VS-840EX SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE

* CAUTION!!
Do not turn off the VS-840EX during it's system software updating. If not, the program in the flash memory is destroyed. In this case, perform the compelling version-up procedure to recover it.

The VS-840 sytem software is supplied in the standard MIDI file (SMF) data format (P/No. 17048943)

Each system disk contains the following SMF data. Load these data to VS-840EX, starting with Disk 1 (VS84EX-1.MID).

VS-840EX System Ver. *.** SMF Disk 1

VS84EX-1.MID
VS84EX-2.MID
VS84EX-3.MID
VS84EX-4.MID

VS-840EX System Ver. *.** SMF Disk 2

VS84EX-5.MID
VS84EX-6.MID
VS84EX-7.MID
VS84EX-8.MID

Update the VS-840EX by following the procedure described below.

1. Connect the MIDI OUT of a MIDI sequencer capable of playing back SMF data in sequence (e.g., SB-55) to MIDI IN of VS-840EX, through a MIDI cable.

2. Holding MODE, INPUT and ENTER buttons, turn on VS-840EX.

3. The message "Receive MID-EX?" will be displayed. Press YES button.

4. Verify that "Now Waiting ..." is displayed. Playback all SMFs in the order of number.

5. The message "Version Up?" will appear. Press YES button.

6. The message "User Area Update? will appear. Press YES button.

7. When the message "END!!! Please POWER OFF/ON" appears, Turn OFF and then ON VS-840EX.

This completes updating.

Initialization, User area, VS-840EX system software update using the ZIP DISK (P/No. 17048942)

VS-480EX can also be updated by using the System Data ZIP DISK. hen using the ZIP DISK, VS-840EX can be upgraded either of the following 2 ways.

1. Using standard version-up procedure. This procedure keeps the user data unchanged (no initialization).

2. To initialize the user data or loading the factory presets, the compelling version-up procedure must be followed.

Standard version-up procedure

1. Insert the latest System Data ZIP DISK into VS-840EX ZIP drive. Turn on VS-840EX.

2. The message "Version up?" appears. Press YES button.

3. When the message "Are you sure?" appears, press YES button. The program displays "SYSTEM WRITE", indicating it starts version-up sequence.

4. Upon "END!!! Please POWER OFF/ON" message, turn OFF and then ON VS-840EX.

This completes updating.

Compelling version up

1. Holding down TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4 and RIGHT buttons, turn on VS-840EX. (NOTE: The TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4 buttons are the round buttons labeled A, B, C, D below the TRACK CUE rotary faders).

2. The message "Clear Flash?" will appear. Press YES button.

3. The message "Are you sure?" will appear. Press YES button.

4. The program displays "SYSTEM WRITE", indicating that it is clearing flash memory.

5. Upon "END!!! Please POWER OFF/ON" message, turn OFF VS-840EX.

6. Insert the System Data ZIP DISK into the drive. Holding down PLAY, REC and ENTER buttons, turn ON VS-840EX.

7. The program displays "BAD FLASH!!" and then "SYSTEM WRITE", indicating that it is starting compelling version-up sequence.

8. Upon "END!!!! Please RESET!" message, turn OFF and then ON VS-840EX.

This completes compelling updating.

To recover the unit after Error Message has been displayed

When error messge "Don't match CPU" or "Can't Version Up" has been displayed and locks up from the power off during Eject or Shut down, you need to re-load the System program. Please refer to the following procedure.

1. Insert the System Data ZIP DISK into the VS-840EX drive and then turn ON the VS-840EX.

2. The display may show "BAD FLASH!!" and then "SYSTEM WRITE.". The compelling version-up starts.

3. After "END!!! Please RESET!" is displayed, turn the power OFF and ON again.

4. Complete.

I own a VS-840 and actively support VS-840 users at VSPlanet.com. Regularly, VS-840 owners request support for units that have failed with a BAD FLASH or DON'T MATCH CPU error, caused by 1) improper shutdown, 2) failed flash update, or 3) power failure. A few users have reported that the recovery is as simple as re-setting / re-flashing the failed 840 with a service level ZIP 100 disk. Can this disk be made available to the user community for a nominal fee? Thanks, Jack Helser

"At this point a 'Can't Version Up' or 'Don't Match CPU' is still a service call."

