Oberheim Systemizer reset procedure but can't get it working, HELP!

[AnalogGuy]

I am so dumb. My systemizer worked fine but I wanted to erase the user presets to have all factory presets but of course there were no any procedures mentioned at the manual, so I looked at mine another Perf/x module, Drummer, which contained the factory reset procedure (holding and start)... and I used the same button combination for the Systemizer (holding , Enter) and it did it... seems like reset happened (it lighted all lcd and leds one by one in order) but after that the screen shows me "-." and then if I press any buttons, it goes in order .1, .2, .3 and so on up to number 9. and then it does nothing! No matter what I press, nothing happens!

 

There's 9 buttons totally so I thought maybe it needs to be pressed in order to be able to use these buttons but even if I tried many times pressing each button at the time in many ways, same thing, nothing happens after 9.! Then if I shut down and put it on without doing the button combination for reset, it shows me only the extreme right button light "Hold-to-mute" and that's it... can't use it in any way, I am completely stuck with this and have no idea what should I do. The Systemizer uses eprom for OS so I doubt the reset would affect to the OS itself... or is it possible? The only thing I can do is removing the RAM battery and wait until it becomes erased and then put it together and hope it would work! I'll let you know if it does anything!

 

ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS?

 

 

EDIT: holding and enter longer, it brings me lcd showing "2.3" instead of inputing numbers and holding only brings me "1.2" which seems like OS version and when releasing then it gives me again the inputing numbers but this time it shows "3."... and same thing going up to "9." and then can't do nothing!

 

I am so F*CKED UP!

 

 

FINAL EDIT: LOL!!!! Seems like powering on while holding only enter started the device properly... really, just LOL! How this can be... At least one hard lesson to be learned: If your systemizer shows only one light in the extreme right at startup and think it might be broken, just hold enter and power it up!!!

 

I'm still wondering what really is that inputing numbers... and why it does not enter into correct mode after shutting it down... Drummer never does that after checking the version number.

 

Fortunately, Happy ending after all!

[Karma1]

Glad you had a happy ending.

Just curious what you use the Systemizer for?

I bought one of those many years ago for very cheap at a garage sale, but never used it or totally understood what it was for. My understanding at the time was that you could use it to split a keyboard that didn't have a split function. But it was just something I bought on a whim and never got any use out of. But I had the Oberheim Drummer and Cyclone which I used a lot.

[AnalogGuy]

...that you could use it to split a keyboard that didn't have a split function.

and Yamaha DX7 produces sinewaves? It's capable of much more than that... you're missing the entire point...

 

It's one of the greatest midi tools around. With it you can create one of the most advanced live controlling capabilities...yes, it's like adding master keyboard features for a midi keyboard that lacks them, but the fact is that this Systemizer have such features that there's no equivalent for it (at least in hardware level). The realtime control you can create with pedals is stunning... just take a look of manual and you will have some idea... the possibilities are really something that we might never be able to achieve with anything else.

 

Quotes from somewhere internet:

 

"The SYSTEMIZER is Master MIDI control center and memory bank that allow you to create and store a wide variety of MIDI keyboard (or other instrument) setups that can be as simple or elaborate as you want.

The SYSTEMIZER also allows extensive PEDAL control - four locally thru rear panel phone jacks, and 4 via MIDI. The SYTEMIZER allows you to recall any setup between Master and Slave instantly and performs many functions that instruments cannot do on their own. For example the SYSTEMIZER permits multiple SPLITS even if your instrument doesn't have that capability. Layering, crossfading, fixed or floating split point, mono or polyphony and more can be stored in one of the 32 Setups."

 

"it's a MIDI performance processor which adds zoning, velocity switch, controller switch, position cross-fade, velocity cross-fade, aftertouch cross-fade, controller cross-fade, local hold, split release, patch change and so on to your keyboard setup."

 

For example, how about assigning a split point that is floating, not fixed. While floating split point, pedals 3 and 4 you can control the octave and transpose it up or down in realtime while pedal 1 you could make a configuration that the split point is available only when the pedal is hold down. Imagine, play a lead, then suddenly you hit pedal down and play 2 other different sounds and then you release it and play the lead sound again. The pedals can control literally anything you want... there's no fixed features for them but you can confgure them for anything the Systemizer itself can do. As in the example, the pedal switches can be either single switch or double switch which means single switch is on/off when you press the pedal and double switch is very useful for many ways as it's on when you press and hold it and off when you release it. Besides 4 local pedals (sustain/switches only), you can assign up to 4 other external pedals via midi which can be expression pedals as well and control any continuous controllers you want!

 

Systemizer have always been extremely underrated. It's pretty rare these days to find and all info are also scarce to find... but here's one small interesting blog about the Systemizer:

 

http://allthingsmercurial.blogspot.com/2010/02/digital-flotsam.html