OS Update from 1.5.5 Fails

[udenjoe]

I've had the same problem with the Beta and now official OS. It always fails on my keyboard. I've tried all of the different ways to update from Midi to USB to bootloader. The software or the board is broken. The countdown goes from 999 to 000 then it just reboots to 1.5.5. In the 20+ years of updating synths and such this is beyond frustrating and is unacceptable.   I noticed people had trouble with 1.5.5 in particular.

My lovely keyboard is no longer lovely. 

[timboréale]

Since you seem to be in the throes of despair, I'll be happy to take it off your hands. How does the cost of shipping sound? :-D

[augustoacuna]

I've had the same problem with the Beta and now official OS. It always fails on my keyboard. I've tried all of the different ways to update from Midi to USB to bootloader. The software or the board is broken. The countdown goes from 999 to 000 then it just reboots to 1.5.5. In the 20+ years of updating synths and such this is beyond frustrating and is unacceptable.   I noticed people had trouble with 1.5.5 in particular.

My lovely keyboard is no longer lovely. 

Same here been trying midi, USB midi, direct connection to laptop port. Anything and nothing works. Always restarts at 1.5.5.

[thermos9]

try Bootloader mode.

[augustoacuna]

try Bootloader mode.

I did, put it in boot loader and sent using midi cable. hung up before finishing.

[siraltus]

Same problem on my OB-6 running 1.5.5. I tried updating it over USB and over MIDI. I tried my MOTU MTP AV USB and a Roland USB 1/1 interface on my Windows 10 PC. I even booted up my vintage Windows 98 PC and ran MIDI-OX on there to update it via the MIDI port on the Audigy 2 sound card as well as the Roland USB interface, which works on Windows 98.

The behavior is the same each time - the countdown goes from 999 to 0 and the synth just reboots. No second countdown ever happens so it does not write the new OS to flash memory. I tried bootloader mode, too.

I think 1.5.5 might just be broken and preventing us from updating because updates worked fine before that. I was not able to update to 1.5.8 before this, too.

[Augustyniak]

Same here, always after the countdown restarts in 1.5.5. .

Maybe if I could install an earlier version before 1.5.5 first, but they are not available for download anymore.

Hope Sequential will find a solution for this, because you are not the only ones having this issue.

Greetings Benny.

[siraltus]

After two hours of trial and error with different interfaces, operating systems, and buffer values, I finally found a combination that worked:

1. Only update in bootloader mode over MIDI. Updating in normal mode over either MIDI or USB always fails.

2. I used buffer size 1024 and buffer number 1024 in MIDI-OX. These may be different for your MIDI interface.

3. I used my MOTU MTP AV USB interface. Other interfaces I tried resulted in "out of memory" errors in MIDI-OX.

IMPORTANT: MIDI-OX will finish sending the update file way faster than the countdown from 999 progresses. Wait for the countdown to finish, it takes about 6-7 minutes. Then, if Dave Smith decides to bless your synth at that very moment, you'll see the second countdown from 8 to 0 and then the synth reboots to 1.6.6.

Hope this helps someone.

[AlainHubert]

I, too, had to use the Bootloader method in order to manage to get it to complete the update, using SysEx Librarian on Mac.

[robertsc]

Yeah, I have to use the boot loader method with this synth. Luckily, I have a decent MIDI interface, an Alyseum U3-88c, which I got mainly for modern pedals that support MIDI, but rarely ever have USB.

[khoral]

I'm having trouble updating from 1.4.9.
Same thing, countdown, reboot and still on the old OS.
I've tried to boot the OB6 in bootloader mode but didn't seem to receive anything...

[ROBIK SOLO rkm]

HELP. I also have a problem I can not Update my OB 6 to version 1.6.6 hangs on 1.5.5 The countdown ends and it reboots I tried to install os version 1.2.1 also fails.  before it was not like that, I think it's some kind of defect with a firmware or a raw version.  help in advance thanks

[udenjoe]

I have contacted support. I suspect something goes wrong after the software loads into memory, 999-000 countdown. Then the second routine doesn't recognize it should load the software from internal memory after rebooting.

It doesn't have a problem loading the sysex. It has a problem installing the update from internal memory.

