Latest Prophet '08 Updates

Sacred Synthesis · « **on:** October 06, 2015, 07:04:18 AM »

According to the DSI website, the latest Prophet '08 operating system is Mv2.3/Vv1.5, but the latest BETA OS is 2.6.1. Because I'm intending to update my set up all-round (as always), I'm wondering how reliable and stable this BETA OS is and if it's worth getting. Has anybody done the update or received an updated Prophet '08? Are there any problems or bugs that still need to be fixed, or have we reached the euphoric end of all major problems with the Prophet '08?

dslsynth · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:12:03 AM »

Do you plan to perform the OS updates yourself? Or?

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:26:54 AM »

Quote from: dslsynth on October 06, 2015, 07:12:03 AM

Do you plan to perform the OS updates yourself? Or?

Rats, I knew you'd ask that question. Um...I'll take the "or".

dslsynth · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:34:18 AM »

We really need to upgrade your digital talents on that front. All it takes is a USB/MIDI interface and a computer with an operating system that supports class compliant USB/MIDI connections. Its not very difficult.

. o O ( same old story )

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:38:57 AM »

That's easy for you to say. And if I give it a try and totally mess it up - as many have - are you going to jump on a plane and come fix it for me? And yes, you would have to pay for the plane ticket.

dslsynth · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:45:29 AM »

We all have that problem. What it will cost you is to take the main board out of the instrument, install the new one send to you by DSI, transfer the patches from the old to the new board and you are up and running again. Total cost: standard DSI repair fee ($25?) plus shipping the old board back to DSI. Oh and remember to back up your presets before upgrading the OS on your instrument.

On that topic: you should have sensed my feelings as I started to send sysex messages to my instruments generated by my own software. I tell you: check and recheck and check and recheck and check again.

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:50:11 AM »

Quote from: dslsynth on October 06, 2015, 07:45:29 AM

We all have that problem. What it will cost you is to take the main board out of the instrument, install the new one send to you by DSI, transfer the patches from the old to the new board and you are up and running again. Total cost: standard DSI repair fee ($25?) plus shipping the old board back to DSI. Oh and remember to back up your presets before upgrading the OS on your instrument.

I've done all that before, with no problems. I think it was on the P'08.

dslsynth · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:51:44 AM »

Good to know! So you already got all the required talents!

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #8 on:** October 06, 2015, 08:00:35 AM »

Oh, you'll have to do better than that, after years of deriding me over this! A box of Danish chocolates, at least.

On another note, we have to be careful with these new moderator powers. In order to reply, I habitually click the "Modify Message" tab in the lower right hand side of the text field. But that opens the previous person's post for editing! So, we could that easily change each other's posts to say whatever we wanted. Yikes, this could be fun!

Razmo · « **Reply #9 on:** October 06, 2015, 12:15:41 PM »

I've been on the latest beta since it came out... on the module that is... no problems with it, exept I believe that it has a problem with program changes when using it in multi mode... the OS is probably one of DSI's least buggy in my opinion.

And regarding doing an update... really... it's no big deal... people often get scared, that IF a dump goes wrong, then hell breakes loose and you are good with a door stopper.

That is NOT the case...

First of... the SysEx dump has a checksum in it... this checksum is recalculated once P8 has recieved the OS, and if it does not match the checksum stored in the dump, then it'll tell you, and not write the OS to flash...

If the checksum matches, P8 will write the OS into flash... this is done without any interference from the computer... it's solely a job for the P8 alone... if that fails for some reason, or you switch off P8 while it's doing it, THEN you'll have a damaged OS...

But even if that happens, you can initiate an OS update by doing a special key combination at power up... the code for doing the update is not part of the OS itself... thus, this "boot code" can be initialized by this button combi, and you can resend the OS, and have it burn the OS to flash again... you can keep on doing that until it works.

The only way to get a bricked P8 is if this boot-code that writes the OS is somehow damaged... but as this is not updated thru an OS update, it should not be possible for it to happen.

I've updated every DSI synth I've got this far... Mopho, Tetra, Desktop Evolver, Mono Evolver Keyboard, Poly Evolver Rack, Prophet 08, Prophet 12 and Tempest... NONE has failed... not even once... and I update as soon as a new OS is out, all the time, so we're talking MANY updates.

If you just follow the info given with an OS update, I'd say there is a greater chance to get killed in traffic, than an OS update error that'll brick your synth.

Razmo · « **Reply #10 on:** October 06, 2015, 12:25:50 PM »

In fact... now that I think of it... with all those synths I've had thru the years, I've never had an OS dump fail on me with ANY of them, exept for one instance... That was a Vermona M.A.R.S. synthesizer, where the seller (got it used), had supplied me with an AC adapter, but the real one was supposed to have been a DC one... for some reason, the synth started up, but the OS update failed, bricking the synth totaly... I had to get a new microcontroller chip, but got that free of charge from Vermona, even though the synth had been long out of production.

That only shows to tell that you need some really speciel circumstances before such things happen... not even a computer with a crappy MIDI interface or software sending the OS can brick anything... it can only screw up the SysEx dump, and if the recieving synth error checks it, problems will be stopped even before anything is written to flash memory.

