MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hi everyone. Firstly, hats off to Gibson. At about 8PM my door rang and there it was... my RIP shipped direct to Japan by Gibson at their cost. Very impressive. They didn't skimp and send surface or anything. All good so far. Followed the instructions to the letter and installed the software. Updated the RIP firmware and when it came to update the guitar I got this darned message ... "Unable to initialize the guitar". Ok, thought maybe I should fully charge the guitar. Didn't help. Thought maybe I should reboot the PC. That didn't help either... In the RIP console I see the bar on the far left go up and down when I pluck a string so I have reason to believe there is some communication between the DF & RIP -> PC. When I initiate the DF firmware update I hear relays clicking in the DF etc but then it comes back with this message. Any ideas you might have will be most welcome while I go snatch my daughters laptop to give this a go on another PC as a last resort! Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Ok. Just finished installing & testing on a second PC. Same result! Yikes. I think I'm in trouble. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 MCK, just got my RIP in yesterday, but won't have a chance to try the update till tomorrow night, so no help here. I will let ya know what mine does tho. Hopefully, one of the other DF owners can help ya out sooner than I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 MLB, thanks for your note of solidarity. This sucks. I'm like a kid on the other side of a candy store display with my nose pressed on the cold glass... I found a MacBook at home and want to give it a try too but its lockup and its owner (my other daughter) is away at school camp for a few days. How low can one go just to get DF going... Now investigating ways to hack into my daughter's MacBook! Yay yay yay... Keep well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I understand, you have your new RIP and really want to get it and the new software installed and now you're in a holding pattern. Hey, just another thought....can you contact Gibson support ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulhuru Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 You can go lower: Boot from an OSX CD and reset her passwords... beware she might not talk to you for a while after that, I definitely would not :-) Or buy yourself a MBPro! But perhaps the problem is elsewhere, TRS cable OK?, is the DF set to the the right mode when connecting it? RIP is powered with right PSU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Actually its past midnight here and I'm on a conference call with my day-work folks from US so calling Gibson is out of question for now. I see Mr. Tronical on this thread so fingers crossed... cavalry might be on the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 You can go lower: Boot from an OSX CD and reset her passwords... beware she might not talk to you for a while after that' date=' I definitely would not :-) Or buy yourself a MBPro! But perhaps the problem is elsewhere, TRS cable OK?, is the DF set to the the right mode when connecting it? RIP is powered with right PSU?[/quote'] Thanks. This is her school issued computer so I don't have the MacOS CDs and you're right if I mess this one she might not only not speak with me but also fail her classes since she has school work on it. So I think I'll pass this one for now. But putting the Mac aside, I think out of 2 Vista machines (32bit) one should be ok. I have the feeling the problem lies elsewhere. Using the cable that came with the DF, charges well. RIP seems to be ok... makes all the right clicks & lights up etc. Not sure what to look for at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulhuru Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 And regular communication DF to RIP is that working? Do you have audio going, etc. Could it be that Firmware already is up to date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Verify you have a good high speed internet connection = not Dial up Remove the TRS cable on RIP Input. Connect the RIP to PC Connect the DC power pack to the RIP Launch the Gibson RIP Console App Perform a Manual "RIP Update" - from "Settings, About" Its OK to reapply the RIP Update - just to be sure its there before proceeding. Upon completion of RIP update Connect the Dark Fire to RIP with TRS cable Pull the MCK out. Spin it to "Peg" tap it once strum lightly and it Powertunes the guitar to standard tuning. Leave the MCK Out (up) and on Perform a Manual "Dark Fire Guitar Update" - from "Settings, About" Follow all online instructions during the Dark Fire Update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Thanks Steve. Did it all to the letter and no difference. I am first seeing "Detecting the guitar", then "Initializing" and then the dreaded "Unable to initiaze..." message. Not sure what to try next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm at a loss too Call Gibson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Kept trying and got a new message : "Unable to set firmware CRC"... Lets remove & re-download and see what happens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulhuru Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Just a thought: Are you using the provided TRS cable? If not, your TRS cable is "digital" capable is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Using the supplied cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm on a MAC - so I do not get the ASIO & WDM driver info . