Unfathomable issue with static and screen freeze on XL

I'm having a strange issue with my 2000 XL. It seems to work fine, boots up, screen's bright, loads programs and sequences.

The trouble starts when I start to play samples, either by hitting pads, playing a sequence or recording. Initially it'll work but after a few seconds the machine will freak out and start plying all the samples one after the other and then degrade into static, permeated by the occasional sound of a sample. The same happens when I play a pre existing sequence.

Also the screen seems to mess up and just become a mess of numbers and letters that most usually looks like this:

I made this video to demonstrate sort of what I'm talking about (you may want to skip during the sample loading section!) .

I really don't know what the issue is here. It was working fine a few days ago. I did have to open it up to move the 8-outs and effects card to my other machine but I've made sure numerous times that all the cables are in their right place and properly secured. I've re-installed the OS (which is v.1.14). I've tried using my internal zip in it and the floppy and the issue is the same.

The thing is, if it were totally ruined I don't see why it would load up normally and work for a hot second before going crazy.

If anyone has experienced anything like this or has any advice or suggestions I'd really appreciate it, seems a waste to have to write it off. Oh and, just to prempt any comments regarding googling this question, I have and haven't found any useful information on this forum or elsewhere.

your memory is bad. get new memory, or at least remove it, clean it, and try to reseat it.

Kalou wrote:...the machine will freak out and start plying all the samples one after the other and then degrade into static, permeated by the occasional sound of a sample...

i love it when that happens

Thanks for the advice. I don't think it's an issue with memory though as I didn't have any extra RAM installed. I installed RAM from my other XL this morning and had exactly the same problem.

Kalou wrote:Thanks for the advice. I don't think it's an issue with memory though as I didn't have any extra RAM installed. I installed RAM from my other XL this morning and had exactly the same problem.

was that the maximum amount of ram (32 mb) ?

maybe your internal ram is bad? i think it is bypassed when you put 32 mbs in, so that could be a way to test that

well props to you, you've isolated that its not the ram or the disk (my next guess).

could this maybe be a motherboard problem?
i have had this happen to me a couple of times, but it was always during a save / load. once it ate my os and i had to reload the os to the flash memory...or something like that. go to the load screen and hit 'load' on an os file while the machine is running. this will re-flash the os and that could help.
im not talking about reinstalling the os, im talking about reflashing the os to the machine. now, it might already do that when you install the os, but it's worth a shot.
hell, try 1.2 while yer at it.

i suggest booting up your mpc... then going into the test mode... check your pads, and do the mem test.. I think it's the memory too. Take an air can and spray out the memory slots too...

tapedeck wrote: im talking about reflashing the os to the machine. now, it might already do that when you install the os, but it's worth a shot.
hell, try 1.2 while yer at it.

Hey, thanks again for the help. I've actually friend reflashing the OS but no cigar. I haven't tried v1.2 cause I thought that was exclusively for machines with a card reader. I'll give that a go though.

mr_debauch wrote:i suggest booting up your mpc... then going into the test mode... check your pads, and do the mem test.. I think it's the memory too. Take an air can and spray out the memory slots too...

How do you go into test mode. I assume you mean a different screen from the one that shows how much sample time/memory is installed? I have the same issues with he standard 2mb in there and 32, so as much as I'd like it to be something simple like buying new memory, I'm not sure it is. Will try spraying the slots though.

Shift+TRIM and then Shift+F1 to go into test/debugging mode. You can test the RAM from there.

Had an XL that I picked up because it was doing this, paid $50 for it.
Didn't have additional ram or any options installed.
It eventually went from doing it after a while of being on to doing it when it booted.

Never found a cause so I sold it.

vasquez wrote:Shift+TRIM and then Shift+F1 to go into test/debugging mode. You can test the RAM from there.

Thanks, I tried this and all the Memory came up as "okay".

Then I did the pad test and after about 8 pads, the familiar freak out occurred. After some analytical thinking I've got a theory. When I opened it up to switch some stuff around the pad sensor sheet came out of it's bracket (I don't know what you call that). I got it back in but may have got dirty and quite possibly be the route of the problem because I THINK (but am not sure) that the machine only freaks out when you bring the pads in the equation.

So, does anyone know how to clean the connectors on the pad sensor sheet (the bit that goes into the bracket), or when to buy a cheap new sensor sheet. It seems a waste of money to buy from mpcstuff (for $70) because if it wasn't that the money is gone...

that's a good theory...worth looking into.

easiest thing to check right now would be to take out the ribbon connector, clean it, and reseat it...see how that goes.

those little thin ribbons have given me trouble in all types of equipment.

tapedeck wrote:that's a good theory...worth looking into.

easiest thing to check right now would be to take out the ribbon connector, clean it, and reseat it...see how that goes.

those little thin ribbons have given me trouble in all types of equipment.

Indeed, I really think I've ruled out most other possibilities. May be a silly question but how do you go about cleaning it. Water doesn't seem right some how and obviously I have to be careful cause I can pull it off and clean the whole thing away from the machine. Rubbing alcohol maybe?

Kalou wrote:...May be a silly question but how do you go about cleaning it. Water doesn't seem right some how and obviously I have to be careful cause I can pull it off and clean the whole thing away from the machine. Rubbing alcohol maybe?

i would use only some specific 'electronic cleaner' - i have it in a spray can you can probably find at the hardware/bargain store. you could spray a bunch on a shop towel or something else relatively lint free and then rub it with that.

a lot of people around here talk about deoxit a lot but i've never personally used it.

i dont think alcohol is the best for electronics.

i also suggest disconnecting every connector and cable in that machine and re-seat them properly... it's worth trying it.. it could be chip creep... or maybe also take a close look at all the caps on the boards to make sure none are popped or leaking.

tapedeck wrote:

Kalou wrote:...May be a silly question but how do you go about cleaning it. Water doesn't seem right some how and obviously I have to be careful cause I can pull it off and clean the whole thing away from the machine. Rubbing alcohol maybe?

i would use only some specific 'electronic cleaner' - i have it in a spray can you can probably find at the hardware/bargain store. you could spray a bunch on a shop towel or something else relatively lint free and then rub it with that.

Gonna give this a try tomorrow when more shops open. Went to RadioShack and they were charing $12 for electrical cleaning which seems a bit much seeing as I only need a tiny bit, for one thing. Will report back.

I've tried reseating most of the connectors I can get to, and given the eagle eye to the ones I can't. Everything seems in order there.