#1368468 - 02/06/15 06:44 AM
840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
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JohnnyMac
Space Cadet
Registered: 07/17/13
Posts: 7
Loc: The southwest
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Hey all-
I picked up a VS840 v1.01 for $60 w/no zip disk.
I tried to upgrade it to v1.05 via the SMF player and a USB-MIDI converter.
I was able to find the 8 upgrade files through the SMF application, and then transmitted to the 840, which I switched into 'receive mode' (MODE+INPUT+ENTER simultaneously, then POWER all at once).
SMF sent them out sequentially 1-8 via the USB/MIDI converter, with the status light in the converter blinking.
Then, complete file transfer, exit SMF. Done?
Nope.
Verify with MONITOR SEL+SOLO simultaneously, then POWER.
Same ol' same ol'...v1.01...
I guess it needs to be loaded with a zip disk...
Any thoughts?
_________________________
"Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool"
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#1368489 - 02/06/15 12:41 PM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: JohnnyMac]
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jimmyrock
Department Head of Redundancy Department Head
Planeteer
Registered: 12/18/05
Posts: 9684
Loc: America's File Cabinet
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hmmm, no help here its been a long while, I am fairly sure I did the upgrade via midi
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#1368639 - 02/07/15 01:46 AM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: jimmyrock]
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JohnnyMac
Space Cadet
Registered: 07/17/13
Posts: 7
Loc: The southwest
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Infuriating. The MIDI status light blinks when I send, but as soon as I put the VS into 'Receive MIDI-EX (y/n?)', it no longer acknowledges the formerly incoming MIDI data...!
_________________________
"Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool"
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#1368640 - 02/07/15 01:54 AM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: JohnnyMac]
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JohnnyMac
Space Cadet
Registered: 07/17/13
Posts: 7
Loc: The southwest
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I will get a zip disk, format it, and try again. I hope that's the problem. I want to make sure I can put it into 'unbrickable' mode (later versions of firmware) before installing the IDE-SD adapter. If I am satisfied with the results, I will make the hopefully undamaged zip drive available to you lucky VSers for shipping fee only...
_________________________
"Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool"
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#1368648 - 02/07/15 02:17 AM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: JohnnyMac]
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uptildawn
Planeteer
Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 9073
Loc: on land
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Shouldn't you put the VS in receive mode BEFORE sending the midi info?
Seems to me the VS needs to be in "waiting" mode before it can receive anything. It can't acknowledge what's already been sent before you tell it to begin looking.
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uptildawn
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#1368680 - 02/07/15 04:44 AM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: uptildawn]
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JohnnyMac
Space Cadet
Registered: 07/17/13
Posts: 7
Loc: The southwest
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I put the VS into receive mode first, but prior to sending the files, I tested the MIDI transfer by sending the files from SMF to make sure it was getting data first, then canceled the transfer. I then clicked yes, and restarted the data from the PC. The USB-MIDI converter blinks, but the VS is blacked out except for the backlit LCD w/no characters displayed.
Maybe the VS needs to load the files onto the disk before updating the firmware. I don't have a disk yet, but I have a bid on one for 49 cents plus 2 bucks shipping on ebay...
_________________________
"Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool"
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#1368720 - 02/07/15 02:03 PM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: JohnnyMac]
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uptildawn
Planeteer
Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 9073
Loc: on land
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If the VS was in receive mode and you cancelled and then restarted the transfer without first resetting the VS, I would think the VS would be confused and the transfer would not work.
You don't "test" the transfer. You set up the VS so that it is ready to receive the files and then Start the SMF to send... wait until the process is finished and the VS tells you so. Then you follow the instructions on the VS to complete the update. It can't work if you interrupt it in the middle of its process.
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uptildawn
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#1368954 - 02/08/15 06:30 PM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: JohnnyMac]
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iDominic
Space Cadet
Registered: 11/16/14
Posts: 9
Loc: UK
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For what it's worth, I was completely unable to upgrade from 1.01 to 1.05 via the zipdisk method - and this was before I ripped the zip disk out and replaced it with a SDcard... I have the luxury of having both a USB 250 zip drive and a SCSI 100Mb drive, and I have a small familiarity of transferring files to and from a BR-80 via zip disk and computer with the same equipment.
The zipdisk upgrade method from 1.01 to 1.05 "bricked" my VS-840, and I was only able to recover it using the midi-file method.
I happen to have a Roland Fantom XA, so that was my midi source.
I put all 8 files onto the Compact flash card, set the VS-840 n Recieve mode, and "played" the files in sequence, until the VS-840 recognised that it had them all and started writing to the flash memory.
That, for me, worked like magic - and I have a working VS-840, now with a SDcard drive in it.
Trying to upgrade to the 2.05 version was a complete and utter failure, however - except that it did not "brick" the VS-840, using either method.
See my other post on the forum
http://www.vsplanet.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1348928
From my experience, you do not have to force an upgrade to v205EX on a VS-840 to allow you to use a 1Gb SDcard. Yes, I have a lot of wasted space (on an 8Gb card) - but the quietness, and the convenience outweigh that by a massive amount.
So, I would suspect that your problem is at your computer end, as long as you have put the VS-840 successfully into receive mode.
My problem with this is that I use linux on my computer for all this, so I can't advise you on what Windows software to use to set up your midi-usb connection. I have the advantage of having a hardware solution, anyway. Is there a proper hardware midi keyboard you can borrow to use as your midi source? That would eliminate any software issues on the computer side, that might be getting in the way...
Anyway, good luck with your attempts. This forum was the place I found out how to a) try to upgrade from 1.01 to 1.05, and b) how to un-brick it when the zip disk method failed.
As it happens, your mileage may vary. That's why I've tried to be as verbose as possible about my (limited) experiences with VS-840 upgrades. Someone, somewhere will have had exactly the same problem. It all helps.
Regards
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#1369089 - 02/09/15 05:14 PM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: iDominic]
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JohnnyMac
Space Cadet
Registered: 07/17/13
Posts: 7
Loc: The southwest
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Thanks.
/thread
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#1441511 - 01/10/16 07:20 PM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: iDominic]
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Barronchung
Space Cadet
Registered: 01/09/16
Posts: 2
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Hi iDominic, I'm about to do the same thing with upgrading 1.01 to 1.05, do you believe the problem with the procedure was with the Zip method in general when starting with 1.01, or some other problem like a bad disk? I don't want to end up with a brick and then have to get a midi interface to recover it... Thanks!
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#1444237 - 01/25/16 02:38 AM
Re: 840 v1.01 - any upgrade tips?
[Re: Barronchung]
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Vs840ForEver
Vs840ForEver - 840EX Converter Man
Space Cadet
Registered: 06/17/13
Posts: 20
Loc: CANADA
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I'm able to skip the first midi upgrade and update to the VS840EX directly with a zip 100mb and the correct file that I copy paste because I have an old PC with windows and a zip100 drive.
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 Fortunately, people are starting to realize than composing with Workstations and minimal distraction is how you get tracks done faster and better. Our brains get tired using computer screens - trust me - focus on music only and physical knobs and gears: you'll be surprised.
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