Im very annoyed as i followed the very simple instructions on the Roland site for my GR33 guitar synth. That has been working fine for more than 8 years now . However i needed to fix the issue with the volume pedal / polyphony so i downloaded the relevant SMF file and the SMF player , followed the instructions and now my GR33 is bricked. Anyone got any thoughts that will save me a bill from Roland. After the smf files are uploaded it says restart , i do this and it just hangs at the roland LCD splash screen for ever !
Hello Dylan.
Understandingly upset.. I'm sorry to hear it.
Copied from the readme file..
***Gr-33 SYSTEM UPDATE***
** This update corrects the channel which is used for sending Volume while in Poly Mode.
!! NOTE: Updated the system version of you unit will reset all settings back to factory settings. Please back up any important information before performing this update.
***Tools Necessary:
1. GR-33
2. GR-33 Update Files
3. Sequencer Capable of Playing SMFs
4. MIDI Cable
(SEA> What program did you use to send the info, and was it via a MIDI interface, or using the in-built interface of the soundcard, or one of those cheap n' nasty USB-to-MIDI interfaces which I find always cause grief)
***Procedure
1. Connect the MIDI Out of the sequencer to the MIDI In of the GR-33.
2. While holding PLAY, WRITE and BANK ->, power on the GR-33.
3. When "Waiting Data..." is displayed, send all MIDI Files in numeric order.
4. During update, display should show the name of the file being played.
5. When "All Completed" is displayed, power off unit and power back on normally.
(SEA> Did the GR-33 display the name of the file, and the 'All Completed'?)
After performing update it may be necessary to reset the Expression Pedal on the GR-33.
1. While holding COMMON, SYSTEM and TONE, power on the GR-33.
2. Use Encoder to select "6. EXP. Pedal Adjust".
3. Move pedal all the way up and then all the way down.
4. Press WRITE.
5. Power off unit and Power back on normally.
SEA:
Can I assume you have tried to send the file again, just in case it didn't all get through?
From your description, it all sounds as if it's done what it should.
This is quite frankly - UNBELIEVABLE - I have just discovered your post and you are not alone - it happened to me in the past week!
Yeah, I was having issues with volume and a quick peep on the Roland UK website revealed a system update to fix the problem. Plus those nice software engineers at Roland even supply a stand alone app to download the MIDI files to the synth - cool, no need to spark up the sequencer. I've done stacks of software patching over the years, so what could go wrong, I mean it's not like it was, back the day, when we had to listen to data screeching from a cassette tape. No this is the 21st century, everything is much more stable now. Then the nightmare begins! The brain in the GR-33 gets totally trashed!
I spent the best part of a day trying to send an email through to UK Tech Support from the "MyRoland" site - that wasn't working either. So I sent the support request to the US website who don't deal with European problems, but eventually I got them to understand that the UK email was not working and ultimately that got it fixed. Comes to something when you have to go half way round the world to let some corporate muppet know their website doesn't work!
Now - what follows is what I emailed to UK Tech support:
I recently downloaded, from the official Roland UK website, the GR-33 System Update Version 1.03 (MAC-SMF) along with the UPD SMF Update Application. I ran the operating system update, following the README file procedure to the letter. As instructed - when "All Completed" was displayed - the unit was powered down and then switched back on as normal.
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!
Now the GR-33 no longer functions as guitar synth! In fact it doesn't function as anything at all - other than a big chunk of black plastic proudly proclaiming "Roland GR-33 Guitar Synth" in the blinking green LCD window. Also both red LEDs of the Output Select are lit, plus the 3 digit display for GROUP, BANK and NUMBER show as 3 flashing red dashes. No amount of button pushing or parameter wheel spinning can elicit a response from the box - nada, zip, zilch, zero! No audio, no MIDI, nothing - it has ceased to be etc. apart from a few lights.
My guess is that something in the "System Update" has frizzed the unit because everything was fine previously. So that appears to be a serious software malfunction and what I need to know now is - how do I get the thing back to how it was? I'm beginning to become depressed as this thing is starting to push all my buttons now. I need it to work. Please advise ASAP.