[khoral]

Sequential support says:

To load OS via Bootloader:

1) Power on the synth while holding the WRITE switch to enter Bootloader Mode. You will see an animation on the main display.

2) Load the 1.6.6 OS via DIN MIDI. USB MIDI does not function in Bootloader Mode.

3) You will see a countdown from 999 to 1, and then another countdown between the Main and FX1 displays.
<b>Do Not Power Off the Synth!>b> It will restart on its own when the countdown completes.

Oh well, I'll try again tonight.

[Dav711]

The same shit is happening to me.  I've tried all the solutions mentioned in all the previous posts with the same outcome, it counts down from 999 to 000 and then reboots with the 1.5.5 OS.  As with the initial post in this thread, in all my years with many different keyboard manufacturers, and that's a lot of years, I haven't experienced this kind of issue with an OS or firmware update.  Sequential needs to figure this out real fast, since the OB-6 is a well-liked and well-selling keyboard (check out the selling price over the years - it maintains its value quite well).  Really, the didn't have their sh__ together before they released this one.  They likely succumbed to pressure for the want of the vintage mode.  I'll be waiting for a fix, as I have not more time to waste to try to figure out how to get this new OS on board and working.  Quite disappointed with my favorite keyboard maker on this one.  I hope they have the manpower to gather all this feedback.

[SpikeB]

I had a very similar experience - it took many hours of faffing about with all the suggestions. It finally worked using boot loader mode and a good quality midi interface - (an older E-MU midi interface didn't work). The good news is that 1) it did work and 2) the new vintage settings makes this instrument sound absolutely ace!

[tjech]

Having the same problem here too.

Bought a unit with the 1.64 beta firmware, and have tried to update the OS via USB/MIDI and Boot Loader MIDI.

Using the Boot Loader, I have got the unit to accept the sysex via SysEx Librarian. Sometimes it needs a power cycle to actually accept the sysex.

Twice I have got it to countdown from 999 to 0. Both times it stuck at 8 on the next countdown and never rebooted itself.
I have had to manually restart the unit each time (after leaving it a LONG time in fear of bricking it!), but the older firmware is still there and nothing has updated.

I'm going to copy support shortly too.

[Dav711]

After two hours of trial and error with different interfaces, operating systems, and buffer values, I finally found a combination that worked:

1. Only update in bootloader mode over MIDI. Updating in normal mode over either MIDI or USB always fails.

2. I used buffer size 1024 and buffer number 1024 in MIDI-OX. These may be different for your MIDI interface.

3. I used my MOTU MTP AV USB interface. Other interfaces I tried resulted in "out of memory" errors in MIDI-OX.

IMPORTANT: MIDI-OX will finish sending the update file way faster than the countdown from 999 progresses. Wait for the countdown to finish, it takes about 6-7 minutes. Then, if Dave Smith decides to bless your synth at that very moment, you'll see the second countdown from 8 to 0 and then the synth reboots to 1.6.6.

Hope this helps someone.

This same method above is what worked for me, with a minor difference, and is what Sequential support recommended.  I used Midi-OX running on a PC and a USB to midi cable, and had the OB-6 in bootloader mode (switch on OB-6 while holding down the write button).  When using the USB from computer to OB-6 USB, the 999-000 countdown went exceedingly fast, less that 30 seconds or so, and failed every time. Using the computer USB to OB-6 MIDI input in bootloader mode the countdown went slowly and took about 6-7 minutes, and is what Sequential’s OS update instructions state it should do. The midi-ox status bar went much faster and completed way before the OB-6 countdown, which is the same as the quote above. The second countdown from 8 to 0 appeared in the clock screen window, which I thought was strange, as everything I’ve read states that it should be in the main screen window.  Anyway, this worked when everything else didn’t. I think I’ve stated in other posts, YouTube maybe, that in many many years I’ve never had this much difficulty with any keyboard or module updating the OS.  Sequential needs to fix this right quick as it’s not like them to have these types of issues.  1.6.6 was beta for a while now before the official release, and I thought these type of things got ironed out during that period.

[Bradshc]

I, too, had to use the Bootloader method in order to manage to get it to complete the update, using SysEx Librarian on Mac.

Same here.
Has there ever been any acknowledgement of the issue by Sequential?