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #11 on:** October 06, 2015, 12:28:45 PM »

Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm sure I'll somehow come up with those "special circumstances". For now, I'm going to play it safe.

vinnyburns1@mac.com · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2015, 03:21:01 AM »

Quote from: Sacred Synthesis on October 06, 2015, 07:04:18 AM

According to the DSI website, the latest Prophet '08 operating system is Mv2.3/Vv1.5, but the latest BETA OS is 2.6.1. Because I'm intending to update my set up all-round (as always), I'm wondering how reliable and stable this BETA OS is and if it's worth getting. Has anybody done the update or received an updated Prophet '08? Are there any problems or bugs that still need to be fixed, or have we reached the euphoric end of all major problems with the Prophet '08?

So, where do we get the beta? Is there any info on what is updated with the beta.
Is the LFO amount fixed? The speed from an amount of 20 and 21 seem to be reversed (from memory, not if front of the synth at the moment).

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2015, 11:24:28 AM »

Here are the details of the update. It'll be available from this forum in the near future.

Concerning the latest available Prophet 08 BETA OS, you will find the change log for the 2.6 and 2.6.1 OS below:

Changelog
Main OS 2.6.1
Fixed bug: Global bounds wrong preventing selection of dump program menu item

Main OS 2.6
Added arp relatch mode
LFO external sync improved and tweaked
Fixed bug: Env 3 Amount, Filter Env Amount, and Mod Amount do not get reset to 0 value when +Yes/-No are pressed simultaneously- they get set to -28
Fixed bug: MIDIParamLCD on/off doesn't work, automated parameters are still displayed when MIDIParamLCD is off
Fixed bug: Unison Last note priority behaves like low note priority
Fixed bug: Hung notes in certain Unison modes when multiple keys held
Fixed bug: LFO Key Sync LED not lighting correctly based on current LFO param
Fixed bug: Unison detune not reacting independently on each layer
Fixed bug: Param 1&2 currently send MIDI when performing a layer copy function
Fixed bug: When changing Osc Frequency, not able to reach C10 with pots when in relative mode

vinnyburns1@mac.com · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2015, 02:22:00 PM »

Quote from: Sacred Synthesis on October 07, 2015, 11:24:28 AM

Here are the details of the update. It'll be available from this forum in the near future.

Concerning the latest available Prophet 08 BETA OS, you will find the change log for the 2.6 and 2.6.1 OS below:

Changelog
Main OS 2.6.1
Fixed bug: Global bounds wrong preventing selection of dump program menu item

Main OS 2.6
Added arp relatch mode
LFO external sync improved and tweaked
Fixed bug: Env 3 Amount, Filter Env Amount, and Mod Amount do not get reset to 0 value when +Yes/-No are pressed simultaneously- they get set to -28
Fixed bug: MIDIParamLCD on/off doesn't work, automated parameters are still displayed when MIDIParamLCD is off
Fixed bug: Unison Last note priority behaves like low note priority
Fixed bug: Hung notes in certain Unison modes when multiple keys held
Fixed bug: LFO Key Sync LED not lighting correctly based on current LFO param
Fixed bug: Unison detune not reacting independently on each layer
Fixed bug: Param 1&2 currently send MIDI when performing a layer copy function
Fixed bug: When changing Osc Frequency, not able to reach C10 with pots when in relative mode

Thank you for the info.

SpaceVoice · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2015, 07:07:39 PM »

Hi
I hope to reassure you on updates, although I have only updated once.
If you have Midi-Ox , your half way there.
DSI had to walk me thru this, however I will tell you that after several tries ,I had to slow the transfer rate down to about as slow as possible.
Even at a slow pace it only took a few minutes.

lnetzel · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2015, 04:13:20 AM »

Quote from: Sacred Synthesis on October 06, 2015, 07:04:18 AM

According to the DSI website, the latest Prophet '08 operating system is Mv2.3/Vv1.5, but the latest BETA OS is 2.6.1. Because I'm intending to update my set up all-round (as always), I'm wondering how reliable and stable this BETA OS is and if it's worth getting. Has anybody done the update or received an updated Prophet '08? Are there any problems or bugs that still need to be fixed, or have we reached the euphoric end of all major problems with the Prophet '08?

I used Send SX (free) from Bome and it worked perfectly using regular Midicables between my PC and my Prophet.
https://www.bome.com/products/sendsx

I've been on the BETA OS since day two of owning the Prophet '08. Just make sure you calibrate the wheels (described in teh manual) after.

Razmo · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2015, 01:29:10 PM »

Just use the program "C6" from Elektron... it's free... and you don't even have to make any changes to buffers, send delays or anything... just run C6, choose your MIDI output where P08 is connected, load the .syx file and send it.... it's really that simple! ... I've used this program for all DSI synths, and it works every single time.

vinnyburns1@mac.com · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2015, 05:04:16 AM »

So while we wait for the beta OS to be uploaded, how did everyone else manage to get theirs?
The Pro 08 seems to be forgotten by DSI these days so I don't expect anyone being in a hurry to even get it posted here.

lnetzel · « **Reply #19 on:** October 19, 2015, 11:25:41 AM »

Quote from: vinnyburns on October 17, 2015, 05:04:16 AM

So while we wait for the beta OS to be uploaded, how did everyone else manage to get theirs?
The Pro 08 seems to be forgotten by DSI these days so I don't expect anyone being in a hurry to even get it posted here.

I don't know the plans for this forum and I don't want to upload something that is not appreciated but there is another "unofficial" forum. The first post in this thread has attachments.
http://dsiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5030