Mk3 unresponsive if powered on with host

lewinator56
lewinator56 Member Posts: 4 Member

So, I suspect this is a hardware limitation, but I pretty much always leave my mk3 switched on on the unit, and rely on the USB power from the PC to power it. However, while, when switching on the PC the maschine comes on as you would expect, none of the controls will work unless I power cycle the hardware (either unplugging the USB cable to switching the unit off and on).

Is this a firmware bug with the maschine mk3 hardware itself, in that, somehow the MCU(s) handling input from the control surfaces isnt(arent) initialized without pressing the power button? or a limitation of the mashine hardware (do some MCUs on board require a short period to boot, before the main controller chip can talk to them, and this needs to happen in a specific order?)

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Best Answer

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited November 2022 Answer ✓

    It's not a HW limitation as mine never behaved like that, basically, the background NI services should perform a handshake with the hardware as soon as it's detected by USB and the controller should initialize.

    I've seen a couple of posts on the old forum reporting this problem, as far as I remember it only happens in Windows, there were win updates that caused this before too so make sure you have everything up to date.

    Try the following:

    • Try different USB ports and avoid USB Hub's if possible.
    • Upon booting the OS when the HW is unresponsive check if NIHardwareAgent and/or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are running in the background on Task Manager, if one of them is inactive check the link below.

    Here's a more detailed article with common solutions: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410102990097-My-MASCHINE-Controller-Does-Not-Start

Answers

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited November 2022 Answer ✓

    It's not a HW limitation as mine never behaved like that, basically, the background NI services should perform a handshake with the hardware as soon as it's detected by USB and the controller should initialize.

    I've seen a couple of posts on the old forum reporting this problem, as far as I remember it only happens in Windows, there were win updates that caused this before too so make sure you have everything up to date.

    Try the following:

    • Try different USB ports and avoid USB Hub's if possible.
    • Upon booting the OS when the HW is unresponsive check if NIHardwareAgent and/or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are running in the background on Task Manager, if one of them is inactive check the link below.

    Here's a more detailed article with common solutions: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410102990097-My-MASCHINE-Controller-Does-Not-Start

  • lewinator56
    lewinator56 Member Posts: 4 Member


    I will double check the maschine firmware - because your suggestions would indicate it not functioning with the maschine software, which it does absolutely fine. I can launch the software and the screens and lights etc... all match and react to what is displayed/selected in maschine, but I cant interact using any controls on the hardware, I cant even use shift+channel to switch to midi-mode, because no buttons work without power cycling the mashine hardware. basically EVERYTHING works as expected following a power on purely from the PC, OTHER THAN the controls on the maschine hardware.

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited November 2022

    Not exactly, the HW + background services should still handshake even if Mas-SW is not launched so that the MIDI portion of the controllers still works as it depends on the background services (the HW itself does not speak MIDI, the services translate and allow communication via proprietary shenanigans).

    Launching the SW effectively forces the services to start in case they haven't for some reason.

  • lewinator56
    lewinator56 Member Posts: 4 Member

    just checked the services, they are all running fine, and set to start automatically. Restarting them doesn't do anything either, controls on the hardware still dont respond unless I switch it off and on. I should add, I've had this across 2 different systems, connected directly or via USB-hubs.

    Starting the maschine software does not make the controls work. As previously stated, everything behaves as if it is working fine APART from any controls on the maschine hardware unless I power it off and on.

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod

    Humm.... Then something more complicated is happening, you'll need to reach tech support on this one.

    I remember Maschine had some issues with some specific Ryzen CPU's before, could be related but I'm just speculating at this point.

  • lewinator56
    lewinator56 Member Posts: 4 Member

    Completely different systems (intel and AMD) both had this. I'll give reflashing the firmware a go though as it could be as simple as some strange corruption in the initial flash.

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