The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x. When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...

I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while pressing the num keys without any luck...

You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Jonas

Yes,


Throw it to my garden. :)


Razvan



________________________________
From: joohlund <ohlund.jonas@...>
To: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 5, 2012 5:08 PM
Subject: [AN1x] Help!! Replaced the battery and now nothing works... (AN1x)


 
My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x. When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...

I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while pressing the num keys without any luck...

You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Jonas




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello Jonas
Before you give up. Try pulling and reseting the small board that sits up on the two white posts. Mine developed a horrible output noise problem in shipping. This simple reseting of the board fixed my problem! There is a Youtube called AN1X fix (or something like that) that shows it.  
Dowd B. in Dallas Tx.

--- On Thu, 7/5/12, joohlund <ohlund.jonas@...> wrote:

From: joohlund <ohlund.jonas@...>
Subject: [AN1x] Help!! Replaced the battery and now nothing works... (AN1x)
To: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, July 5, 2012, 2:08 PM
















 









My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x. When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...



I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while pressing the num keys without any luck...



You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!

Thanks in advance.



Regards,

Jonas



























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Have you tried running the AN1x temporarily without any battery installed(?), maybe you could try that. Are you sure the battery is installed the right way? Sorry if the last question feels stupid but it can happen. :) When you try the factory reset, you are holding the buttons (numeric 7,8,9) before you start the synth yes?

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "joohlund" <ohlund.jonas@...> wrote:
>
> My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x. When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...
>
> I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while pressing the num keys without any luck...
>
> You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Jonas
>

I don't know if my message got stuck somewhere, but try starting it without the backup battery, and also when you try the factory reset, you are keeping the buttons 7,8 and 9 down before you turn on the synth right?

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "joohlund" <ohlund.jonas@...> wrote:
>
> My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x. When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...
>
> I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while pressing the num keys without any luck...
>
> You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Jonas
>

Hi Jonas !
First, are you sure of your new battery ? Check it with a voltmeter, it
could be a bad one ("new" old stock...) . With no load the voltage must
be at least 3,3 V, is it the right model (CR 2450) if i remember well.

> Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I
> hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...

Of course, and i don't think it's a fatal issue.
You've checked all the connectors, cables, ribbons and so on ? Good idea
but if your synth performed well before the battery replacement i don't
think it could be a problem, unless you've done something wrong during
the operation...
What i would do if it was mine :

* remove the battery, power it up and try to perform the full factory
reset . It works ? Then the cause is the new battery ... or
* with the synth open, the power OFF (important, to be completely sure
remove the power supply) do a momentary short circuit (yes !)
between both sides + and minus of the battery socket (it has been
removed, remember !), it will completely reset the static RAM where
the patches are stored. There is a lot of capacitors inside the
AN1x, the RAM itself could be considered as a bunch of very small
capacitors (it's CMos) and it could be in some "undetermined" state,
neither "empty" nor in backup mode.
* after these operations, replace once again the battery, reassemble
the synth and then do a full factory reset , it SHOULD work.

Some people use a "kamikaze way" to change the battery without losing
their beloved patches when they have no external backup facility . They
change it "live", with the synth open but powered. It works but you have
to be very careful to avoid any short circuit between anything and
anything else !

Don't panic, the AN1x is very reliable and mostly composed of digital
ICs which are reliable too, much more than their analog counterpart.
That's one reason why the old Prophets Moogs and others vintage synths
disappeared....

Cheers.
J.F.




joohlund a écrit :

>
> My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x.
> When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary
> welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric
> keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I
> can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and
> that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be
> fixed...
>
> I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and
> cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while
> pressing the num keys without any luck...
>
> You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Jonas
>
>

Hi Jeff,

Can't tell you how much I appreciate your reply! I'm currently at home so I
can't try your suggestions right now, but will as soon as I get back to the
studio where I work.

I had a broken white key and the display said "lo bat". I bought a new key
and a battery, had to disassemble to whole synth to replace the broken key.
Put everything back together and startet it up. The "lo bat" sign was gone
and I got the usual welcome message. But then the display shows me some
weird characters. (see attached file)

I'm gonna check the battery, but since the "lo bat" indication is gone I'm
guessing that it's ok. My fear is that I screwed something up during
the reassembling process. The thing is the I can't do a factory
reset(7-8-9). Neither the numeric keys or the knob parameter group buttons
are working.

I'm hoping that the short circuit will do the trick. Do you think that
resetting the RAM by short circuiting could make the keys work again? Or is
it more likely to be some cable or a connector?

Thank you so much for helping me out!!

