Power on w/Function brought up the test menu & everything tested ok only I couldn’t exit.
Screen would hang then eventually display the weird symbols again.
Hope that’s helps anyone who comes across this in future.
Obviously if you’re still in warranty you might not want to do this. My unit is 2007 so figure I’ve nothing to lose.
Also if you do attempt this, when you refit the top plate, lay it on left side down first & gently roll into position so each LED falls into place, don’t worry about the buttons, they’ll sort themselves out.
Cheers
Monomachine makes me some of these oddities (sometimes) when i plug my a4 audio /midi in/out but it seems my A4 has a sort of? Grounding issue : every touchscreen around are fucked up when the unit is on… Oxydation on a4 maybe?
I have the same space invaders on the screen. Before I open it up, I heard that also the battery inside the machine could be the problem, so does anyone what kind of battery this is? Can you buy one in a normal store?
I would highly doubt it is the battery. The battery is usually used for memory.
This display problem usually happens when there isn’t enough power. This guy might have gotten lucky with the contacts between the boards. They might have gotten loose over the years. The screen is on the control board which gets power below in the guts that makes sound. I would check your power supply if you can.
Oxidation would take several years and A4 isn’t that old. The MD is a bit old but seems not old enough for this to happen.
I now opened the machine. There were some tiny tin pieces inside but I do not think that this is a great issue. On the circuit board though there is some kind of whitish/greyish dirt. I have no idea what it is, looks a bit like chalk and it was relativly easy to remove. Now I am waiting till Monday so I can buy a battery and then lets see if it helps. It is a Panasonic CR 2450 3V.
Jumbled characters on screen or boot issues are most commonly related to oxidization issues with the internal cabling and connectors. Cleaning the contacts and replacing the cables usually fixes it.
However, it’s a good idea to change the battery when you’re in there anyway.
If the battery is low, there will be an indication in the OS.
Pull them straight upwards (NOT at an angle) hard.
You can also use something thin in between to pry them upwards, but do not apply too much force.[/quote]
Thanks a lot
Can also be another brand of CR 2450 3V.
I do not know if it is important but I looked that the new battery had also the same mAh which is 620, some are different and have e.g. only 570 or 590. I got the Duracell, which also was 620 mAh.