VS-840 users with the bad flash failure, have watched authorized Roland service technicians fix their failed 840's with a ZIP 100 disk and nothing more, then charge them $150 for 5 minutes work. Whom should the community ask within Roland to make the disk available for us? Thanks, Jack Helser

Mr. Dennis Houlihan, President
Roland Corp. U S
5100 S Eastern Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90040

Dear Mr. Houlihan,

In 1999, I purchased a Roland VS-840 for $1100. Like many musicians, I found the VS-840 easy to use and with it I recorded 2 original albums and several singles. In 2003, I joined the VS-840 support forum at VSPlanet.com where I have been helping VS-840 owners use and maintain their recorders for over 5 years. There is an active re-sale market for the VS-840 and many new users are introduced to Roland products when they purchase one on eBay, for under $100 these days.

Frequently, VS-840 owners log-in to VSPlanet.com to ask for assistance with a machine that has been rendered inoperative by a BAD FLASH, CAN'T VERSION-UP or DON'T MATCH CPU error. For many years now, our advice has been consistent with the stated policy of Roland Product Support, that these Flash ROM-based errors require a trip to the Roland Service Center.

User community experience suggests that the errors are caused by a power disruption, failed flash update or untimely disk ejection. Owners who have taken their failed recorders to the shop, have typically been charged $150 for repair, which is more than the VS-840 sells for these days. A few owners have reported watching the service technician perform the repair, where the fix took less than 5 minutes and involved nothing more than cycling a system level ZIP 100 disk through the failed VS-840 to re-flash the ROM. Understandably, those owners have felt gouged by the excessive cost to repair, especially since the fix was so simple and quick.

VS-840 owners are familiar with the flash ROM update process, whether by ZIP disk based flash ROM update or by SMF files transmitted through a MIDI sequencer. What few users who have reported back to the forum after their machine was fixed at a Roland Service Center, say that applying the service level ZIP recovery disk is no different than the flash update process.

We realize that the VS-840 is nearing the end of its service life and Roland no longer offers such optional accessories as the VS-840 Video Owners Manual and VS4S-1 SCSI Interface. Still, the VS-840 is a viable recorder for countless thousands of musicians.

On behalf of the VS-840 user community, I request that Roland US would make available, at nominal cost, the same ZIP 100 recovery disk used by Roland Service Center technicians to repair flash ROM based errors in the VS-840, VS-840EX and VS-840GX recorders. This we ask is in the same spirit of end-user support by Roland US who has made available the VS-840 user manuals in PDF format and ROM update files through the RolandUS.com.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jack Helser

09 October 2008


Mr. Dennis Houlihan, President
Roland Corp. U S
5100 S Eastern Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90040

Dear Mr. Houlihan,

In 1999, I purchased a Roland VS-840 for $1100. Like many musicians, I found the VS-840 easy to use and with it I recorded 2 original albums and several singles. In 2003, I joined the VS-840 support forum at VSPlanet.com where I have been helping VS-840 owners use and maintain their recorders for many years. There is an active re-sale market for the VS-840 and many new users are introduced to Roland products when they purchase one on eBay, for under $100 these days.

Frequently, VS-840 owners log-in to VSPlanet.com to ask for assistance with a machine that has been rendered inoperative by a BAD FLASH, CAN'T VERSION-UP or DON'T MATCH CPU Flash ROM-based error. For many years now, our advice has been consistent with the policy of Roland Product Support, that these Flash ROM-based errors require a trip to the Roland Service Center. Realistically, with the cost to repair averaging $150, while the current resale value of a VS-840 is under $100, many owners simply discard their failed machines.

Review of the entire Roland DAW message base at VSPlanet.com suggests the most common causes of a VS-840 flash ROM-based error is power disruption, untimely disk ejection (improper shut-down) or a failed Flash ROM update. Also, the knowledge base indicates these Flash ROM-based errors are unique to the VS-840 series, thereby suggesting that the rest of the VS line of recorders has a more robust / fault-tolerant OS than the VS-840 series.

