TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR ELEKTRON DEVICE

If you are experiencing problems with your Elektron device, there are several different things you should do before you contact Elektron support. There are a couple of ways to self diagnose your device. Please use this guide to determine whether the problem is hardware related or in the software/firmware.

A. Basic troubleshooting

To make sure that the issue isn’t software related, and/or caused by external interference (such as incoming MIDI data causing MIDI feedback), please do the following, and then check if the problem is still there after each step of it is solved: 

1. Install the latest OS for your Elektron device. Available for download here.

2. Unplug all MIDI cables and the USB cable from the device.

3. Perform a factory reset. Read more about factory reset here.

4. Create a new project.

B. TEST mode (not available on Model:Samples, Model:Cycles, and Analog Drive)

In TEST mode, you can perform a variety of tasks to determine the health status of your device. If you have any trouble with your device and suspect it may be due to a hardware problem, perform this self-test.

1. Hold down the [FUNC] button on ([ACTIVE]/[ON] for Analog Heat) your device while powering it up to enter the STARTUP menu.

2. In the STARTUP menu, press the appropriate button to enter the TEST mode.
   WARNING: For testing purposes on some Elektron devices, a short, loud beep is heard through all outputs of the unit when you enter the TEST mode. If you encounter any errors here, it might be a sign that there is a problem with the device.

3. In this mode, it is also possible to check the buttons and encoders/potentiometers functionality. Depending on which device you are using, most buttons either light up a led-light and the display shows which button is pressed, or turn the display on/off. This method is an excellent way to confirm if a button is broken or not. If the device doesn’t register a button press, then it’s likely that the button needs to be replaced. (MASTER VOLUME does not give any indication on the screen when it is turned). Various sequencer button combinations change the color on the button mechanisms on the devices where this is available.

If the information above did not solve the problems, please proceed to this article.

We recommend using the software Elektron Transfer to load sound packs to your device. For devices that are not supported by Transfer, we recommend using either Elektron C6 or other SysEx software capable of sending and receiving SysEx data. Please note that C6 is not compatible with macOS Catalina and later.

For more detailed information on how to install sounds to your device, please see the Sound Pack Install Instructions.

RESOURCES

Transfer

C6

Sound Pack Install Instructions

If you have problems connecting to Transfer, please refer to this article.

INSTALLING SOUNDS TO A SPECIFIC SOUND BANK ON YOUR ELEKTRON DEVICE

1. Press [GLOBAL SETTINGS] or [SETTINGS] (depending on your device).

2. Scroll down and select SYSEX DUMP, and then press [YES].

3. Select SYSEX RECEIVE and press [YES]. 

4. Select +DRIVE SOUND or SOUNDS (depending on your device) and press [YES]. 

5. Select the BANK you want the sounds to be transferred to, for example, BANK D, and then press [YES]. The screen now reads “WAITING DATA”. 

6. In Transfer. On the DROP page, drag and drop the .syx file containing the sounds you want to transfer to where it reads “Drop files here”. 

When the transfer is finished you will find the Sounds in BANK D (in this example) when you go to the Sound Browser.

LOCATING YOUR SOUNDS IN YOUR ELEKTRON DEVICE AND LOADING THEM TO A TRACK

1. Press and hold [FUNC] and then turn the LEVEL/DATA or TRACK LEVEL knob (depending on your device) to open the SOUND BROWSER.

2. Press [BANK] + [TRIG 1-16] to select sound bank.

3. Navigate to the Sound you want to load, and then press [YES] to load the selected Sound to the active track.

INSTALLING A SAMPLE PACK
Here’s how to install a sample pack using Transfer. The steps below apply to Digitakt, Analog Rytm MKI, Analog Rytm MKII, and Model:Samples.

Method 1:

1. Select the device for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT in Transfer, then press CONNECT.

2. Drag and drop the samples or folders on the DROP page.

Method 2:

1. Select the device for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT in Transfer, then press CONNECT.

2. When the device has connected to Transfer, select the EXPLORE page.

3. Navigate to MY COMPUTER (e.g., your computer) in the left column and select the samples or folders you want to transfer.

4. Drag and drop the samples or folders to your preferred folder under DEVICE NAME (e.g., Digitakt or Analog Rytm, etc.) in the right column.

The default name of the folder the samples or folders end up in is /transfers-YYMMDD, which means you will get a folder with today's date by default. If you want to rename the folder, right-click and select RENAME. Change the name to e.g., the name of the Sound Pack.

