Midas Pro 1 failure

[Peter Morris]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Had a really unpleasant gig yesterday. A Midas pro 1 console went full tilt boogie noise championship on the master outputs mid show... Like suddenly: WWWAAAAA(/!#(/&!#/(&#¤RRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

In the heat of the moment i instantly grabbed my four input fader, pulled them down, no go, looked at the master meters, shit they are lighting up like a Christmas tree!! jumped to the master mute buttons, nothing(!), then pulled the master fader down... Thankfully that worked. I guess it took about four seconds, but it felt a lot longer. And I can tell you, the audience, about 300 of them jumped out of their seats...

Luckily the venue had a small backup mixer, so the show could go on after a ten minute break..View attachment 8874

Without any master out EQ and very limited features it sounded like someone put three layers of curtain in front of the speakers, but hey it works!

So, anyone else experienced this with a pro 1?

There was an old firmware issue that could cause somethinglike that. It was associated with the EFX – Midas immediately addressed it, butnot everyone updated their firmware.
Was the desk running the latest firmware 2.3-51?

 

[Steve Payne]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

If you keep your ears open you'll hear somebody say something bad about everything, eventually. I owned a couple of MH3s for about 10 years. They were as solid and dependable as any console I've ever owned.

 

[Brandon Blakeney]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

If you keep your ears open you'll hear somebody say something bad about everything, eventually. I owned a couple of MH3s for about 10 years. They were as solid and dependable as any console I've ever owned.

I've heard bad things about them on a few forums, but also it seems that an unusually high number of the one's on ebay have "something" wrong with them....such as a bad channel or two...or have been serviced for power supply issues as earlier mentioned. In fairness I have never touched an MH, so this is only what I've heard...I almost bought one from a church here in MS.

 

[Henning Fjeld]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

There was an old firmware issue that could cause somethinglike that. It was associated with the EFX – Midas immediately addressed it, butnot everyone updated their firmware.
Was the desk running the latest firmware 2.3-51?

Thanks, I will check that tomorrow.

Funny, I was actually interested in purchasing a Pro 1 or Pro 2 for myself. Now I`m not interested anymore.

To have this happen is like a nail in the coffin business wise... Thankfully that was the in house board and not one brought by me.

 

[gordon mcgregor]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

In nearly 14 years of digital desk usage in both studio and live use I've had or been involved in only 2 show stoppers that was purely the consoles fault the Venue last week and a Spirit 328 with an early software version. In that same time I've had at least 4 analogue desks fail in a way that stopped the show/soundcheck for at least a short time. It has to be said that NONE of these caused a complete cancellation of any show though one or 2 were a close thing. Kit will fail it's how you deal with it that will decide what the fallout will be. G
.
PS console usage during that time was probably 60/40 analogue though in recent years it's been mostly digital

 

[Will Lane]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

What software revision was running on this Pro1?

 

[Peter Morris]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Thanks, I will check that tomorrow.

Funny, I was actually interested in purchasing a Pro 1 or Pro 2 for myself. Now I`m not interested anymore.

To have this happen is like a nail in the coffin business wise... Thankfully that was the in house board and not one brought by me.

If it is an old firmware issue, whats the problem? I have been perfectly happy with my Pro2 and the service from Midas has been excellent.

 

[Henning Fjeld]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

If it is an old firmware issue, whats the problem? I have been perfectly happy with my Pro2 and the service from Midas has been excellent.

Whats the problem? It is simple. I can not understand how Midas would let this slip through. They delivered a mixer to market with this kind of SOFTWARE glitch... Had there been a hardware failure it would have been different.

Paying that kind of money for something that brings a show to a dead stop in that way... Ridiculous!

 

[Nick Boulton]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

When the pro1 was released to market it didn't have this issue. There was a subsequent firmware release that caused some of the new effects to output digital noise on rare occasions for brief intervals. This has been fixed since March (ish) this year.

The issue you should be looking at is why the venue isn't ensuring that their console is properly maintained and updated.

