Unexpected loss of work on Octatrack (mk1, OS 1.30c)

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

I’ve been running Octatrack OS 1.30C for a little over a week now. Last night I turned on the machine and it seemed to take a little longer to go through the ‘loading files’ phase, but I didn’t really notice as I was turning on some other gear (Yamaha TG-33) at the time.

I noticed that it didn’t seem to pick up where I had left off earlier in the day. In fact, a whole bank was gone! This was new material that I had been working on after updating the OS (upgraded from 1.25E).

It seemed like it flashed back to the last time I did a big project save/sync, which was when I did the OS upgrade.

A bit scary of a thing. I don’t hit the ‘save project’ or ‘sync project’ area all that much, and I’m glad I didn’t lose months of work. Although I’ve recorded most of what I’ve done in this project and am getting ready to finally start a new one.

Anyone encountered something like this? Unfortunately I didn’t see if there was any error message when it was starting up, it just looked like something extra may have displayed out of the corner of my eye, but I can’t be sure.

Project Lost : So Disappointed
#2

If there was an error, there might be a log file on the Compact Flash card you can look at.

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#3

Hmm…
If you hit func+cue by accident it reloads the part, but your pattern data should still be there if that’s what happened. This has got me once or twice and the first time I definitely thought the OT did it.

You sure you didn’t reload the project?
Could you have been on a different bank than you thought and your missing bank is under another letter?

I believe some of the active state is saved in ram so maybe if that got messed it might try to reload from the saved state, but I’m just speculating. That’s never happened to me before though and we would hear about if it were happening to others, unless it’s new with the new OS, or its your battery connection or something.
Still I wouldn’t completely rule out user error yet until your absolutely sure…

#4

I’m going to check the Log file when I get home tonight. I remember seeing it last night when this put me in a “crap, I should start making backups!” panic and I connected the CF card to the computer (after this event had occurred).

I didn’t actively reload the project. I was just turning it on, and then turned on a connected device while the OT was starting up. I wonder if it got a weird energy spike from the TG-33’s MIDI? I don’t think I even held down any other buttons when turning it on.

This is a previously owned machine. Fairly new CF card though (purchased at same time as OT), with plenty of space available. So yeah, I’ll check the logs. Hopefully there’s something there. This is really strange.

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#5

Maybe there was a midi msg received from the second piece of gear that triggered an action on the OT? I’ve been burned by that before.

#6

Crud. Only log file was from when I first got the unit back in January 2017 and seems to be it logging that it couldn’t find any default presets. :frowning:

#7

I’d probably get your project in a state you like and save it, so it’s saved under the new OS…
Since sometimes I’m super ocd, I’d also do an empty reset to wipe the ram state and reinitiallize it under the new os, and then I would load that project again, all in that order…

This would make me feel comfortable that the ram was in a good state according to the new os, and that my project was loaded as saved by the latests os…

Then I would watch it like a hawk upon every power up, always making sure it’s where I left it…

These actions might be completely unnecessary, but they would make me feel comfortable that everything is in the correct state according to the new os…

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