MIDI Express 128 - weird behaviour!

[MaleXLR]

Yo,

I have two MIDI Express 128s! One has always had a poltergeist, but never anything definitive - until now. I have been in touch with Support, but they have now lost interest!

With an upgrade of Cubase, with the Weirdo Express, when the USB is connected Cubase 12 will freeze at start up and sometimes also at close down. The project will close, but Cubase stays open and cannot be closed with Task Manager.

Since changing to the other MIDI Express 128... no problems!

I am in New Zealand and had previously asked a Technician to compare the two units, but couldn't find anything odd.

I asked MOTU Support whether there was an obvious PCB [Maybe the USB poser!?!] that I could replace and asked for recommendations of who could do a comprehensive diagnostic and repair... NO REPLY!

Any thoughts/recommendations please???

[mikehalloran]

Hmmm… two identical units: One behaves while the other doesn't. Ok…

These don't have upgradeable firmware and you're using both on the same workstation which should eliminate the driver as an issue — you are using this one, right? If not, try it and see.

MOTU MIDI Installer
PC v89606 | Oct. 5, 2021
Windows 11, Windows 10 64-bit

That leaves a hardware issue. Since this does not contain a settings battery, the most common one is corrosion. I would remove the cover look for any discoloration on the circuit board indicating overheating. Inspect for any cracks in the circuit boards. Assuming that you find none, burnish each connector by removing and reseating 3x each—do this one at a time. Reassemble and see what happens.

If there is no change, I would suspect a cold solder joint. Plenty of YouTube videos on how to re-flow those.

Let us know what happens.

[MaleXLR]

Thanks Mike,

It has been racked up its whole life, so corrosion is unlikely, but not impossible!

I just did similar troubleshooting with my soldering iron on a mixing console, with right Tape In and right Control Room Out not working. After a few harsh words, but a much neater PCB, I discovered that the problem was oxidisation on a couple of latching switches - Tape to Control Room and Tape to Mix!

Ah, well - that's a whole lot of nuts holding pots in place removed and replaced when contact cleaner might have done the job!

Still nothing from MOTU support and their online chat doesn't ever seem to be available!

I'll crank the case open when I have a moment and perhaps post a few snapshots of what I find...

[MaleXLR]

MOTU MIDI Installer
PC v89606 | Oct. 5, 2021
Windows 11, Windows 10 64-bit

PS. Yes, that's the driver that I've been using for both.

I did see a post from someone else using Cubase 10 and experiencing similar issues, so that's a bit odd! Maybe the odd man out is my Express 128 that does work with Cubase!?!

[mikehalloran]

Thanks Mike,

It has been racked up its whole life, so corrosion is unlikely, but not impossible!

I just did similar troubleshooting with my soldering iron on a mixing console, with right Tape In and right Control Room Out not working. After a few harsh words, but a much neater PCB, I discovered that the problem was oxidisation on a couple of latching switches - Tape to Control Room and Tape to Mix!

Ah, well - that's a whole lot of nuts holding pots in place removed and replaced when contact cleaner might have done the job!

Still nothing from MOTU support and their online chat doesn't ever seem to be available!

I'll crank the case open when I have a moment and perhaps post a few snapshots of what I find...

Corrosion can affect components sitting in a rack in a clean room. The tiniest bit can cause major problems. You have no idea how often service techs “fix” things just by taking them apart and reassembling. I have lost count of the number of times it’s worked for me. It’s always the first step and often the last.