hercules steel leds

hi fellas,

i want to ask for your help. i have a hercules dj console steel, with the latest drivers from hercules and with windows 7.

the problem is, for some how at a certain point, all steel leds start blinking like crazy. it keeps like that at about 1m, and then stops.
in that minute, while the leds blink, all get wrong. the music jumps to another point, the pitch number jumps to another bpm.

i know rmx as a problem like this, but with steel i dont know what to do.

thanks in advance and sorry for my bad english.

ian

Seems like your controller simply got disconnected.

Does this happen often (and only when using Virtual DJ)?

Have you taken the basic troubleshooting steps:

- Try another USB cable/port
- Be sure that the power options of the USB ports are disabled 
- Don't use your controller in a high static environment ( no carpet, low humidity, etc) 

Thanks DJ Phatso,

Yes, happens often and when using VDJ. Don´t use anyother for the moment.

- I dont try it in another usb port yet. Must do that.
- Yes, options are disabled.
- Well, really don´t know this one... carpet, low humidity... do you think it can be the speakers system??? Normaly these are high static.

Try testing it as a MIDI controller as described in this procedure:

http://ts.hercules.com/faqs/eng/her_eng_00367.pdf

Also try to take notice if a particular action ( ex: moving the jog wheel ) seems to happen right before the disconnection happen.  

Hello IAN,

Do you know if it happens at a moment where you touch or move the USB cable? Can it be a wrong contact on the USB port (either on your computer USB port or on your DJ Control Steel)?

Hi fellas,

Sorry for only reply now.

Dj Phatso, I did the midi monitor test and everthing was ok. Everthing works with the default parameters.
Just saw that when I push the left sync button, the midi monitor says that is "main volume control". Don´t know if it´s normal?!?!

Anyway, Dj Phatso and Maxdjack, yes, I discovered that if I touch the USB cable the console leds got stress, or turned on or off.
So, I bought a new and better USB cable, even though that wasn´t really the main problem...
The console USB connect as little "gap" that makes the USB cable "dancing" easily.

Now, it´s a bit better but not full solved. A new console with a bad USB connect hole. 🙁

I also ordered and waiting to arrive the hercules deejay trim 4&6 and with that I hope that, using the trim USB ports, could be good too.

Cheers

A little play of the USB cable connector is normal. If however you notice that the USB female connector (the part inside the DJ Steel) is moving , then this is the source of your problem and your console should be returned for an exchange (since it is new and still under warranty). 

That's why I don't understand why they didn't include an option to power it with a DC converter, which would solve a lot of these problems. I wonder if using a POWERED usb hub would help if it's just not getting enough juice from the computer. I just ordered this unit yesterday. My first DJ console!

Hi fellas,

Just to say that finally my Deejay Trim 4&6 arrived and for now I'm very happy.
I fully tested already  with my  steel, and no more leds getting crazy.

I think that the power adapter included in deejay trim is very important, because it powers itself and also powers the steel console, letting my lap not to be overloaded.

Just got my steel and th LED's don't blink, although I haven't used it much yet. I am plugging it directly into my desktops motherboard ports. It wouldn't even run from the front ports. laptops don't deliver the same current, so that was the problem. I think it's wise in invest in a powered hub for these power hungry devices, sounds like your soundcard has one built-in, so that's one less device to deal with.

Hi All,

DJ Ian says that he knows a problem with the Rmx when the leds start blinking like crazy, does anyone have any more details?

I've been using my Rmx intensively for over a year, but since the end of last-year when I both updated the firmware on the Rmx and upgraded to OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, I have encountered the following;-

+ Rmx performs flawlessly, usually for hours at a time
+ then some of the leds will blink... or more accurately stutter for a short time, sometimes stopping before beginning the stutter again
+ then at some point later it freezes, usually stopping stopping the music (though I use an external soundcard not the one in the Rmx)  so I'm guessing it sends a 'stop' to the dj software
+ I can till continue to use the dj software with the mouse and keyboard but the Rmx is either completely unresponsive, or button controls work but the faders fail to work.

Thanks in advance

dj salseando

Hello DJ salseando,

The issue you meet may come from a cut of the USB bus power on your Mac. Can you try if connecting DJ Console Rmx to a powered USB hub (a hub with a separate power adapter) solves your problem?

Thanks for the suggestion of using a powered USB hub. For awhile this seemed to do the trick and I had no problems.
 
But I had another crash last-night, very early on in my set - fortunately I always have a Plan B - so I had music back in under 5 secs and then spent the rest of the night dj'ing without the console and just using keyboard and mouse.

Much as I love my Rmx I can't take the risk of it happening at tonights gig or future ones, so I'm going to have to retire it until further notice  :o(

I think the fault is either due to;-

+ the firmware update - does anyone know how to back it out to the previous version?

+ Mac OS 10.6.2 which seems to be uncharacteristically unstable according to the press - Apple have 10.6.3 in final Beta...

+ some physical damage inside the Rmx, I have been hauling it around the London tube and bus network for a year now (though rank mounted in a case for protection) 

Hello DJ salseando,

If the issue is not a USB bus power issue (which you can solve by plugging the Rmx to a USB hub powered by a power adapter), there are 2 possible origins for the bug which are easy to solve:

1) wrong contact issue on the USB port (either on your computer USB port or on the Rmx USB port): if it is the origin of the problem, then shaking the USB cable will cause the LEDs status to change. It the issue is a contact issue, you can avoid it either by changing the USB cable, or by attaching the USB cable to the port with a tape.

2) electrostatic issue: if your problem was caused by an electrostatic shock, you can avoid the electrostatic shock with the following process: 
- on the rear panel, remove the screw attaching the aluminium cover (close to the USB port)
- wind up a thin coper or steel cable 360 degrees on the screw, and put the screw again in its original position on the aluminium cover
- wind up the other side of the copper cable to the ground screw on the input 1-2.

Hi,

thanks I'll look into trying these suggestions and let you know how I get on.... however I just noticed that Apple have released 10.6.3 of SnowLeopard and one of the issues its addresses is "the reliability of third party USB devices". As the problem only started after I upgraded to SnowLeopard and updated the Rmx's firmware at New Year, I'm going to try updating SnowLeopard first.

Will report back and let you know what I discover.

Thanks again for your suggestions! 

Well 10.6.3 of Snow Leopard makes things snappier on my MacBook, but it hasn't solved the issue with my RMX   :o(

I've already tried different USB cables but I don't think that is the cause of the problem.

I now suspect that it is the electrostatic issue, so as suggested I've wire the casing screw to the ground for inputs 1 & 2 to see if that eliminates the problem. Should know by the end of the weekend whether this solves things or not....