OT freezes after inserting CF

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi,

I have the OT since two months or so, and I love it, I think is a really great “creativity booster” sampler.

But two days ago I was using it at home and suddenly it stopped making sound. I wasn’t touching any of the controls, as in that moment I was using the MacBook (programming a bit reduction patch in the micromodular to process the cue outputs of the OT). It just went silent and when I looked to see what happened, the knobs and buttons didn’t work, the screen was static and the tempo LED was off (OT is configured as MIDI clock master).

After powering off and on again several times the situation was the same: the Octatrack animation goes on and then nothing works. I extracted the CF card and started Demo Mode, where everything works just fine: all buttons, knobs, audio outputs, etc… If I insert the card while in demo mode it freezes again.

I tried TESTMODE in the Early Startup Menu, and everything is diagnosed as OK, including ATA but if I start normally nothing works.

CF data seemed to be corrupted, as I inserted it into the reader and the Mac wasn’t capable of reading it, so I formatted it (no, I DIDN’T have a backup, although I had only a few sketches until now…). I also tried with another 8 GB CF with no results. The card I was using was a 16GB Kingston ultimate 266x, and the second one a SiliconDrive II from SILICON Systems (industrial grade).

The problem happened with firmware version 1.25B, but I also upgraded to 1.25D via MIDI and nothing changed.

I’m pretty desperate right now, and the confidence with the machine is pretty low. I mean, I switched to hardware again to avoid this kind of problems and to power on my machines and start making music, and now this? My idea was to turn this into a live setup but, what would I’ve done if this happened in a live situation?

Also, I wrote Elektron two days ago describing the issue and I haven’t had a response, even an automatic one, and obviously I don’t expect it 'til monday. So, at least 5 days with the machine unusable, plus the time to send it (it’s still in warranty) to repair if needed. I’m guessing I won’t be able to use it in 2014 anymore…

Somebody else has had a similar issue? Any suggestions?

#2

Make sure the card is inserted before you switch on the OT…
It does sound like something to do with the card.
I had trouble with mine until I reformatted on the pc and then again inside the OT. Has been fine since.
The fact you can get demo mode is a good sign.

#3

Looks like a Card or bent pin problem. Did you check inside the card reader if all pins are okay ? If so, you should try an usb card reader to check if it works, and format it after saving its content.

#4

Thank you very much for your answers.

Yeah, no bent pins and no difference between powering on with or without the CF inserted. As soon as the OT tries to access it the Card Status goes green and everything freezes no matter what.

I’ve formatted both CF cards in FAT32 filesystem (with a Windows virtual machine within MacOSX but I’m sure that works) without results.

I’m also almost sure that it’s CF related but I’m thinking more of a reader problem, since the cards are formatted and recognized by computers now.

Will try to format them again, though.

Thanks again! :wink:

PS: since I used Demo Mode for the first time, now it shows the Demo Mode logo everytime I power it up, is that normal? I had never used it before this.

#5

I had a similar problem recently, OT would freeze with the CF inserted. I have a USB CF reader and was able to load the card on my computer no problem, dump all the files and reformat it, check for disk errors etc. but the OT would still freeze with the card inserted. Put in another card and no problem. Have you tried another card?

#6

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you sort it out. Is the CF card the included Kingston 16gb or is it another brand?

Demo mode will be active until an projects loads from your card. If not loaded despite inserting CF card it will have the demo mode active in next startup.

#7

I bought an 800x 16GB Lexar Professional yesterday (49€, dammit!), and the first time I inserted it I had the same result, but after reading it from the computer to see if the card was ok and inserting it again on the OT, it’s back to work again. I don’t know what happened or why, and I’m afraid to test the damaged card again, my confidence in this machine has been reduced to its minimum… :frowning: I’ll give it another chance, but if this happens again I’m suppose I will go back to an MPC and do the Octatrack-ish work in Ableton.

As a result of this experience, the sketches that I had into the CF until last week have been lost (I tried to make an image backup of the card before formatting it, but I’m afraid that data was corrupted…). That was my “learning” work into the OT so nothing really critical, but learning with this machine it’s possible to achieve really great sounds and ideas and it’s a shame to lose them.

@miketheman yes, it was the 16GB Kingston 266x that came with the OT.

So guys, nothing new but: ALWAYS make backup…

#8

…and of course, thanks a lot to all of you for your help! :wink:

1 Like
#9

I remember from a previous new octatrack i had (i bought it new many times lol) the kensington card that came with it froze the octatrack every time i inserted it. A sandisk extreme 16go 400x solved the issue, and Elektron sent me a new kensington one i never bothered with for serious work.

#10

this happened to me recently, but not ‘at random’. probably totally different issue than you, but in case someone searches for frozen OT here’s what my issue was and resolved:

i bought a brand new 64 GB card (1066x), and when the OT booted up with the card inserted it would freeze.

if i put in my other card, booted fine. if i then swapped out cards to the 64 GB, it froze.

so definitely try another CF card and maybe replace it.

not sure what was not compatible with the new card (KOMPUTER BAY, 64 GB, 1066x, UDMA7).

i ordered a different one and works great: TRANSCEND, 64 GB, 400x).

#11

Don’t be put off.
For whatever reason, the OT seems picky about cards.
The card the OT comes with is a Kingston. I have found Kingston PC memory to be very good but their SSD’s are horribly unreliable. I imagine the flash cards are the same.

Like Shoki I now use a Sandisk Extreme. I have removed it and gone into demo mode and then back to normal multiple times without a single glitch.

Reading thru the posts it’s starting to seem like a formatting issue.
Possibly the use of a good formatting tool might be in order for different OT cards.
Don’t know what the Mac is like but Windows built in formatting utility is fairly crap.

#12

I have heard that insanity is trying the same thing again and expecting different results…

Anyways, CF cards are not cheap nor easy to sell again, so I tried making it work four times. The last time, the OT was not frozen anymore but claimed that the card was “wrong”. I then proceeded to format it using the OT itself. Now it seems to be working.

edit: now it went back to not working
edit 2: now is not working again. It seems this card is not OT compatible. The CF card is the SanDisk 128 GB Extreme CompactFlash Memory Card.

#13

This is happening to me with my new OT, first night of using it. Everything freezes when the card is in, same card that came with it, a Sandisk. Could it be the reader hardware?! Demo mode works when no card is present. Any known fixes please?