Bricked after Samples Added

[SynthJam]

Well i've had contact from DSI, they've asked me to try the OS from boot loader mode if that doesn't work to try the FPGA file they've sent. I'm not holding out much hope that will fix it as others have tried this to no avail ... will report back in a bit ...

[SynthJam]

Well as I suspected it didn't work ...

[Razmo]

What can I say (while thinking back to the Tempest sample import soap opera) ... I'm glad I did not buy a PX yet... it also underlines what I've always been saying regarding DSI/Sequential devices... WAIT buying until you absolutely know what you get from the get go, and what is "promised" down the road... if you purchase with "down the road" in mind, you might get burned... you'll have to live in Limbo while you wait on either a fix or a "expected behavior" or "low bug visibility" statement... this is not to piss anyone off, I'm just stating the obvious.

[Shaw]

What can I say (while thinking back to the Tempest sample import soap opera) ... I'm glad I did not buy a PX yet... it also underlines what I've always been saying regarding DSI/Sequential devices... WAIT buying until you absolutely know what you get from the get go, and what is "promised" down the road... if you purchase with "down the road" in mind, you might get burned... you'll have to live in Limbo while you wait on either a fix or a "expected behavior" or "low bug visibility" statement... this is not to piss anyone off, I'm just stating the obvious.

True... and let's also remember that bricked machines (unless I've missed something) are all the result of people using the Beta software.
The vast majority of owners have had zero issues -- even many using the Beta software. [insert conversation about two subsets using the exact same tools, PX and beta software, and getting different results -- logically, statistically, user error has to be considered as a reason].
My PX works as advertised by DSI/Sequential.  I downloaded and installed the "Last Prophet" Add-On -- no issues there either. 
I feel bad for the folks with bricked machines. But it's a bit unfair to start bashing Sequential over the holiday season for a mistake of Beta software.

[REwire]

What can I say (while thinking back to the Tempest sample import soap opera) ... I'm glad I did not buy a PX yet... it also underlines what I've always been saying regarding DSI/Sequential devices... WAIT buying until you absolutely know what you get from the get go, and what is "promised" down the road... if you purchase with "down the road" in mind, you might get burned... you'll have to live in Limbo while you wait on either a fix or a "expected behavior" or "low bug visibility" statement... this is not to piss anyone off, I'm just stating the obvious.

True... and let's also remember that bricked machines (unless I've missed something) are all the result of people using the Beta software.
The vast majority of owners have had zero issues -- even many using the Beta software. [insert conversation about two subsets using the exact same tools, PX and beta software, and getting different results -- logically, statistically, user error has to be considered as a reason].
My PX works as advertised by DSI/Sequential.  I downloaded and installed the "Last Prophet" Add-On -- no issues there either. 
I feel bad for the folks with bricked machines. But it's a bit unfair to start bashing Sequential over the holiday season for a mistake of Beta software.

The problem here is both 8DIO and DSI deny there's any problem with the Beta Software.  I sent DSI my USB Drive contents that I uploaded to cause my bricking.  It was sampling before that just crashed on a new batch of samples I edited.  DSI says it all loaded into the shop PX without issues. 

So all signs point to the PX OS processing these samples. 

It's unacceptable that naming or numbering errors can brick any synth.  They need to revise the OS to halt any formatting errors before they load into the machine and not let them upload and freeze when restarting.   

Sample loading is hardly new tech, I was sending sample sets via SCSI to my EMU ESI-32 in 1993.   That ever crash?  NO

[Shaw]

DSI is going to send me a new hard drive to swap.

and....

The problem here is both 8DIO and DSI deny there's any problem with the Beta Software.

Sorry, but these statements seem inconsistent.   DSI has both denied that there's any problem and provided you a solution by sending you a new hard drive?

Regardless, I'm sure they will get it fixed and get you back to making music again.

[REwire]

DSI is going to send me a new hard drive to swap.

and....

The problem here is both 8DIO and DSI deny there's any problem with the Beta Software.

Sorry, but these statements seem inconsistent.   DSI has both denied that there's any problem and provided you a solution by sending you a new hard drive?

Regardless, I'm sure they will get it fixed and get you back to making music again.

They are inconsistent because I have not received the hard drive yet so can't retry sample loading and DSI haven't gotten my old drive back to analyze what crashed.   If the same set of user samples crashed one machine and not another what does one make of that? 

Warning that user samples must be exactly named, numbered and formatted is ludicrous as I've loaded bad files to samplers hundreds of times and they just give error messages and skip, not kill the machine.
 