Have a nice weekend!
Regards,
Jonas

On Sat, Jul 7, 2012 at 11:14 AM, Jeff <jf.serviere@...> wrote:

> Hi Jonas !
> First, are you sure of your new battery ? Check it with a voltmeter, it
> could be a bad one ("new" old stock...) . With no load the voltage must
> be at least 3,3 V, is it the right model (CR 2450) if i remember well.
> > Which means the keyboard is useless and that I have to trow it away. I
> > hate trowing stuff away that could be fixed...
> Of course, and i don't think it's a fatal issue.
> You've checked all the connectors, cables, ribbons and so on ? Good idea
> but if your synth performed well before the battery replacement i don't
> think it could be a problem, unless you've done something wrong during
> the operation...
> What i would do if it was mine :
>
> * remove the battery, power it up and try to perform the full factory
> reset . It works ? Then the cause is the new battery ... or
> * with the synth open, the power OFF (important, to be completely sure
> remove the power supply) do a momentary short circuit (yes !)
> between both sides + and minus of the battery socket (it has been
> removed, remember !), it will completely reset the static RAM where
> the patches are stored. There is a lot of capacitors inside the
> AN1x, the RAM itself could be considered as a bunch of very small
> capacitors (it's CMos) and it could be in some "undetermined" state,
> neither "empty" nor in backup mode.
> * after these operations, replace once again the battery, reassemble
> the synth and then do a full factory reset , it SHOULD work.
>
> Some people use a "kamikaze way" to change the battery without losing
> their beloved patches when they have no external backup facility . They
> change it "live", with the synth open but powered. It works but you have
> to be very careful to avoid any short circuit between anything and
> anything else !
>
> Don't panic, the AN1x is very reliable and mostly composed of digital
> ICs which are reliable too, much more than their analog counterpart.
> That's one reason why the old Prophets Moogs and others vintage synths
> disappeared....
>
> Cheers.
> J.F.
>
>
>
>
> joohlund a écrit :
> >
> > My name i Jonas and I just replaced the battery in my Yamaha AN1x.
> > When I started it up after the battery replacement I got the ordinary
> > welcome message and then a couple of weird characters. The numeric
> > keys + the Knob Parameter Group is not responding at all. This means I
> > can't do the factory reset. Which means the keyboard is useless and
> > that I have to trow it away. I hate trowing stuff away that could be
> > fixed...
> >
> > I've dissembled the synth completely, checked for loose connectors and
> > cable, even started it up and messed around under the hood while
> > pressing the num keys without any luck...
> >
> > You guys are my last hope! Any ideas are very appreciated!
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Jonas
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Op 7-7-2012 12:49, � schreef:

> I had a broken white key and the display said "lo bat". I bought a new key
> and a battery, had to disassemble to whole synth to replace the broken key.
> Put everything back together and startet it up. The "lo bat" sign was gone
> and I got the usual welcome message. But then the display shows me some
> weird characters. (see attached file)

Yeah, that's not unusual. This happened to me as well when I changed the
battery.

> I'm gonna check the battery, but since the "lo bat" indication is gone I'm
> guessing that it's ok. My fear is that I screwed something up during
> the reassembling process. The thing is the I can't do a factory
> reset(7-8-9). Neither the numeric keys or the knob parameter group buttons
> are working.

Are you keeping those buttons pressed while switching on the AN1x? So
first I'd remove the power adapter cord and leave it out for a bit, then
put it back in, press 7-8-9 and only then switch on the AN1x, still
keeping those three keys pressed.

If it still doesn't work then, then perhaps you can go and panic. :)

> I'm hoping that the short circuit will do the trick. Do you think that
> resetting the RAM by short circuiting could make the keys work again? Or is
> it more likely to be some cable or a connector?

It's hard to say, but the AN1x acting weird after you've changed the
battery is pretty normal. I'd try the short-circuit only after
everything else fails, and make sure you don't have the power cable
plugged in.

Oh, and make sure you and the synth are earthed, one way or another. I
never bother to wear these special wristbands when assembling a computer
and it has never gone wrong, but that's pure dumb luck. Try not to wear
rubber soles, try to stand on something like tiles or slabs, touch a
metal part inside the AN1x, that sort of thing.

Because it would be a pity if you damaged something from static
electricity. So if you're wearing rubber boots and have been stroking a
cat, that's not the best of circumstances to try and fix a piece of
electronics. :)

- Peter

Jonas Öhlund a écrit :

> I'm hoping that the short circuit will do the trick. Do you think that
> resetting the RAM by short circuiting could make the keys work again?
> Or is
> it more likely to be some cable or a connector?

Hi Jonas !
i guess that the AN1x runs some kind of self test "program" when you
power up the synth, it's very common (because it's useful and quite easy
to do) on µPs based electronics. If it "sees something wrong" in the RAM
maybe it could go wrong, hang up.... what's puzzling me is that you get
no error message, but who knows ? The "lo bat" warning appears at the
very end of the self test, after "welcome to AN1x ..." , so check your
battery once again.
To be completely sure you can check the connectors , unplug and plug
them carefully but firmly. Most of the electronics connectors are
"foolproof" so you cannot plug them in a wrong way. Troubles with
connectors are common, dusty or rusty pins or bad contact because of a
loose connector. If they are clean, firmly and completely plugged in
their socket they should be OK for a long time. This includes the
battery socket : check it and clean it carefully (alcohool + cotton tip)
if necessary.
Good luck !
Cheers.
J.F.