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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => Pro AV Forum => Topic started by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 01, 2018, 04:04:16 PM

Title: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 01, 2018, 04:04:16 PM
Dear all,

Today had something strange going on with my Si Performer 2. Had a relatively small show, so I connected my Ministagebox 16 on CARD 1 in the mixer.

Started the mixer, stagebox wasn't yet connected
Booting OK
Working
Halfway connect the stagebox
Stagebox LED keeps blinking
Strange, so switched of mixer with button on top
Switching back on... nothing
I briefly saw the nice lady splashscreen, everything darkens, dead.
Powered off with switch on back
Powered back on, mixer boots, stagebox working.

Because of lack of time hoped for the best, and the mixer worked like a charm, show went fine. When everybody is gone, unplugged stagebox, plugged back in, no lock. Shutdown and restart mixer, same, splashscreen dark, nothing.

This is some strange behaviour. Later I found the ethernet connector on my cable is not 100% anymore, so that can mean the connection is also not a-okay. But does this mean the device to hang right after the splash screen? I tried "reset config" on both stagebox and mixer, not working. I noticed that as soon as the splash screen dissappears and a boot screen appears the LOCK LEDs light normally, or when there is no stagebox of course not, but it never hangs.

Long story short, can a wacky MADI cable make the console crash during boot?

Thanks for your answer on before hands

[update]
Just found out that it has nothing to do with the stagebox, that was just coincident. Mixer is now at home next to me, working fine, swtiched it off with the top button, back on, not booting. Normally I external pull the plug, so this is probably the first time I see this. Something strange with my board? 3rd time it worked fine again.

1st time after AC applied, OK
2nd, dead, no click after splash screen
3rd time, Ok

Regards,
Antoine
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Dave Garoutte on July 05, 2018, 01:28:43 AM
FYI, connect the stagebox, turn it on, then the Performer.

From your description, it sounds like the board worked, just no screen.
If so, it sounds like the screen is wonky, perhaps a loose cable.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 06, 2018, 06:00:57 PM
FYI, connect the stagebox, turn it on, then the Performer.

From your description, it sounds like the board worked, just no screen.
If so, it sounds like the screen is wonky, perhaps a loose cable.

I found out that the stagebox issues had nothing to do with the boot issue. Stagebox issues was caused by a bad cable.

BUT

The booting issue is strange. Sometimes the mixer doesn't powerup properly. I get the splashscreen with the lady, and normally, after that you hear "click" and the console boots. This never appears, screen goes black, no click, LED is green though. I can power it off by holding powerbutton, after yellow blink, press again, unit is off. Pressing it again, will boot console normal. Is this an issue that is going to get worse (like crashing and stuff?)
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Dave Garoutte on July 06, 2018, 07:43:26 PM
Call Rick at Soundcraft support.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Tim McCulloch on July 07, 2018, 09:45:38 AM
I found out that the stagebox issues had nothing to do with the boot issue. Stagebox issues was caused by a bad cable.

BUT

The booting issue is strange. Sometimes the mixer doesn't powerup properly. I get the splashscreen with the lady, and normally, after that you hear "click" and the console boots. This never appears, screen goes black, no click, LED is green though. I can power it off by holding powerbutton, after yellow blink, press again, unit is off. Pressing it again, will boot console normal. Is this an issue that is going to get worse (like crashing and stuff?)

One of our clients had the same issue with their Si Performer.  It's a hardware problem and will need to be repaired by Soundcraft.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 08, 2018, 09:07:46 AM
Call Rick at Soundcraft support.
Actually, I'm from the Netherlands, have no idea who to call. This guy Rick is from Soundcraft USA I presume?
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 08, 2018, 09:12:55 AM
One of our clients had the same issue with their Si Performer.  It's a hardware problem and will need to be repaired by Soundcraft.

Hi Tim, not good to hear, but I was already expecting this actually, something is wrong with the PSU as it seems, and one day it'll fail on me during a show. Hopefully they do it under warranty coverage as the device is 15 months old. Will call to reseller first and will see what it'll bring. As being an electronics developer myself, isn't there any way to do this myself?
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Tim McCulloch on July 08, 2018, 01:00:50 PM
Hi Tim, not good to hear, but I was already expecting this actually, something is wrong with the PSU as it seems, and one day it'll fail on me during a show. Hopefully they do it under warranty coverage as the device is 15 months old. Will call to reseller first and will see what it'll bring. As being an electronics developer myself, isn't there any way to do this myself?