 

[Henning Fjeld]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

When the pro1 was released to market it didn't have this issue. There was a subsequent firmware release that caused some of the new effects to output digital noise on rare occasions for brief intervals. This has been fixed since March (ish) this year.

The issue you should be looking at is why the venue isn't ensuring that their console is properly maintained and updated.

I agree to some extent Nick. As you understand, an accident like this does not feel very pleasant when it happens. So I guess in a few days I will cool off. I know I come off a bit harsh in my last post. Just a bit upset... :roll:

The effects in use was Plate, Delay, Hall and room.

I downloaded the new firmware, and will make sure it is up to date.

Kevin: Did your problem go away with an update?

 

[Jason Misterka]

So, anyone else experienced this with a pro 1?

I have with a Verona twice. Ended up being a channel that had gone bad each time. I believe it was an opamp or something.

Full output white noise from the LR and mono buss, even with the channel fader down and channel muted.

If you unassigned the channel from LR and mono the noise stopped.

Jason


Sent from some device, using some software, probably inconveniently. Apologies for any mistakes of grammar, spelling, or meaning.

 

[Chris Hindle]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

I remember one time when one my analog consoles failed.....oh wait...no I don't

Maybe you should get "out" a bit more Brandon.
Why do you thing SOP was 2 power supplies with a switcher just a few short years ago.
I've personally lost 3 either during sound check or showtime. If it wasn't for the second power supply, (or an emergency board in the truck - which I carried when I didn't have a backup power supply), show would have been over.
Granted - no failure of the console itself has ever stopped or slowed one of my shows, but a board gone AWOL (Absent WithOut Lectricity) is still a catastrophic failure.

At anyhing above bar level, really, "failure is not an option". You are being paid to put on a show, just do it. No single failure should be able to stop a show, yada, yada.
To me, that means spare console & backup crossover/DSP. Doesn't need to be top-of-the-line gear, but the show WILL go on.
** At the price level of the current X32 and such, a spare console (close on hand) is the thing I'd buy right after a beefy UPS if I were putting all my eggs in the digidal basket.

Chris.

 

[Peter Morris]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

When the pro1 was released to market it didn't have this issue. There was a subsequent firmware release that caused some of the new effects to output digital noise on rare occasions for brief intervals. This has been fixed since March (ish) this year.

The issue you should be looking at is why the venue isn't ensuring that their console is properly maintained and updated.

Exactly!

 

[Henning Fjeld]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Maybe you should get "out" a bit more Brandon.
Why do you thing SOP was 2 power supplies with a switcher just a few short years ago.
I've personally lost 3 either during sound check or showtime. If it wasn't for the second power supply, (or an emergency board in the truck - which I carried when I didn't have a backup power supply), show would have been over.
Granted - no failure of the console itself has ever stopped or slowed one of my shows, but a board gone AWOL (Absent WithOut Lectricity) is still a catastrophic failure.

At anyhing above bar level, really, "failure is not an option". You are being paid to put on a show, just do it. No single failure should be able to stop a show, yada, yada.
To me, that means spare console & backup crossover/DSP. Doesn't need to be top-of-the-line gear, but the show WILL go on.
** At the price level of the current X32 and such, a spare console (close on hand) is the thing I'd buy right after a beefy UPS if I were putting all my eggs in the digidal basket.

Chris.

Well, at that moment I wish I brought my X32, wich I also have as a spare. The Compact version that is. So far no failures, got mine september 2012. Oops... X32 mentioned again! Oh well. Seems you can bring up anything in the mixer category in this thread so why not, hahah.