Some of the owners who paid to have their machines repaired have reported that it was as simple as cycling a system level ZIP 100 disk through the unit to re-flash the ROM. Understandably, the owners felt taken advantage of by the excessive cost to repair, since the fix took less than 5 minutes and didn't even require opening the machine.

Accordingly, the VS-840 user community requests that Roland US make available at nominal cost, the same ZIP 100 recovery disk used by the Roland Service Center technicians to repair flash ROM-based errors in the VS-840, VS-840EX and VS-840GX recorders.

We realize that the VS-840 is nearing the end of its product life and Roland US no longer offers such optional accessories as the VS-840 Video Owners Manual and VS4S-1 SCSI Interface. Still, the VS-840 is a viable digital recorder for countless thousands of musicians. Timely and cost effective Roland Product Support for these Flash ROM-based failures is requested in the same spirit of support wherein Roland US has made available product user manuals in PDF format and ROM update files through the RolandUS.com web site.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jack Helser

Jack,

Unfortunately, it is a protected disk that is no longer available even for local service centers that do not already have a copy of it. At this point, most VS-840s that "Cannot Version UP" would have to be sent to our main service center in Los Angeles.

TYPE: Product Quality

SUMMARY: Roland VS-840, VS-840EX and VS-840GX digital recorders are rendered inoperable by power outage, disk ejection and failed ROM flash update.

DETAIL: Roland digital recorder models VS-840, VS-840EX and VS-840GX are rendered inoperable by an unexpected power outage, disk ejection prior to shut down, or a failed ROM BIOS flash update. The LED of an inoperable recorder reads either BAD FLASH, CAN'T VERSION-UP or DON'T MATCH CPU. Roland requires these units to be sent to an authorized Service Center where owners report paying up to $150 for repair.

For perspective, imagine sending your PC to Microsoft or IBM for repair whenever a power failure or ejecting a floppy disk caused the BIOS to become corrupt?

Some VS-840 owners report watching the service technician repair the inoperable machines by cycling a system level disk through the drive to re-flash the ROM. Understandably, these owners felt ripped off by the excessive cost to repair, for 5 minutes work, that didn’t require opening the unit.

Note that Roland is directly responsible for some flash update failures, because they previously offered the ZIP disk-based update files through RolandUS.com, but provided NO WARNING to the user community that a VS-840EX formatted ZIP 250 disk was NOT compatible with the Microsoft DOS/Windows file system used to write the update file to a VS-840EX formatted disk. Every user who attempted to flash their EX from 2.0x to 2.05 with a ZIP 250 disk made under Microsoft DOS/Windows, received a BAD FLASH and CAN'T VERSION-UP error.

RESOLUTION SOUGHT: Make the service level disk available to VS-840 owners at nominal cost (for media), or as a digital download on RolandUS.com, or fix the units for free at Roland US. This request is on behalf of the Roland VS-840 user community at VSPlanet.com. Many of us believe these failures are the fault of poor design quality. A power failure or disk ejection should NOT render a unit inoperable.

February 11, 2009

Re: Complaint #98383965 - Roland Corp. U S

This is to let you know that we have sent your complaint to the company for a response, which is the first step in our complaint resolution procedure. We will notify you of the company's response as soon as we receive it, but please allow at least 14 days to hear from us. In the meantime, if the company should contact you directly, please let us know. You may do this online or by fax or mail, using the contact information on this letterhead. If you have any questions, please call us.

Thank you for using the Better Business Bureau.

p.s. Do you know if you just want to let others know about your good or bad experience and aren't seeking a specific result, you should join our TrustLink Community. You can write reviews, see what others have said, connect with friends, and check out BBB Reliability Reports. Visit http://www.trustlink.org and link up!

