54.512Z

Thanks, i will - if it is acting weird in the future.

And yeah, haha, i will make sure that the person knows the price of the MnM!

So, re-loading the firmware wouldn’t help in any case?

Thanks y’all!

obscurerobot · 2022-12-15T18:45:37.291Z

elgenkeep.Stelling:

So, re-loading the firmware wouldn’t help in any case?

I would worry about the flakiness interrupting your firmware update. If your firmware worked well in the past it should still be good today. Code doesn’t go bad without an underlying hardware problem. Flash memory made in the last 30 years should be extremely reliable. Electrical problems could be caused by bad electrical connections between PCBs or dying capacitors. Reseating cables is an easy fix that requires minimal skill / tooling. Recapping the PCBs requires significantly more skill and effort. Another possibility is that the battery needs replacement.

I would prioritize:

follow @thermionic’s testing advice for now, removing other devices from the chain to narrow the problem down
Reseat internal cables
Before you do the cables, find out what kind of battery the MnM has and have one on hand so you can replace it when it is open for the cable reseat
If all else fails, hire a tech who can evaluate and replace capacitors

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-15T18:54:44.055Z

okay, thank you very much!

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-17T14:43:13.331Z

Another thing: If the Mono is set to ext midi clk and i’m using the delay i get artefacts like crazyyy.
Same thing wether clock is coming from ableton or the OT. That also happens when the mono is set to ext midi clk but i start it via pressing the playbutton on it anyway (instead of pressing the spacebar or play on the OT).

Have someone else experienced this? I know that an unstable midi clk could be the reason for this and it seems like clock is sent anyway, even if ableton/OT is paused?

Does that mean that the MIDI clock of the OT is unstable too? Or is it another bug of (my?) MnM?
Or is the Monomachine unable to receive clock if i want to use the delay (and do not want to have crazy artefacts) or is the clock from the octatrack shitty like the clock from ableton is?!

vestibule · 2022-12-17T16:10:48.025Z

Weird. My MnM is always following the clock from Live and I haven’t noticed any artifacts. Can you post an example?

elgenkeep.Stelling · 2022-12-17T17:21:05.104Z

damn. i’m happy for you, but it seems more and more that my MnM is damaged in some way and i don’t know how to find out what it is and how to fix it and that fucks my up big time.

i also don’t know anyone who is able to open it and reseat all ribbon cables or something like @obscurerobot suggested

Don’t know if an example is necessary actually, if you say that you haven’t noticed any artefacts it’s clear that mine is acting weird. If i set it to internal clock the delay is running as it should, if i set it to external midi clk there are hearable artefacs immediatly…

thermionic · 2022-12-17T17:26:19.751Z

Can you give example of the patch with “normal delay”, and another with the same patch externally clocked?

elgenkeep.Stelling:

is the clock from the octatrack shitty like the clock from ableton is?!

Clock from Ableton shouldn’t be that bad with any reasonable interface, not for interacting with just one device and recording into a channel that’s not being previewed at the time.