 

[Kyle Chirnside]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Hello Henning,

I am Kyle with MIDAS and the Professional division of MUSIC GROUP SERVICES. Please feel free to contact me, via PM or my mobile is on the MIDAS website. More in your time zone, would be the gentlemen in the UK midas service department, also listed on the MIDAS site. I would be glad to assist. Like the people in the thread have mentioned, version 2.3 REL 51 is the most current firmware, and you should check that your power supply is seated correctly and has the required brackets. I hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Kyle Chirnside
Manager, Customer Technical Support Professional Division
MUSIC Group
MIDAS KLARK TEKNIK

 

[Brandon Blakeney]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Maybe you should get "out" a bit more Brandon.
Why do you thing SOP was 2 power supplies with a switcher just a few short years ago.
I've personally lost 3 either during sound check or showtime. If it wasn't for the second power supply, (or an emergency board in the truck - which I carried when I didn't have a backup power supply), show would have been over.
Granted - no failure of the console itself has ever stopped or slowed one of my shows, but a board gone AWOL (Absent WithOut Lectricity) is still a catastrophic failure.

At anyhing above bar level, really, "failure is not an option". You are being paid to put on a show, just do it. No single failure should be able to stop a show, yada, yada.
To me, that means spare console & backup crossover/DSP. Doesn't need to be top-of-the-line gear, but the show WILL go on.
** At the price level of the current X32 and such, a spare console (close on hand) is the thing I'd buy right after a beefy UPS if I were putting all my eggs in the digidal basket.

Chris.

You make an excellent point Chris, which I think actually strengthens my argument. It seems that with most digital consoles people are just using the internal power supplies, with only the most pro users actually carrying a redundant supply. With most analog systems that I have worked on, one component can fail without bringing down the entire system. If your equalizer dies, bypass it (as we had to the other day); if your comps die, ride the faders all night; if your efx die, do without; and if one power supply dies, switch to another. Now with a digital console that relies only on an internal power supply all of your eggs are in one basket, unless you have a back-up console. I carry a back-up console even for analog, I have a 32 channel GL2400 with me at all times.

 

[john sulek]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

You make an excellent point Chris, which I think actually strengthens my argument. It seems that with most digital consoles people are just using the internal power supplies, with only the most pro users actually carrying a redundant supply. With most analog systems that I have worked on, one component can fail without bringing down the entire system. If your equalizer dies, bypass it (as we had to the other day); if your comps die, ride the faders all night; if your efx die, do without; and if one power supply dies, switch to another. Now with a digital console that relies only on an internal power supply all of your eggs are in one basket, unless you have a back-up console. I carry a back-up console even for analog, I have a 32 channel GL2400 with me at all times.

Most of the "touring grade" digital consoles have redundant power supplies for the surface and the racks. Usually you put one on the UPS and one on the AC line so they are still redundant.

 

[Brandon Blakeney]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Most of the "touring grade" digital consoles have redundant power supplies for the surface and the racks. Usually you put one on the UPS and one on the AC line so they are still redundant.

At some level I'm sure that's true...but your average M7CL or Ilive rig is probably just running off the internal supplies and hoping it all works. That was only part of my argument...

 

[Antoon van den Oetelaar]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

Most of the "touring grade" digital consoles have redundant power supplies for the surface and the racks. Usually you put one on the UPS and one on the AC line so they are still redundant.

With analog you have allways some way to make it work as long as the power supply works.
With digital it's a complete other game.
Of course the power supply can fail, and some consoles (digico) do have redundant supplies. But in reality, the clock, dsp, fpga, communication etc. can all fail also...

 

[Max Warasila]

Re: Midas Pro 1 failure

At some level I'm sure that's true...but your average M7CL or Ilive rig is probably just running off the internal supplies and hoping it all works. That was only part of my argument...

Why is there even an argument? We've been bickering about analog vs. digital for decades now. The end all be all is: which is more effective (cost, quality, and speed wise)? What ever fits your bill best- do it. Not to mention, random things happen with all technology, regardless of what it is. Technology is finicky. Sometimes it's a bunch of dust lodged in a pot. Other times, it's a bit that got shifted over the the wrong address and crashes the system. Things just happen, and it's our job to be ready.

Back to the OP, I'd like to know if the firmware update seems to have helped.