MPC60 has been freezing a lot lately. Bug type 06h

I've been using my MPC60 problem free for the past 4+ years. It's the old firmware 2.02; which I am happy and content with (especially since I am broke).

Anyways, not till very recently (only this week actually.. during a current project/song), it has started freezing a lot. It freezes and I have to restart and reload disks again, maybe 5-10x a day during a project (or every hour at least). Gets pretty frustrating and it obviously kills my flow and also adds stress to make sure to remember to save after each little progression of my production before it might freeze again.

I notice it freezes more easily when I am getting really down on it - playing live and drumming to find new rhythms and music while it's playing in seq and song mode, and also pressing next sequence a lot and just changing other stuff and kinda multitasking in it while its' playing. I thought it might've been me being too fast and stuff...so I slowed down a bit while working in the mpc, but, it still freezes.

Out of the many times it froze so far, about 2-3 times it actually showed a message on the screen... "====system error===== Sorry, but a software bug of type 06h caused all memory to be lost. Please write down and remember what happened to cause this and send the info to your Akai distributor." ...it only showed this a few times...the many other times (20-30x+), it just freezes and locks - gets stuck looping the seq without stopping and without any button recognition (buttons don't do anything).

I can still work with it..but if this continues I don't think I can be very efficient lol. Pretty annoying and aggravating to lose changes in my song and to keep restarting and reloading the floppies.

Any help greatly appreciated.

I have no idea but opening her up and cleaning is never bad.
you can also disconnect all connectors (the ribbons or whatever theyre called) and reseat them, after years there will be some oxidation which will wear off if you disconnect them and reconnect.

besides that i have no idea

Also try re-seating the memory expansion board, if it has one.

Ah yes...the old reseating trick. I've done that a couple times in a few other synths and an Otari 5050 with success. Only thing I don't like with reseating in this mpc60, is that the pcb boards are pretty old and have fragile traces.

I guess I'll give the plugs/connections a good cleaning as well, with isopropyl.

I have the official Akai japan bug/error lists for various OS, so I'll see if I can shed any light on bug 06h.

2.02 is a very old OS (1989), it probably has bugs that 2.12 doesn't have let alone 3.xx.

A full service and/or software upgrade may be the lasting solution to the issues you've been having. These old machines, love 'em and hate 'em...

Edit: Sorry no sign of "06h" in the documents I have which are not searchable text.

Random failures can sometimes be fixed by replacing the electrolytic capacitors in the unit (especially in the Power Supply) as these filter noise out of the DC power lines.

If you still have the original electrolytics in the unit, they should be changed as they have done more than their fair share of service.

It worked. Haven't had a freeze in a week of using it. Reseated the plugs 5'ish times in and out (just to give the pins a decent burnish) and also brushed the plug pins with a toothbrush and isopropyl.

Done with my current project, gonna take a break and see if it stays problem free my next project next month.

But, I did notice it froze (only twice) the last day of using it while recording and doing final tweaks/edits to my song. It happened in the tuning screen iirc, while the song/seq was playiing and me hitting the buttons at the same time while tuning. Maybe it's coming from the "shock" from when I hit the pads causing it to maybe shake/vibrate the connections, or something, loose inside? Idk if I hit it that hard lol..but I am pretty delicate with her.

But, I do remember, before the reseating fix, that it did indeed freeze a few times without me hitting the pads nor directly touching the mpc itself (I was on the midi keyboard controller controlling/playing with a connected s950).

I'll chime in next month and see if the freeze problem still happens.

I'd be happy to send it to forat or a repair shop; but I is broke and can't even afford a hamburger....so trying to avoid that, since I know they're going to charge a grip load of loot to fix even a simple thing.

Update: Problem still there:

I started working on a new jam again last wknd/friday. It hasn't froze for the last 4 days, until just today. Same error code - 06h

It didn't freeze at all the last 4 days, while sampling into it, playing and making some simple drums patterns and also using a midi controller to sequence and record a couple tracks with a few external racks.

But, today, while the sequence was playing, it froze while I was fiddling around playing/hitting drum pads.

I notice it seems to happen mainly from hitting the drum pads while the sequence is playing at the same time

..iirc, it happens while playing the pads while in the regular seq screen and also in the drum tune screen. I don't think it's happened while in the drum mix and step edit screen yet, or at least I forgot if it did or not.

Same kind of freeze, 06h - either the freeze keeps looping with all buttons unresponsive...or, with 06h, it wiggs out bg time and plays ultra random drum patterns and bpms and goes crazy, with buttons unresponsive too.

Any ideas what the prob is?

Is it because of the physical "shock" or vibrations from me hitting the pads? ..or wonky memory? ...or maybe unwanted cc/midi/air/breathe recorded and maybe I should turn off everything (I used to turn everything off in those midi menus 3 years ago; but haven't done it since then since I haven't had any problems till this recent problem).

Update:

- I tried turning off all unnecessary midi controls in the midi menu (like I used to do a few years ago).... problem still there, still freezes.

- I took out the memory expansion board and have been using it all day without it.... so far, so good

Going to continue to use it without the expansion board for the rest of the month to make sure if the freeze problem is truly from the memory exp board.


Is it common for memory expansion boards to go bad? If it is indeed the issue...is there any way to check it and/or fix it?

fooddude wrote:
Is it common for memory expansion boards to go bad? If it is indeed the issue...is there any way to check it and/or fix it?

I wouldn't say it's common but it certainly does happen.
The way to check is, if the MPC works with out the memory and crashes with it, then the problem is most likely with the memory. If you don't have the correct tools you should be able to give it to a tech to have it fixed. The memory chips and other components are replaceable.

Might have just been a poor connection from the MPC to the memory card, and maybe hitting the pads caused the connection to fail intermittantly.

Did you previously try reseating the memory card?

Maybe try plugging it back in again, and see how it goes.

I thought that too but he said he tried reseating and cleaning with isopropyl

Yes..I've already tried reseating it already and also isopropyl (which only worked temporarily). But, I think it is still possible it could be the pins are just corroded or too dry. Maybe it needs dielectric grease and/or deoxit lube to keep it from drying out too much and corroding easily.

In the mean while...I will use it for a couple weeks without the expansion board..to see if it from the board and/or connection.

If it doesn't freeze within the next month...then I will know for sure it is either from the exp board itself or just from that connection...then I will try cleaning even more thoroughly and lubing the pins (by scrubbing/rubbing a toothpick per individual pin with isopropyl) ...and if it still freezes after cleaning and lubing, then I will know it is the board itself.

Update:

Drats! It still mofukin freezes. Froze 3 times today. So that rules out the possible bad expansion board.

I wonder if it's the big connector to the right side on the board that has the expansion on it. I noticed whenever I reseat it, it temporarily fixes it..but only temporarily. Maybe I'll try cleaning it better and also lube it this time.

The prognosis is not good, you seem to have tried everything...

Is there a plan b?