Company's Response
Company's Initial Response - Posted 02/25/2009

The VS-840, VS-840EX and VS-840GX all use Zip disk drives to store data and also for updating the system (system is stored on a FLASH ROM chip). We are aware of a very sporadic problem that may occur when updating using a Zip disk, crashing the system and rendering the VS-840 inoperable. This can easily be fixed by our service center with a special update disk that re-writes the system correctly. On very rare occasion, the CPU is also affected when the crash occurs and this results in a bigger service problem that requires the CPU to be replaced. Because of this possibility, RUS has not (to this point) made this disk available to the public. The disk also has protection included on it that does not allow it to be duplicated (or uploaded to our website for later download). The best course of action in these cases would be for the customer to call Customer Service at 323 890-3700 and request a return authorization number (RA)-to send the unit to our service center in Los Angeles. If the RUS technicians determine the problem to be the one described above, RUS will complete the repair and return the unit at no charge (to the original buyer with proof of purchase — regardless of date). Ancillary repairs, including wear and tear (switches, drives, cleaning, etc) would be considered outside of the warranty responsibility of RUS and a repair estimate would be presented to the-customer before any work is done. The customer would also bear the cost of returning the, unit to RUS. Aside from the extension of the warranty period, this policy is consistent with normal RUS warranty practices and procedures. We have rarely had a call on this particular issue in Product Support (maybe once a year) and Service reports similar timing on this issue in their area. Therefore, Roland will not extend this offer to our outside service center network to address this issue, as the accrual of data and quality of repair will be crucial to Roland US. We hope this solution is agreeable to all parties.

Initial Response Summary

Roland will not extend this offer to our outside service center network to address this issue, as the accrual of data and quality of repair will be crucial to Roland US.

Roland's offer to repair affected machines is appreciated. We ask Roland to consider the following.

In the past, owners chose between sending machines to Roland or taking them for repair locally. Upon receiving a phone quote, some owners discard their machines because the cost to repair exceeds re-sale value. Few owners will spend $150 for repair, which explains the low numbers seen by Roland. Instead, they turn to free help sources, such as VSPlanet.com forums, where failed 840's are reported more often than 'one per year'.

Accordingly, we request:

1)Please post a support bulletin on RolandUS.com with any information to help owners repair their machines, if such is possible, before calling for an RA. This also benefits 2nd hand owners not covered by the new policy.

2)Please post the repair policy on RolandUS.com.

3)Please consider sending 1 or more service disks to VSPlanet.com, with permission to attempt duplication, for free distribution to 840 owners on request. We have the hardware to effect duplication and experience with sector based disk imaging software.

Thank you for your consideration.

This is confusing and infuriating to me. You say you are familiar with sector based copying, but you on your own volition copied in M$ windows and screwed up your unit and that is somehow the manufacturer's problem?

Company's Final Response
Company's Final Response - Posted 03/26/200

Roland states, via email; We started shipping VS-840 Digital Recorders in 10/97. At some point in time we made the update disk avail for the VS-840 to Roland authorized service centers. Which are independently owned & operated & contract with Roland to provide standard warranty repair. Because of long life of product, we reached a point where all units were out of warranty, thus we no longer paid service centers to perform warranty work on those units, as we do with any products once product is discontinued & past for warranty repairs. Some service centers might have been charging a fee to repair the VS-840 once they're out of warranty. Roland Service has never charged for the update. We have only one of the update disks at our service center in LA. It's possible that some of our authorized service centers around the U.S. also have this disk & they may still be charging for the update. These centers are independently owned & operated, & free to charge what they wish for any repair. Call Roland Customer Service & ask for an RA for the VS-840 update disk procedure. Send unit to Roland with noted RA & Roland will cover the cost of the update & ship back to our customer at our expense.

As for you, VSLOVER - isn't it interesting how you showed up here and chastised me (then deleted your remarks), only AFTER I posted the complaint to the BBB in which I mentioned VSPlanet forums, and again the day after Roland posted another reply. You have 2 posts, both in this thread - both concurrent with Roland's replies on the BBB site.

So, you're a Roland employee, right?

hahaha i dont work for roland!! hahahaha i was just going to ask where i can pick up my paycheck if i work for roland, but decided against it.

no i dont work there, or i wouldnt own an 840 to begin with!