My Evolution Ekeys 49 MIDI keyboard did not work its Picture Book app' the other day, in fact it was not there as a usb device. A check in Samplitude also showed it to be absent. Replugging the usb lead gave "Device not recognised...." , There then followed many hours over 2 days of searching for drivers (which are variously reported to be "not needed" or "can't be found", confusing or what!) I installed the M-Audio usb MIDI drivers (that seemed to work for my W7/64 pc, this was a 5yr old 3G P4)and after a great deal of hacking around I eventually got the pc to install some drivers, getting the familar warning about unsigned ones, but when it had finished I got the dreaded "Code 10"! ARRGHH!!!MUCH forking about later I plugged the usb lead into the W7 pc, same result, "not recognised". Hmm, tried another usb lead..Bazinga! "Found usb Audio device...." Tried it back in the P4...Yes! Played a note or 6 and one froze...Cut a long short I had the Evo apart and on the usb B port two classic drys, in fact when I touch one with the solder iron the solder fell away leaving the pin naked. A good weld up all round and things are tickertyboo!
One wonders how often software might be blamed for hardware faults. One problem with the early CD players was the 7805 reg going noisy, that caused all sorts of hangups and funnynesses.

Dave.

I wonder how much stuff has been thrown in the bin for similar reasons. I had a mobile phone which all of a sudden started getting 'device not found' but sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. What threw me off the scent was that the phone was always found by my other PC. Eventually I gave up and bought a new phone. Plugged that into the PC - same problem!!!!! rr

There was one constant I hadn't considered - the cable. When I plugged into the other PC I had a cable already there, that's why the connection was successful. I took that cable up to the 'troublesome' PC and everything worked, including the old mobile. But previously I had the PC apart, reinstallled drivers, system restore, roll backs with Trueimage, hours on the internet - mind you not one suggestion on the internet said check the cable, and I looked at hundreds of threads for device not found!

Hmm, I wonder One if it is possible to make a program that tests leads for inttermitants?

Trouble with computer data links is that they are *hit or bust devices, a momentory loss of contact (which of course is a Jurassic timespan to a digital device)and apps just go nuts and do not give any clues as to the problem.

Dave.

It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

Windows get's far more stick than it deserves most the time. Any experianced engineer will tell you more often than not it's a pebkac issue.

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ScanProAudio & 3XS Audio Systems
ScanProAudio Blog

Quote Pete Kaine:

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Windows get's far more stick than it deserves most the time. Any experianced engineer will tell you more often than not it's a pebkac issue.

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Sorry, a what??? Whats a pebkac??

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www.alterzero.com || "Semper in excremento sum... solum profunditas variat"

Quote Pete Kaine:

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Windows get's far more stick than it deserves most the time. Any experianced engineer will tell you more often than not it's a pebkac issue.

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Ah! Like most car accidents are caused by that most unreliable component, the nut holding the wheel.

Mind, this would never have happened had Evo used decent, plated thru' holes but at £79.99 what can you do?
Dave

Quote valves4ever:

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It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

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No it's not - it's your fault!

Quote ef37a:

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Ah! Like most car accidents are caused by that most unreliable component, the nut holding the wheel.

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Heheh... yep, that's the one.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pebcak

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ScanProAudio & 3XS Audio Systems
ScanProAudio Blog

Ha!

In my experience the weirdest faults with digital cables are those involving S/PDIF when you try to get away with a standard audio phono to phono cable rather than a 75 ohm digital one.

I've had 'device not found', but only at some sample rates and not others, sometimes working and sometimes not at any sample rate, and of course the dreaded intermittent clicks and pops.

Some models of Firewire and USB interfaces do also seem to have a history of intermittent connections where you have to reboot the device (and your audio software) to continue - that can be a REAL PAIN, but I suspect analysis of the cause could probably only be built into the interface.

A wiggle of the USB/Firewire cable that coincides with a drop-out or 'device not found' would certainly be a giveaway though


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Aha! S/PDIF.
I did some experiments with this some time ago and found UHF "tv" kit, Belling plugs etc work ok but you have to be careful of crimped connections. At UHF the very close conductor proximity means that the coupling capacitance "works" but at the much lower digital frequencies the connectors must be soldered.

I also asked Neutrik once which of their RCA plugs was 75Ohms. "None" they said but they are close enough that it rarely matters!

Dave.

Quote OneWorld:

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Quote valves4ever:

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It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

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No it's not - it's your fault!

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Impossible mate....I'm infallible....

Quote valves4ever:

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Quote OneWorld:

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Quote valves4ever:

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It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

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No it's not - it's your fault!

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Impossible mate....I'm infallible....

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Pride comes before a fall!

Quote OneWorld:

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Quote valves4ever:

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Quote OneWorld:

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Quote valves4ever:

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It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

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No it's not - it's your fault!

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Impossible mate....I'm infallible....

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Pride comes before a fall!

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Don't matter. He already said he is inFALLable!
Dave.

Quote ef37a:

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Quote OneWorld:

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Quote valves4ever:

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Quote OneWorld:

---

Quote valves4ever:

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It's not ALWAYS Windows' fault! ....yes it is!

---

No it's not - it's your fault!

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Impossible mate....I'm infallible....

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Pride comes before a fall!

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Don't matter. He already said he is inFALLable!
Dave.

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Nice one Dave....