If you have any further questions or issues, please contact Elektron Support.

Here you can find detailed specifications of the power supplies (PSU’s) for the different Elektron devices.

MODEL:SAMPLES, MODEL:CYCLES

Current Elektron power supply: PSU-4b. These devices were originally shipped with PSU-4 and still work with PSU-4. The PSU-4b power supply includes adapters for the following regions: North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Australia, and China. The PSU-4b power supply handles voltages of 100-240 VAC, 50/60Hz.

The power supply you want to use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 5 VDC

• Minimum Current Rating: 1.2 A

• Barrel Connector Size: 3.5 mm outer diameter, 1.35 mm inner diameter

• Polarity: Positive center

ANALOG RYTM MKI/MKII, ANALOG FOUR MKI/MKII, OCTATRACK MKII, ANALOG DRIVE, ANALOG HEAT MKI/MKII, DIGITAKT, DIGITONE, DIGITONE KEYS, SYNTAKT

Current Elektron power supply: PSU-3c. These devices were originally shipped with PSU-3, PSU-3b, or PSU-3c. All these devices work with PSU-3 and PSU-3b (With the exception of Analog Drive which doesn’t work with PSU-3). The PSU-3c power supply handles voltages of 100-240 VAC, 50/60Hz.

The power supply you want to use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 12 VDC

• Minimum Current Rating: 2 A

• Barrel Connector Size: 5.5 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm inner diameter

• Polarity: Positive center

MONOMACHINE MKII, MACHINEDRUM MKII, OCTATRACK MKI

Current Elektron power supply: PSU-2b. These devices were originally shipped with PSU-2. The PSU-2b power supply handles voltages of 100-240 VAC, 50/60Hz.

The power supply you want to use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 6 VDC

• Minimum Current Rating: 3 A

• Barrel Connector Size: 5.5 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm inner diameter, 6 mm length

• Polarity: Positive center

MONOMACHINE MKI, MACHINEDRUM MKI

Original (and now obsolete) Elektron power supply: PSU-1 (two versions depending on voltage standard)

Please note that the power supply output must be AC!

The power supply you want to use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 6 VAC, 50/60Hz

• Minimum Current Rating: 2.5 A

• Barrel Connector Size: 5.5 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm inner diameter, 6 mm length

SIDSTATION

The power supply you use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 6 VDC

• Minimum Current Rating: 400 mA

• Barrel Connector Size: 5.5 mm outer diameter, 2.1 mm inner diameter

• Polarity: Positive center

OVERHUB

In most cases, you don't need to use a power supply together with the Overhub. However, if you want to use it together with a non-self powered device (for example, an external hard drive), you must connect a power supply to the Overhub.

Please note that the Overhub is not shipped with a power supply.

The power supply you use must meet the following specifications:

• Voltage: 5 V DC

• Minimum Current: 4 A (3 A on earlier devices.) This number is written on the Overhub itself so you can see there which version you have.)

• Barrel Connector Size: 3.5 mm outer diameter, 1.35 mm inner diameter, 6 mm length

• Polarity: Positive center

This information applies to Analog Four, Analog Keys, Analog Four MKII, Analog Heat, Analog Heat MKII, Analog Heat +FX, Analog Rytm, Analog Rytm MKII, Digitakt, Digitakt II, Digitone, Digitone Keys, Digitone II, Syntakt, Model:Cycles, and Model:Samples

To perform a Factory Reset, hold down the [FUNCTION] button ([ACTIVE]/[ON] button for Analog Heat) while powering on the device, then press the appropriate button when the startup menu appears. When the reset has been completed, the unit will reboot.

When you perform a factory reset on Analog Keys or Analog Four or Analog Four MKII, the following happens:

• Project slot 001 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.
• Soundbanks A and B will be overwritten with the factory preset sounds.

The remaining project slots and sound banks will not be overwritten.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 001 before you perform the factory reset. If you have saved your own sounds to soundbanks A or B, you need to move them to a different bank if you want to keep them.

When you perform a factory reset on Analog Heat MKI or MKII, the following happens:

Preset slots 001–016 will be overwritten with the factory presets. The remaining preset slots will be cleared.

When you perform a factory reset on Analog Heat +FX, the following happens:

Preset slots A001–A019 will be overwritten with the factory presets. The remaining preset slots will be cleared.

