I just got a secondhand-but-never-used automat toolkit. At first, everything worked perfectly. But sometimes the solenoids will stop moving, all of them. I can’t tell what causes this. Very often, rebooting/power-cycling things (laptop and automat) brings them back, but I haven’t figured out WHAT needs to be rebooted.
The base LEDs still light up as the individual “notes” receive their MIDI signals, but the solenoids do not move.
I’m mostly using the USB input, but I’ve tried the MIDI DIN input as well, and same result.
I see others have perhaps had similar issues… I’m using the supplied power supply, and everything is well connected.
Hi. Which software are you using? What kind of computer? Is the computer connected to power… if so… is it on the same outlet as the power supply of the automat? If not only use it with DIN MIDI. If the computer and automat are on different power circuits from the building you get a difference in the potential which can cause a ground loop which basically will create a overvoltage spike…
Thank you Johannes!
I am using PureData on a laptop running Linux. The automat is plugged in to the same power strip as the computer.
In preparing this response, I came across a new theory… the IEC cable into the power bank may be loose. It looks and feels pretty tight, but there’s a bit of play. Some LEDs make me think it might be insecure. That makes the most sense! As I set up and move around, I might be knocking it.
And to think I always scoff at the “are you sure it’s plugged in?” steps of troubleshooting…