Regards
Roland claim to respond to your email in 24 hours - yeah right! - Three days later I get this from a "Customer Services Teamleader":
Thank you for your email.
When you downloaded the operating system you would have agreed the following terms:
6. Limitation of Damages:
NEITHER ROLAND NOR ITS SUPPLIERS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF PROFITS, OR THE LIKE), WHETHER BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), PRODUCT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ROLAND OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. The limited warranty, exclusive remedies and limited liability set forth above are fundamental elements of the basis of the bargain between Roland and you. You agree that Roland would not be able to provide the Roland Software without such limitations.
I appreciate that you are a loyal Roland user, and as a gesture of goodwill on this occasion only, I can arrange for our Service Team to repair your GR-33, we will not charge you labour charges, just the cost to replace the main circuit board. The cost of the main circuit board is £271.32 + VAT.
If you wish to proceed with this please email me to advise then I can arrange for you to return your GR-33 to us and collect it once the repair has been made.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Now if that isn't a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card then I don't know what is!
And someone in Tech Support must have been a little bit twitchy when they read my initial email, because I found this note added onto my message just before it got tagged as "Resolved".
I am not sure what to do with this one. He updated his GR33 from the RUK website and the update has now trashed his unit. Before downloading the update - he had to AGREE to the terms and conditions.... So as far as I can see we are not liable for any damage. The update is 100% perfect... Can we talk about this ?
Now it may well be that the update is 100% perfect but something somewhere is not right for at least 2 of us to have had our GR-33's junked while supposedly fixing a software issue. No - this stinks!
We may be dealing with a "discontinued product", but as users are we now, also obsolete?
I've spent several thousand of pounds on Roland equipment, over the years, but I'm not sure they will get any more! Ye Gods - the wrong side of 300 quid (plus p&p;both ways) to replace a circuit board that was functioning perfectly before it got blitzied with their software update! What an attitude - they claim it's my fault for agreeing to run the software that they supplied to fix an error their programming. HELLO! It's a licence to print money - they are having a laugh!
I'm going to have the legal side of this checked out. Maybe get on one of those BBC consumer TV shows, that should get things going!
Read your email and saw the nightmare you were having also :( I saw you mention it was going to cost cash to fix hence this post.
I worked out what the problem was in the end myself and fixed (rather got it working again) the issue.
I diagnosed the problem as follows . ( JUST FOR ROLAND PURPOSES: THIS DIAGNOSIS IS NOT FROM ROLAND RATHER MY TAKE ON THE MATTER )
My GR33 unit is quite old now and after doing some research into EPROMS decided the issue was due to a lack of memory elasticity. In basic terms because the GR33 EPROM has had the same image sitting on it for 8+ years some parts of the EPROM are lets say indelible, i.e they cant be over written. I suppose you could say parts of the memory are basicaly ROM now and not EPROM. So when you write the new image to the EPROM some sections cannot be written too, as they have lost their elasticy or cant be overwritten. Hence you get a fubar GR33 after applying the new image. So what i thought was if i got the image from ROLAND that was on the system prior to upgrade and reinstall this it should work as the parts of the EPROM that couldnt be written too would have the right code in them anyway . .... Guess what it worked first time and the GR33 worked again .
What you need to do is email Roland and ask them for the original firmware image that came with your GR33 and reinstall .. you should find the unit works again. Failing that email me at dylandjohnson@googlemail.com and i will send it too you .
Sir, I salute you - that's outstanding - absolute, pure genius!
Although it's exactly the lines along which I was starting to think. An EPROM that is not erasing or re-programming correctly.
Even though I had not had a "BATTERY LOW" warning, this morning I popped the base off the GR-33 and stuck in a fresh CR2032 cell to see if that was a contributing part of the problem, but apparently not. Although that did get me as far as the "MEMORY DAMAGED PRESS WRITE" screen, but then it was back to where I already was - a trashed synth. Obviously the system was failing to write back properly because it had got screwed during the last software patch.