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Might dive into the Dark Fire Manual and see if you can figure out what version Firmware is in your Dark Fire. Its one of the cryptic "Clickstream" procedures - at the end of the Owners Manual. When I connected my Dark Fire to RIP the 1st time - it said it was already up to date - but I did the update again anyway. Mine was probably updated by Gibson Jan 14 when they had it for my RMA repair before the NAMM show. MCK - you have a 1st shipment version - its conceivable that you may have an early Firmware in your Dark Fire that the current updater cant "see" Where is that Firmware check procedure/? Be sure to get a camcorder and film the MCK while it scrolls the version info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 http://media.gibson.com/DarkFire/Manuals/1_1/Dark_Fire_Guitar_Manual.pdf The following documentation shows the various Functions in Setup Mode and the “clickstreams” required to execute them. “Clickstream” is the term for the order of execution and the values selectable in a Setup Mode Function. Note: In each clickstream operation that follows, the ‘#’ sign means to rotate the MCK fully counter-clockwise and press display momentarily. Utilizing each Function begins by Entering Setup Mode, selecting the Function number followed by #, then selecting a value to apply to that function, followed by #. Some functions are the “on/off” type, and some have a range of values to select from. “Reset” functions also have a safety feature where one must press a red “Y” on the display. This is the same sort of security that PCs employ when asking “Are You Sure?” Setup Mode In Setup Mode, many of Dark Fire’s system parameters are user-definable. There is a list of Setup Mode Functions which follows, but to utlize them you must first enter Setup Mode. To enter Setup Mode, pull out the MCK and turn it to the "#b" symbol in any Bank. Press the display until a pink "Enter" symbol is displayed, then release the MCK. Now press down the MCK again until a cyan "Enter" symbol is displayed. You are now in Setup Mode. You will see a cyan “Enter” symbol and the ”b” LED will shine yellow as confirmation. How to select a Function Number Enter Setup Mode as described above. Rotate the MCK to select each digit of a number (in the range of one through 9), followed by a momentary press of the display. Each number selected will flash red to confirm it has been entered. When all the digits of the Setup Function no. have been entered, rotate the MCK fully counter-clockwise and press momentarily. MCK will give a confirmation signal as described below. The MCK will show a cyan “Enter” symbol and the “#” LED will shine magenta, indicating that you now can enter your desired value for that function. Values are also selected one digit at a time. After the desired value for the Function has been selected, rotate the MCK fully and press it momentarily. The MCK will give a confirmation signal as described below. For example, to select Function Number 16 and give it a value of “2”: 1. Enter Setup Mode 2. Rotate MCK until the number “1” is displayed. Momentary press causes the “1” to flash red—it has been entered. 3. Rotate MCK until the number “6” is displayed. Momentary press causes the “6” to flash red—it has been entered. 4. Now rotate the MCK all the way counter-clockwise and give a momentary press. The “Enter” symbol flashes red and back to cyan. The selected Function Number will scroll by in yellow. Now you are ready to select your value, indicated by the shining magenta “#” sign. How to select the value for Function number 16 to “2”: 1. Complete the process described in nos. 1-4 above. Leave MCK out. 2. Rotate the MCK to the number 2 and give a momentary press. Momentary press causes the “2” to flash red—it has been entered. 3. Now rotate the MCK all the way counter-clockwise and give a momentary press. Perimeter LEDs on the MCK flash green 3 times, and the value selected scrolls by in Yellow. 4. Note that the “b” symbol shines yellow again, indicating you can access another Setup Mode Function. If you are done and want to exit Setup Mode, push the MCK back in. Your new value for the Function you selected will be operative until you change it by either selecting it individually in Setup Mode again, or by Restoring Factory Defaults in Setup Mode. Function: 99 Name: Display Software Version Purpose: Displays the software release number of the body CPU. Clickstream: 99# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Anyway - try the above and write down your Dark Fire Version number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Dark Fire Guitar Version 0.2.0.1.0.9... Same as I had checked a while back so definitely no new firmware joy here. On a related note though, I gave GR3 a go and wow was I amazed. First time user so just clicked a few sounds and was amazed beyond belief. Good note though is that I get the modified sounds through the RIP headphone socket so this tells me basically RIP & cable etc is ok. Whatever it is its somewhere else. I am still suspicious of the Vista PCs. Let me go try hijacking my wife's Vista laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 It will be 10 hours before I can check the firmware rev of my own Dark Fire perhaps another RIP owner can post his? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Thanks for that. I am throwing in the towel and going to sleep now. Tried an XP computer and yet another Vista box and all the same. Meanwhile played around with GR3 a little and noticed that only the left input VU bar is flickering when I play the guitar. Wonder if this is expected or an anomaly. I am wondering if I might have a bad cable. Can someone with a working GR3 installation kindly verify for me? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Might try again with a short TRS cable Also try a shorter 1394A Firewire cable PC to RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Ok. Let me see how & where I can get one in a rush here. Thanks for all your guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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