SsTtEeRrEeOo EDP SsYyNnCc issues......

["Philip Rampi-Green" <prgconsulting@prodigy.net>]

Hello ALL,

First off, thanks Kim for this incredible resource and all of your gracious
time and efforts.  Thank you as well to everyone on this list for your
contributions to my looping knowledge.  I have been reading the archives 
for
many months and have refrained from comment/contribution until this moment.
Apologies for the long post.....

I know Kim is extremely busy, so I chose to share this with all of you in
hopes of resolving these issues ASAP.  The following is a updated (1/9/01)
version of what I sent to Kim last week (1/3/01):

I have a pair of Gibson EDP's (sn's: 89 & 91..? w/16MB of RAM in each) that
I purchased last spring.  Both units went back to Gibson pretty much
immediately after arrival for repairs, including CPU clock crystal
replacement to fix intermittent booting problems and input/output gain
balancing between the two units.   The repair was done by the way cool EDP
Guru - Shane Radke - himself.  The units came back ready for action with 
one
annoying exception.  The 2 units (configured for stereo) would
intermittently loose sync with each other while switching between loops
(LoopCount was set to 4 at that time).  The problem was fairly infrequent
and I was not really sure if I had all of the stereo parameters set
correctly on both units, so I lived with it.  As I am gaining experience
with the EDP's, I am using more of the edit functions and have found that
this - annoyance - has now become unworkable.

    The units frequently loose sync during NextLoop and Insert functions.
What I mean by loosing sync is that as I execute these functions, the 
cycles
of the loop I'm either stepping to (NextLoop) or working on (Insert), loose
step with each other.  I.E. - One unit is on cycle 4 while the other is on
cycle 5.  It seems that either unit can jump forward or backwards in the
count.  It's not consistent.  At that point the loop is hosed and I have to
start over. This effect can be audibly stunning and would be great if it 
was
a feature included in a future OS version.  The units are also prone to
loosing sample level sync.  I.E. - The start point of each unit drifts and
creates a phase/delay effect that grows further apart with time   Again, it
sure sounds cool, I just want to have the option to choose it vs. having to
live with it.

       -----------------------------------------------

Troubleshooting steps I have pursued thus far that have resulted in no
change in performance. (The focus being on the loss of cycle number sync):

- Swapped the units master/slave configuration (master becomes slave and
vice versa).

- Replaced the midi cable between the units 2 times.

- Followed Kim's recommendations from the web site regarding stereo units
(BrotherSync cable type, unit parameter resets etc).

- Replaced the BrotherSync cable.  The brand new BrotherSync cables I've
been using have the shield soldered to each end's jack (a possible ground
loop..?).

- Removed the BrotherSync cable from both units (Admittedly, this may be a
completely bogus test).

- Tried the other foot controller I purchased  with a new cable.

Other Observations:
It may be my imagination, but it seems like one of the units kind of -
thunks - when I power it on, like a relay in the power supply is engaging.
This goes away with multiple power cyclings.  I do not notice this behavior
on the other unit.  Also, the sync problem seems to come after about 5
minutes of operation, but this is not consistent.  Sometimes it fails right
away.

When I use the Insert switch to do Reverse, the switch acts unstable.
 I.E. - Insert will happen somewhat unpredictably while reversing the loop
back and forth.  I assume that a long press of the switch is what should
cause a Insert when it is in this mode. What I get is, sometimes it does 
and
sometimes it does not insert, with no stable pattern of behavior.  Is this 
a
unit problem or just as likely user error?

And finally, I assume that the - err - condition on stereo BrotherSynced
units is normal on the first unit until the other is powered up as well.
Once they are both up, the error status clears and they both appear to come
up normally, as if they are waiting to establish communication before
continuing to boot up.  Please clarify this for me.

       -----------------------------------------------

    I did talk at length with Shane at Gibson before I wrote this.  He
admitted to having very little to no experience with stereo units and their
related syncing issues.  He suggested that I email you (Kim Flint) directly
with these concerns and to let him know what you have to say.

I really like what I've been able to do with the EDP's in their limited
state and pray that you can help out a fellow looping enthusiast....!


Thank You,

Philip Rampi-Green
prgconsulting@prodigy.net