Hi Antoine-

I'm not familiar with the specifics of the repair or solution; my client was just happy to replace their Midas Pro2/DL box with the Si, and when it failed they were *very* unhappy with anything British (except Guinness, apparently).  Soundcraft USA took care of the repair and the client is happy again.. except with Midas.

I suggest also looking up who imports Soundcraft to The Netherlands as *usually* the importer is responsible for warranty claims and designating repair stations.  Your reseller should be able to provide this info if they are not a repair station.

If the mixer is out of warranty you can open it up and start metering PSU voltages, I suppose.  Another (but different) common failure mode was loose SD card that holds the device OS and firmware.  You might try re-seating the SD card.

Perhaps one of the repair techs that use our forum will see this and post. :)
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 10, 2018, 02:39:54 PM
Okay, finally managed to call to my reseller, and they confirmed that it is possibly this issue. So, agreed to return it to them. Not that happy, but hey, it is still under warranty.

And Guinness? Ieuw ;). We prefer Belgian beer on this side of the world  ;D
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: David Morison on July 18, 2018, 04:00:46 PM

my client was just happy to replace their Midas Pro2/DL box with the Si, and when it failed they were *very* unhappy with anything British (except Guinness, apparently).

Before any of our Irish (or Irish-American) correspondents tears you a new one, I'll point out more gently that Guinness isn't British at all, but, as you've now guessed, Irish.

Not that we don't appreciate it here, but we're definitely not presumptuous enough to claim it as our own ;)

Slàinte,
David.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Tim McCulloch on July 18, 2018, 10:32:48 PM
Before any of our Irish (or Irish-American) correspondents tears you a new one, I'll point out more gently that Guinness isn't British at all, but, as you've now guessed, Irish.

Not that we don't appreciate it here, but we're definitely not presumptuous enough to claim it as our own ;)

Slàinte,
David.

You caught my sly slap of silliness. :D 
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on July 19, 2018, 04:23:33 PM
 ;D nice to see how every discussion with technicians ends with beer :)

Though my mixer is still with me, still having a discussion with my reseller. So I simply made a short video of what happens with my mixer, now it should be clear, if only they watched it... ???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGdXBmVlx0Q

Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on August 30, 2018, 07:44:09 AM
Well.... still busy with this on. But there is something new to mention. The problem my mixing table has, has to do with the fact that both slots are equipped with an USB-MADI card, both supplied with my 16R en 32R stageboxes. When I remove one of the cards, from any slot, the problem is gone...

Anybody has the same config and is willing to try?  ;D
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Dave Garoutte on August 30, 2018, 11:54:23 AM
It is possible the dip switch settings could be causing a conflict.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on August 31, 2018, 03:01:19 AM
It is possible the dip switch settings could be causing a conflict.

Was also thinking about that. Dipswitches are standard and set according to manual. Never touched them. And actually everything works fine when it boots. The weird part is that is always fails to boot the 2nd time, but continues to work the 3rd,4th,5th,... and 1st time.

To me this sound like a small software bug, being an electronics and embedded software engineer myself I simply can not believe this behaviour is from some hardware issue. Then it would never work, or at least, not anymore after it failed.

The question is now at the dealership AudioXL, from the reseller in Belgium/Netherlands. Support goes slowly as it has to pass my reseller, which is quiet annoying. The only thing I'd like to know if this is a hardware issue that needs to be repaired or not. Seems to be a difficult question... :o.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on August 31, 2018, 04:41:37 AM
Mixer is returned to dealer tomorrow, will keep you informed.
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Antoine van de Cruyssen on October 16, 2018, 03:14:34 PM
Mixer is returned to dealer tomorrow, will keep you informed.

Well it bleeping took AGES, but it has returned, was something wrong with the interface to one of the interface cards, therefore ended up in some strange boot issue. But it is solved now :)

Happy mixing :)
Title: Re: Soundcraft Si Performer acting strange on boot
Post by: Dave Garoutte on October 16, 2018, 07:14:42 PM
XLNT! :D 
We don't like hearing of problems with our Performers. :(