M+ computer internals + info
Comments
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Introducing the new Maschine+ DIY edition*
*Some assembly required.
Quick update, wish I had more news. The carrier board came in, it actually came with a low-end Atom SBC which I haven't messed around with too much.
Good news first. With the Maschine+ Congatec SBC installed in the carrier board, it actually boots!!! Well sort of. It boots in the sense that it responds to CTRL-ALT-DEL and it responds to pings from another computer. This was NOT the case with the other Congatec SBC, so I think it's safe to safe that the ping replies are in fact from the Maschine+ SBC, and not some BIOS level boot loader.
Unfortunately this is as far as I've gotten so far. I have tried both a PCI-DVI adapter and a LVDS-DVI adapter and neither one generates an image on my monitor. There's a good chance that I just don't have the settings set properly for the LVDS adapter. But I was expecting even with those settings incorrect I would at least see a BIOS boot screen using the PCI-DVI adapter. I'm going to continue to poke at it throughout the weekend as there's literally dozens and dozens of jumpers so it's quit possible it's just not configured correctly.
There are two RS-232 serial ports, that I was hoping would be serial console to the Maschine+ however they're the wrong gender and as I'm still unpacking I have yet to find my stash of adapters. I'm probably just going to order one from Amazon and hope that it gets here soon.
I'm using the stock heatspreader from the Maschine+ and it doesn't seem to get too warm, but I keep the ambient air at 68F so it's pretty cool inside.
Well that's all I have for an update so far. I'll continue to post more as I make more progress or my apartment burns down /s.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Cheers.
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Well I did finally get the Congatec SBC that came with the carrier board to boot and was able to get to the BIOS using the PCIe-DVI adapter. So at least the carrier board and the adapter work. Still no luck with the Maschine+ SBC, just not getting any display output. I think I might have the wrong carrier board as well. Mine appears to be for the original QSEVEN spec, and the Maschine+ SBC, the QA5 is rev 2.0. I'm not sure how much if any it makes a difference, so I'll have to order a new carrier board and see if that helps.
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What is the SBC?
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Single Board Computer, which is pretty much what the name implies, an entire computer on a single board. Processor, graphics, RAM, storage etc...
That SBC and an adapter board is basically the only difference between the Plus and the MK3. In the case of the Plus, the specific SBC they use is a Congatec QA5, which is an Intel Atom based board.
The Ableton Push 3 uses a similar concept except it uses a much more powerful and expensive SBC.
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LOL, sorry. It's hard to tell how much people know about a certain subject online, so I can be a bit.... uhm. verbose at times 😂
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I ended up ordering a new carrier board, the 2.0 rev from Mouser. It should be here sometime this week. I also ordered a DP/HDMI card along with it, since I was already placing an order. I'd really like to get the BIOS screen up but, fingers crossed I can at least get a serial console into the Maschine+ Congatec SBC with the new carrier board.
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i scratch my head in wonder and amazement, at the level of knowledge and the tinkering people do under the hood of these maschine+ units
what gets me more... is the extent you's have gone through to mod things with the Maschine+ when in reality theres a better way to achieve added performance bonus's with added storage space and more i/o... and having portability(battery)
forgive me for stating the obvious, but im sure you guys realise the M1 mac mini 16gb, provide extremely low & efficient power consumption/great performance ,added input/output options & having the option to expand storage as large as you want, display options that rival the Maschine+ little screens... a battery option via portable AC bank... option to aggregate audio interfaces and run multiple applications.
sometimes i wondered why people focussed on the Maschine+ as the "Go to" option when in reality it had limited options??
i suppose choice is a good thing... and the freedom of choosing what we so desire, is a personal thing...
but a maschine+ versus a m1 Mac mini 16gb ill take the m1 Mac any day!
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apologies if the above post came across as antagonistic....
afterall i do love seeing hacks... and mods, i just wonder sometimes if its worth it in the long term *shrugs
good practice for the inquisitive & tinkerers amongst us!!
carry on! *smiles
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I already have a M2 Studio, and a Macbook, but where's the fun in that?
Not to sound poetic, but it's the journey, that's what I find fun, this is what I do.
Ultimately I'd like to be able to say "Buy XYZ product from ABC website and you're Maschine+ will be better"
So yes, I'm investing a lot of time, effort and money, but time I have plenty of and the effort just makes me better at my day job.
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journey indeed! that definately helps in the learning curve!
my hands are not so steady to venture down the path you have taken... i've pulled apart things out of curiousity, but never seem to put them back together LOL...
our minds work differently, and i admire the people who have the skills to do what you do!
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Not at all, I didn't take it as antagonistic. I just like a good puzzle. More powerful CPU cards are available from online electronics distributors for around $400. So it's really all about figuring out if a) it's possible to upgrade a Maschine+ to improve performance, and b) if it's worth the cost.
It might turn out that while it's possible, the performance upgrade isn't worth the cost/effort. Only one way to find out.
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i examined the specs of the m1 mac mini's versus other m-series mac's
and the performance/power consumption reaches a point of negative returns, thus its my personal view the m1 Mac mini is the preferred choice to get the best balance of options & performance & power efficiency.
after which point a hub of USB devices can be adequately powered by the m1 mac mini(think Maschine mk2/mk3/Jam, without stressing the M1 mac mini beyond its Max power output (via usb-c providing adequate amperage for Usb units).
i do think its a valid option getting the most out of both Maschine & m1's
nevertheless ill be watching how your hacks come along! cheeRs
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I appreciate that!
IMHO it’s better to explain a little too much, especially regarding topics and abbreviations which are not commonly used in a certain group. And even then I find it beneficial to not assume knowledge of very specific terms but to introduce them shortly, like mentioning the full meaning of an abbreviation in brackets. It can help the audience to better understand and follow the whole presentation.
But I digress. Thank you so much for taking us on your investigative journey!
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I'm confused, so the M+ SBC boots in the carrier board but is unusable (so far, no output to screen) but the SBC that came with the carrier board does not boot at all? I was expecting it to be the other way around.
Do you have the datasheet/manual to check what those postcodes on the bottom of the board mean?
I'll share a little trick via DM that might help clear out some stuff.
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