just picked up a console used and wanted to run whatever tests built in I could to ensure it's in good working condition. I'm surprised there isn't a function available to do this. What's the "reserved" #12 in the setup then believe it's option's menu?
There must be a way for it to run a system's check? no?
There are no 'built in' self-tests for the Expression line but generally speaking you should be able to use the console to see if everything is basically working. If it boots and you end up in the Stage screen then you are 90% there. Run though all the buttons and sliders to make sure they are actuating and then ensure you are outputting DMX. ETC Link and RFU testing would require a Link device and a RFU. Save a show to disk and then load a show from disk.
'Reserved' #12 in the Setup is not anything :-)
You can clear the unit back to all defaults (this will erase the show and patch) by doing a 789 Deep Clear. With the console turned off....hold down the 789 keys and then turn the console on (continue to hold down 789 until the unit is done booting
If upon System Reset, the following message appears: Record is locked out. Press Clear to continue.
Cause Record Lockout is enabled in the System Settings menu in Setup.
To disable: [Setup] [1] [Enter] [13] [Enter] [0] [Enter]
You might hear rumors of an Expression Diagnostics test but this is a software tool used by ETC and our Authorized Service Providers to test for specific failures on a unit that has a reported failure from an end-user.
Thanks for the deep clear tip - no I'm not new to the console at all... I've got four of them running in our facility right now. Just wanted to do a more thourough test and run through than simply loading one of my existing shows and hoping everything works.
Now lets get back to that "reserved 12" item.... what is it for and what does it do.
so how about making the diagnostic tool downloadable for people to use since the console is too old, out of production, and no longer supported? not an unreasonable request by any means.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's unsupported. ETC still supports L86 dimmer racks which they actually never made - they just acquired the company that made them before they came out with the sensor rack.
Being that the console is out of production, I doubt that any more R&D dollars are going to be spent on getting a diagnostic tool out to the end users. As Mike said before, there's really not that much to the console that you couldn't spend about 10 minutes and do a pretty full diagnostic yourself.
who said they needed to create a diagnostic tool? It already exists... simply load it in the download section of the website so console owners can make make their own floppy disks with the tool on it and check their units for correct operation...
so how about making the diagnostic tool downloadable for people to use since the console is too old, out of production, and no longer supported? not an unreasonable request by any means.
The console is still supported, but your request was to add in a diagnostic tool, into the operating system software, for a console that is no longer manufactured. I would suspect that this is not going to happen and quite frankly ETC tech has other things to do besides adding software to the OS to a 20 year old computer.
Your request to make the diagnostic tools available as a separate piece of software makes sense.
Actually my initial request was NOT to "add" a diagnostic tool, but instead to simply access the prexeisting tool. As was demonstrated in this topic, the tool does exist however it's not installed resident on the console and instead needs to be loaded separately... so then again I ask politely if this diagnotsic tool can be made available for download for all of us Expression owners who want to perform periodic routine checks on our units.
We are considering your request. We cannot simply post a 15-year-old diagnostic software tool on our web site since it was never designed for use by anyone other than manufacturing and repairs techs. There's no documentation, no instruction sheet, and very little user interface on it and we need to make sure that all that is in order before we post something like that. Please stay tuned...
In the mean time, here are some old-school tricks to use to test your console:
1) Use the HELP key. I know it sounds a bit odd. but before the diagnositc tool existed we used the HELP key to test that all the keys were working. Pressing HELP and any other key should provide a message - if the message appears and it's the right one for that key, then the key is working.
2) Use the Submaster List view and the playback areas on screen to test the faders. You should see the % level of each fader as you move them. For the Grand Master, you can see its level on screen as well. All faders should fade smoothly from 0-100, as I expect you know.
3) Test the quality of the keys using the triple-hit method. Press each key three times quickly in rapid succession. You''ll quickly get a feel for how good keys react and sound. When/if you hit one that's marginal, it will feel "softer" or "deader" and will sound dead as well - not CLICK-CLICK-CLICK rather CLACK-CLACK-CLACK as you go.
4) Testing outputs/Inputs is going to require other gear than the facepanel diagnostic we may provide - a DMX Tester for the DMX outputs and input, MIDI equipment for MIDI stuff. I cannot remember if the diagnostic tool has any loopback tests in it at all, in which case you would only need cables. We will have to wait for Tech Service to provide that information once they look into the feasibility of letting the tool loose into the wild.