[lyynk]

In France, 2 people than I know and I also have a planted Px .... I'm waiting a SSD from Sequential by the middle of next week....

[Razmo]

What can I say (while thinking back to the Tempest sample import soap opera) ... I'm glad I did not buy a PX yet... it also underlines what I've always been saying regarding DSI/Sequential devices... WAIT buying until you absolutely know what you get from the get go, and what is "promised" down the road... if you purchase with "down the road" in mind, you might get burned... you'll have to live in Limbo while you wait on either a fix or a "expected behavior" or "low bug visibility" statement... this is not to piss anyone off, I'm just stating the obvious.

True... and let's also remember that bricked machines (unless I've missed something) are all the result of people using the Beta software.
The vast majority of owners have had zero issues -- even many using the Beta software. [insert conversation about two subsets using the exact same tools, PX and beta software, and getting different results -- logically, statistically, user error has to be considered as a reason].
My PX works as advertised by DSI/Sequential.  I downloaded and installed the "Last Prophet" Add-On -- no issues there either. 
I feel bad for the folks with bricked machines. But it's a bit unfair to start bashing Sequential over the holiday season for a mistake of Beta software.

My problem with this thing is that Sequential once again decided to "outsource" the software/sample part of a device to a third party company... I'm not sure I can say that Sequential should be forgiven for this, and either not for accepting a release of a beta right before their holidays... they SHOULD know that as soon as that software got out, users would throw themselves at it, as this is what probably made them buy the darn thing in the first place... I'm not willing to give the blame to the users of a beta for being impatient... simply because i feel that Sequential should have made that software themselves, and they should have had it ready when they launched the PX, fully tested! ... what they've done (again) is to launch something unfinished, and then "throw the dice" that everything turns out right... and now, for the second time (Tempest was the first), that proves not to be the case.

I'm sure that they'll fix it... and probably fast and elegant, but I can certainly not see why users do not have the right to be pissed, that they are now sitting here, waiting for a fix, with a bricked 3000 dollar machine... if quality testing had been done before launch, and the software was finished from the get go, this would probably not even have happened.

I'd be pissed if I had gotten a bricked PX too... and I would certainly not feel ashamed of being pissed knowing that it's bricked because Sequential obviously did not want to do the software themselves and proper quality testing. I would have expected of them to have learned from the Tempest farce.

[Lady Gaia]

If I was in Sequential’s shoes I’d be very tired of people talking about the mythical user sample support on the Tempest.  To the best of my knowledge they never indicated that it would happen, and it didn’t.  I’ve asked on several forums if anyone has a shred of evidence otherwise, and the answer is always no.

The situation for Prophet X owners who are currently affected is very unfortunate and I hope it gets resolved quickly.  I also have no doubt that it will be, and that the solution will be no more complex than a SysEx delivered OS update via the bootloader.  The hard part is determining the exact nature of the problem and having a high-confidence fix to roll out.

I do completely agree that the Prophet X itself should be validating everything it loads.  Relying on external software to format everything correctly 100% of the time, and on users not to tinker with the result in an in unsupported way is asking for trouble.

[lyynk]

what they've done (again) is to launch something unfinished

And there was not only the history of the Tempest ...
The first series (Not PE) of Prophet 8, monoevolver, polyevolver with the problems of knobs ...
At the time, I was a seller in a music store, we had stopped in order, too much after-sales service problem.
Between this, the Tempest and now this PX, it is shameful to treat customers who pay expensive equipment and who serve beta tester.
Just to sell the equipment as quickly as possible without it being perfectly checked, perfectly controlled and try to win money quick, quick, quick.
I really love the Prophet X (when it does not freeze ...) but finaly, they should have waited to perfectly check everything before going out even if it cost them more expensive ... And even more with their 8dio partnership...

[johnts]

I think from all the comments here about the sample related issue is that whoever allowed the release of the beta compiler before a major holiday period, where support would be off line, should really be brought too account. Clearly the compiler was late, unfinished, unpolished whatever BUT you just do not release this type of product in such away and at such a time. I come from a software / operating system development back and you would never, never, nerver do such a thing without having all the support and contingency inplace (whether you were a big or small company.). The PX for all of us is a big investment and to trust this beta release from 8Dio who have hardly covered themselves in much glory to date beggars belief. But what's happened has happened, Sequential are a company that has demonstrated good commitment to customers, I've had numerous firmware update problems with my PX since the offset and they've always been top nouch in responding to the issues. At the moment I don't think I have the same confidence with 8dio and there part of the story. But perhaps judgement should be resevered until we discover the source real problem here. Anyway I do wish the best and speedy fix for all PX owners with the problem. I will be holding off any more sample loading until there is an outcome, given my own history of firmware update related issues!