What really baffles me is, why on earth would Roland "Tech Support" think you need to replace the main circuit board. That is completely illogical. I mean, when all said and done, we had only download a bunch of their MIDI data to the darn thing. It's just a string of ones and zeros and not as if anyone had stuck a million volts up it's jacksey. Nothing got melted, just the bits and bytes have been scrambled up.
I am going to take you up on your very kind offer of you suppling me with the original firmware so I can hopefully get up and running. This seems to be the most sensible solution, as it is the Bank Holiday weekend, the chances of getting anything from Roland before the end of next work are probably very slim.
This is for the benefit of anyone else who should inadvertently suffer the same fate as both Dylan and me, because surely there must be more than 2 of us who fell foul of this little number.
I would just like to state that Dylan is "The Man", his assessment of the situation was perfectly correct - flakey EPROM stuff. Also, being the giant of humanity that he is, he went out of his way, over a bank holiday weekend, to find his copy of the original GR-33 firmware and email it to me. So in the time it takes to D/L sixteen MIDI files, and restart the unit, everything was fixed and back to how it should be - box fresh!
The other advantage to this is, Dylan's kind action saved me from being stiffed for over 300 sovs by Roland's supposed "Tech Support", who wanted to replace the main board, for what was obviously a software issue. Yeah right - Doh! You can pick up a pre-owned GR-33 on FleaBay for way less than that. What a bunch of rocket scientists.
So now if anyone else who needs the fix - you can give me a shout because, I also have the code! Yay!
Would you be so kind to email me the original firmware. AFter the update my gr33 Write button doesn't work abcbac@yahoo.com
I would greatly appreciate any help
Kind Regards,
Dean
Would you be so kind to email me the original firmware. AFter the update my gr33 Write button doesn't work abcbac@yahoo.com
I would greatly appreciate any help
Kind Regards,
Dean
Thank you so much, I was hoping that the original frimware involves another method thanthe 1.03 update. In my case as soon as I updated to 1.03 my "Write" Button stopped functioning so I'm out of luck for now I'm stuck the same patches as I can't save...Thanks again
Thank you so much, I was hoping that the original frimware involves another method thanthe 1.03 update. In my case as soon as I updated to 1.03 my "Write" Button stopped functioning so I'm out of luck for now I'm stuck the same patches as I can't save...Thanks again
Hi Dean,
I've sent you an email detailing how to remove and replace the Lithium battery on the circuit board. Hopefully this little trick may "unfreeze" the sticky WRITE button and let you patch up the firmware error.
For everyone else, I found this comment on another forum, but this guy thinks the screw up only happens on Macs - NOT PCs. Weird or what? Check it out.
Thank you so much, I was hoping that the original frimware involves another method thanthe 1.03 update. In my case as soon as I updated to 1.03 my "Write" Button stopped functioning so I'm out of luck for now I'm stuck the same patches as I can't save...Thanks again
i need the original firmware
Would you be so kind to email me the original firmware.
I would greatly appreciate any help
Kind Regards, Sorry my bad english im from argentina my email msacco@agrimestudio.com.ar
Thank you so much, I was hoping that the original frimware involves another method thanthe 1.03 update. In my case as soon as I updated to 1.03 my "Write" Button stopped functioning so I'm out of luck for now I'm stuck the same patches as I can't save...Thanks again
i need the original firmware
Would you be so kind to email me the original firmware.
I would greatly appreciate any help
Kind Regards, Sorry my bad english im from argentina my email msacco@agrimestudio.com.ar
Hola Miguel,
La imagen que me enviaste parece el mismo problema que tenía. Lo arreglé con los archivos de firmware que he enviado por correo a usted. Si esto no funciona tal vez usted puede quitar la batería y comprobar si tiene que ser reemplazado. A continuación, descargue el firmware para el sintetizador de nuevo. Espero que esto sea de alguna ayuda para usted. Buena suerte a mi amigo.
Hello Miguel,
The picture which you sent to me looks like the same problem I had. I fixed it with the Firmware files that I sent by email to you. If this did not work maybe you can remove the battery and check if it needs to be replaced. Then download the firmware to the synth again. I hope this is of some assistance to you. Good luck my friend.
))
