PRO 3 Sound Issues

[tboheir]

Hi everyone! My Pro 3 is giving me some wonky issues when I turn it on after having been off for an extended period. Say, maybe over 18-20 hrs. But if it's less than say 8 hrs, it doesn't seem to occur. It's a bit difficult to explain but here is what's going on. Lets start with the night before when I've turned the Pro 3 off for the night. That happens at around 10pm. I go to bed, wake up, go to work, get home and excitedly go to turn the Pro 3 on! This would now be around 6:30 or 7pm the following day. It boots up and I press a key. It makes a tone but it isn't exactly the correct sound based on the "patch" that is currently selected. It's almost like it's only "Part" of the sound? Like maybe it's missing passing thru some of the parameters. In addition there is a pulsing/clicking like noise occurring too. if I switch to the basic patch...it makes no sound what-so-ever, key press = silence. Sequences do not make sound either when pressing play on any patch, some patches make tones with that same pulse sound, others make no sound. But, If I power cycle the Pro 3 it will boot again and work perfectly fine, all sounds and sequences are all acting as they should. This phenomenon does not seem to occur if it has been off for only a few hours but I'm not sure where that line of time is that changes the occurrence. Is it after 8 hrs or 15 hrs etc... And it corrects itself even if I turn it on, wait around 30 sec, and power cycle again.

Any thoughts on what the issue could be?

My initial thought is temperature. But it isn't a tuning issue. Which if I'm not mistake is what temp usually affects on analog stuff.  But, my studio has no central heating. I use a space type heater for my own comfort, but only when I'm in the room. It doesn't actually get too cold in there generally, maybe 60ish at the lowest. So I only use the heater on certain occasions. But maybe it's being at that cool temp for an extended period overnight?  For now I've moved it to a different room at my house, and will see if there's any difference tonight. unfortunately I'm afraid to many other variables have changed also to know if it is for sure the temp issue.


Thanks in advance!
Brian

[chysn]

I got my Pro 3 about six weeks ago. The first time I turned it on, it sounded horrible. It was a monstrous mess, and I thought, "Am I really going to need to return a synth that I got two minutes ago?" But I power-cycled it, and it was fine, and I haven't heard that distressing sound since.

Presumably it had spent several nights in an unheated truck going from warm San Francisco to cold Michigan, so I figured that it was likely a temperature flux issue.

You're doing the reasonable experiment, to leave your Pro 3 in your heated house for a workday, and see if it behaves itself. If you still have the problem, you can rule out temperature. Keep in mind that you're trying to solve it, not necessarily figure it out. So don't worry about the other variables for now.

[RobinC]

Mine does the same. I assumed that the synth needs a little time to warm up

[tboheir]

Well, I got home and booted it up and no problems at all. So...maybe there is something to the temperature of the room over night. I’m going to leave it where it is one more night and test tomorrow if all good, I’ll move it back to the studio and see if there is a difference. With nothing attached other than headphones as is the case in the house.

[tboheir]

I knew it would cause another variable in my experiment but I woke up early this morning, couldn't fall back asleep and had so since my synth was at the house, I had to go play it and lo and behold, it did it again. Same noise but this time it cleared itself up after about 15-20 seconds. So, I don't think ambient temp is the only contributing factor.  But I do now know it will happen to some extent with it powered off for less than even 8 hours as I shut it down around 10:30pm and powered it back up around 5 am.

[tboheir]

Hey again, Moved it back to my studio, made sure interface and DAW was up and running before powering up my Pro 3. Here is what it sounds like if anyone is interested. The First few minutes are after the initial start up, then I restarted and it kept generating the same issue, I restart it once more toward the end, and it sounds fine from that point on. Each pass start one, two and three is the generally the same patches yet as you can hear they sound different each time. there are moment of no sound at all except the clicking noise too. Basic Program was making no sound at all so, that section just sounds like a few moments of silence.


Should I open a support ticket with Sequential or do you think this is likely an issue with my studio being too cold currently during the day during this time of year?

[chysn]

Should I open a support ticket with Sequential or do you think this is likely an issue with my studio being too cold currently during the day during this time of year?

Definitely support ticket, see what they say. They'll probably have you open it up and re-seat the ribbon cables.

[tboheir]

Should I open a support ticket with Sequential or do you think this is likely an issue with my studio being too cold currently during the day during this time of year?

Definitely support ticket, see what they say. They'll probably have you open it up and re-seat the ribbon cables.

Thanks, I appreciate your responses!

[tboheir]

Just a quick update for anyone interested. I spoke with the tech support guys. They heard the audio and saw my videos. They say it is an issue they are aware of and are currently working on a fix with a software update. Thanks again for every response!!

[MrSmith]

Yes i have this problem, turn on from a cold start and the filter knob doesnt respond (but the touch strip does affect the filter?) and analog oscilators just make a gargling sound the digital oscilator is working and everything else works so its something with the oscilator and filter calibration from start up

When its in this state if i run the calibration it just gets stuck and wont progress through

After between 3-5 mins it clicks in and works fine from then on

i was supposed to return it but learnt to live with it as it always comes on after a few mins

keep waiting for an os update to see if it fixes it

glad im not the only one! mine is the se model serial in the 170s

[MrSmith]

just to add when i first got it it only happended sporadically now it happens every time not sure if the last os made it worse

i made a video to show sequential support about 3-4 months ago and they said it wasnt normal behavior

 

[tboheir]

just to add when i first got it it only happended sporadically now it happens every time not sure if the last os made it worse

i made a video to show sequential support about 3-4 months ago and they said it wasnt normal behavior

Interesting, mine too seems to happen almost every time. Interestingly, I just took a short trip to Inlet Beach in FL and took my Pro 3 with me. It is much warmer there currently and the problem did not occur one single time. However, since being back from the trip and set up in it's normal environment, it has happened every day.

I guess it likes being at the Beach!

[Jonah66]

My non se Pro 3 is also exhibiting this behaviour. When i first turn it on, the startup patch sounds garbled and distorted, if i power off, it is then ok.

[MrSmith]

The latest firmware has cured this for me