[SynthJam]

Interestingly 8Dio told me that they had been told that DSI would take over ...

This is from my chat transcript 2 days ago with 8Dio

“Alright, we have been told that DSI will need to take over this support request as it sounds more like a software problem that the DSI Support can fix.”

[JMB]

Hi everybody. Brick now after added the neutron vco samples. I downloaded the file, create a directory px, put the U02 in it. Copy to an USB key. Added user samples. It worked perfectly, good sound the neutron and turn off the PX. When turning on ...
 
Another brick .... 
Thanks mister Dave, find us a solution ... please

[Razmo]

If I was in Sequential’s shoes I’d be very tired of people talking about the mythical user sample support on the Tempest.  To the best of my knowledge they never indicated that it would happen, and it didn’t.  I’ve asked on several forums if anyone has a shred of evidence otherwise, and the answer is always no.

The situation for Prophet X owners who are currently affected is very unfortunate and I hope it gets resolved quickly.  I also have no doubt that it will be, and that the solution will be no more complex than a SysEx delivered OS update via the bootloader.  The hard part is determining the exact nature of the problem and having a high-confidence fix to roll out.

I do completely agree that the Prophet X itself should be validating everything it loads.  Relying on external software to format everything correctly 100% of the time, and on users not to tinker with the result in an in unsupported way is asking for trouble.

There were no direct promise of the Tempest user sample option, but they talked about including it in a later update... if you are a clever developer you do NOT talk about such possibilities unless you're prepared to deal with pissed off customers when they find out it never happened anyway... especially when the stock samples are mostly crap and have bugs in the samples as well... but even if we take that one feature away in the equation, the Tempest STILL suffer from several bugs that should have been fixed... one being the very clicky single cycle waveforms, the MIDI DIN SysEx bugs, and several other... a great deal of those bugs should have been fixed, and they should never have released that drummachine until it had been thoroughly tested and finished it before release... this is why I compare this to the PX now since it's the exact same stupid thing... they release the PX saying that a user sample feature will be out in december, and then outsource the software programming to other companies, just like they outsourced the sample part to a third party chip developer for Tempest.

I really do not care if Sequential do not like critique... I'll give it when I feel it's relevant, and I feel it is that right now... they should stop being so lazy when it comes to software development and hire someone to do their OWN software development... many still do not get why they have no interest in developing editors for their synths, as any other developer out there does this these days... to me it seems like they really do not give a shit about people who prefer editors, or anyone who would want to use their own samples when they constantly give the job away to people who can clearly not deliver.

Had this been the first time, i might have let it pass... but this is the second time they've outsourced user sample features that has given users trouble.

Anyone is of course intitled to their own opinion on this matter... but this is mine.

[SynthJam]

Hi everybody. Brick now after added the neutron vco samples. I downloaded the file, create a directory px, put the U02 in it. Copy to an USB key. Added user samples. It worked perfectly, good sound the neutron and turn off the PX. When turning on ...
 
Another brick .... 
Thanks mister Dave, find us a solution ... please

Sorry you've had to join our club

[SynthJam]

Hi everybody. Brick now after added the neutron vco samples. I downloaded the file, create a directory px, put the U02 in it. Copy to an USB key. Added user samples. It worked perfectly, good sound the neutron and turn off the PX. When turning on ...
 
Another brick .... 
Thanks mister Dave, find us a solution ... please

Was this the first time you had loaded user samples?

[blewis]

Well sh*t. Double plus not good.

Do you recall what version of the OS you were on?

Hi everybody. Brick now after added the neutron vco samples. I downloaded the file, create a directory px, put the U02 in it. Copy to an USB key. Added user samples. It worked perfectly, good sound the neutron and turn off the PX. When turning on ...
 
Another brick .... 
Thanks mister Dave, find us a solution ... please

[JMB]

To SynthJam - yes the first time. The file was downloaded in this forum 
To blewis - The version of the os was the last 2.0.0.0.1

[blewis]

To blewis - The version of the os was the last 2.0.0.0.1

Do you recall if you saved any presets with the loaded Neutron samples? And if you saved that preset, did you set that as the default preset by entering the global menu?  i.e. Did you setup the newly saved preset using the Neutron samples as the default preset to be loaded on boot?

FWIW, I've loaded these Neutron projects repeatedly on my PX as part of collaboratively building them and haven't seen any issues.