[sdiy] [OT] Help with Alesis Ion repair

[Finlay Shakespeare]

Hi Michael,

I managed to get my Ion into such a state a few days after buying it when I 
tried to upload a new OS. No SysEx files would work = major panic that it 
was totally dead. I had exactly what you seem to get - the progress bar 
fills, then reports the corrupt code.

However, what did eventually work was me playing the SysEx file as a MIDI 
file through Cubase. You can download these files from the Yahoo group:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/alesis-ion/

They're under OS Updates in the Files section.

Hope it helps,
Finlay Shakespeare
www.futuresoundsystems.co.nr
www.soundlightservices.co.uk


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Michael O'Bannon" <mob at mindspring.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 3:04 PM
To: "synth diy" <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] [OT]  Help with Alesis Ion repair

> This is an Ion that came to me in "bricked" condition.  When you turn it 
> on it immediately shows this message: "bad os code found, please reload 
> code". Then it changes to another message: "ready to receive software".
>
> I tried to update the OS using the latest sys ex file from Alesis.  I've 
> tried both MidiOx and SendSX122, with the same results. The Ion shows the 
> bar graph with an increasing percentage as the download progresses, but 
> when finished it says "corrupt data found, please try again".
>
> I've tried slowing down the upload by increasing delays and decreasing 
> buffer sizes in MidiOx, but still no joy.  The Ion does not appear to 
> respond to the usual manner of gaining access to the boot loader (holding 
> down "a" and "d" keys during power on).  Holding down "page left" and 
> "page right" keys during power up doesn't do anything either.
>
> Is this permanent brain damage or simply contrariness?  Any ideas would be 
> greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Brain wave controlled synthesis....what is the frequency of brain waves, 
>> like 4 hertz?!?!
> Yes, brain waves are rather slow compared to audio.  They typically run 
> from 1 to about 40 Hz or so, altho there is interesting activity at higher 
> frequencies.  What I do is process them with a filter bank or FFT, track 
> specific dynamics and use those to trigger changes in compositional 
> algorithms or other parameters.  I've been using mostly soft synths in the 
> past but I'm a hardware guy at heart, having started on this path with 
> tube-based eeg machines and paper chart recorders.  I have some Doepfer 
> modules now, and I'm building a couple of Thomas Henry Mega-Percussive 
> boards, so I hope to be controlling analog sources soon.
>
> Thanks again,
> Michael
> _______________________________________________
> Synth-diy mailing list
> Synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> http://dropmix.xs4all.nl/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
>