When you perform a factory reset on Analog Rytm or Analog Rytm MKII, the following happens:

• Project slot 001 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.
• Soundbank A will be overwritten with the factory preset sounds.

The remaining project slots and sound banks will not be overwritten.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 001 before you perform the factory reset. If you have saved your own sounds to soundbank A, you need to move them to a different bank if you want to keep them.

When you perform a factory reset on a Digitakt or Digitakt II, the following happens:

• Project slot 001 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.
• Sound/preset bank A will be overwritten with the factory presets.

The remaining project slots and sound/preset banks will not be overwritten. Any samples that you have transferred to the unit or recorded directly into the unit will remain on the +Drive after a factory reset.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 001 before you perform the factory reset. If you have saved your own sounds/presets to soundbank A, you need to move them to a different bank if you want to keep them.

When you perform a factory reset on Digitone or Digitone Keys or Digitone II, the following happens:

• Project slot 001 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.
• Soundbanks A and B will be overwritten with the factory preset sounds.

The remaining project slots and sound banks will not be overwritten.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 001 before you perform the factory reset. If you have saved your own sounds to soundbanks A or B, you need to move them to a different bank if you want to keep them.

When you perform a factory reset on Syntakt, the following happens:

• Project slot 001 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.
• Soundbanks A through E will be overwritten with the factory preset sounds.

The remaining project slots and sound banks will not be overwritten.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 001 before you perform the factory reset. If you have saved your own sounds to soundbanks A through E, you need to move them to a different bank if you want to keep them.

When you perform a factory reset on Model:Cycles or Model:Samples, the following happens:

• Project slot 01 will be overwritten and re-initialized with the factory preset project.
• The currently loaded project will be cleared and the factory preset project will be loaded to memory.

The remaining project slots and sound banks will not be overwritten.

If you wish to keep the active project, remember to save it to a project slot higher than 01 before you perform the factory reset.

In order to update your device using the method described in this article, your device needs to run at least the OS version listed below. The OS version is visible in the bottom right corner of the device screen when it is being powered on.

If the device is running an older version than the one listed below, you need to update your device using sysex transfer. Refer to the following article for information on how to update using sysex transfer. Once your device is running at least the OS version listed above, you can use the method described in this article for future OS updates.

Connect your device to one of the USB ports of your computer and start Elektron Transfer, make sure the unit is selected as the MIDI in and MIDI out ports, and then click the Connect button.

Unzip the archive and drag and drop the .syx file containing the OS update onto the big area with the text "Drop files here".

When you drop the OS file, it will automatically be transferred to the device.

When OS has been transferred, Elektron Transfer will let you know that you need to press the YES button on your device to perfrom the upgrade. Press the YES button and follow the instructions on the device screen. DO NOT TURN THE DEVICE OFF UNTIL THE UPGRADE IS COMPLETED.

You can manually remove Overbridge device entries if they are corrupt, or cause other problems.

REMOVING DEVICE ENTRIES IN WINDOWS

1. Press Win+R, and then write "regedit" in the box, and then press OK to open the Registry Editor.
   

   

2. Navigate to this key (a key is like a folder):
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ELEKTRON_OVERBRIDGE_USB
   

   

3. Here you see subkeys that are in this format:
   Parameters_1935_xxxx_yyyy
   The xxxx is the product ID. See below for more information*
   The yyyy is the unique ID of your particular device.

4. Right-click the device you want to remove and select "Delete" Do this for all subkeys related to your device

REMOVING DEVICE ENTRIES IN MACOS

This will delete all known devices from the ControlPanel and the CoreAudio plugin.

1. Start a terminal session.

2. Unload coreaudio daemon (or else you will not be able to move the coreaudio plist files)
   sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.audio.coreaudiod.plist
   sudo killall coreaudiod
   The second line is just in case the first one doesn't work.

3. Move / delete the plist files to another location:
   mkdir ~/Desktop/PlistBackup/
   sudo mv /Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist ~/Desktop/PlistBackup/
   sudo mv /Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist ~/Desktop/PlistBackup/
   sudo mv ~/Library/Preferences/se.elektron.OverbridgeControlPanel.plist ~/Desktop/PlistBackup/
   sudo mv ~/Library/Preferences/se.elektron.overbridge.hal.plist ~/Desktop/PlistBackup/

4. Restart macOS

5. Remove PlistBackup folder on your desktop.

*Product ID table