Looking for Lexicon MPX-1 v1.1 firmware!

[SerialSinger]

Hello! I'm looking for a binary copy of the version 1.1 firmware for the Lexicon MPX-1 rack fx processor; on the whole web there is no trace of it!

This could be useful for other MPX-1 owners, because many units on the used market have the old version 1.0 which is "missing something"...

I already asked Lexicon support, but they told me they won't have it available anymore, and don't even sell it on an EPROM chip as an official upgrade.
By the way, the EPROM chip to be used is a 27C020.

Anyone here around has done a backup of a v1.1 unit?
Thanks in advance!

PS: version 1.0 is not available too; if somebody has it, this could be shared as well for backup purposes.

[SerialSinger]

Sigh! No one?

[Rasputin]

So I'm assuming you're looking for the firmware because you have an MPX-1. I'm also assuming you must be at v1.0 if you're looking for v1.1. I'm also assuming you must have an EPROM programmer if you're looking for the firmware.

If that's all correct then it would be nice if you ripped the v1.0 ROM and posted it here. But then again, your P.S. seems to contradict this which doesn't make sense to me.

[Rasputin]

Perhaps, but I wasn't intending to jump directly to such a conclusion. I just personally feel that it isn't within the spirit of the forum to ask for help without going through the work to also contribute something that's obviously missing. In this case, the v1.0 ROM should be an easy enough task if my reasoning is sound. Of course there are extenuating circumstances, so I could be off the mark.

Alternatively, if someone has a collection of firmware (or hardware containing such firmware) that isn't so commonly available then maybe they should post some or all items from it as a good faith gesture. It might get someone to pop the top on their MPX-1 own and read out their firmware in return. It would certainly be appreciated and of benefit, at the very least.

[SerialSinger]

Sorry, I forgot to tell the whole story because I was in a hurry to ask for help...

I'm going to collect some other binary files from my own hardware and put them on the great free OS binaries page which you all should know (check my latest post there).

Then, I don't own an EPROM burner but I found someone who's gonna "borrow" me one for a few days only (that's the reason of my hurry).

Now, the whole blah blah story.
I checked inside all of the devices of my musical collection, and I discovered that my version 1.1 MPX 1 has its EPROM directly soldered on the main board, instead of being put on a socket; this is very strange, because the v1.1 upgrade from Lexicon was originally available as a chip replacement kit (for a confirmation, please browse the web for the upgrade instructions on PDF), so one would expect to find a socketed chip to extract... Not in my case.

Therefore I asked if somebody has the v1.1 binary ready, otherwise my only way to back it up would be desoldering the EPROM (gulp!) for reading it, hoping that I won't do any damage to the chip. I'm not a superskilled electronical repairer; I just know how to extract a scketed chip and put it back, and I don't like the idea of trashing my MPX 1 in an attempt to taking care of its firmware for the future...

I hope it is clearer now. Thanks for your attention and trust
Claudio Falcone
(lead vocalist for Alphataurus prog-rock band)

[EDIT] - I just sent this first batch of firmware binaries to dbwbp.com:
Alesis QSR v1.02
Evolution EVS1 v1.4 (OS & sample ROM)
JLCooper MSB Plus Rev2 v2.01
Korg 707 - 870904
Korg Prophecy v1.7 (not the latest version, I know)
RFX MP1288 MIDIWizard pedalboard
RFX RP93s Patchwork MIDI-controlled audio switcher
Waldorf Midi Bay MB-15 v1.0
Yamaha MU100-R (two versions)

[SerialSinger]

Quick update on my quest for firmware backups:

I checked all my hardware (about 80 units), excluding all the devices whose OS is stored on ROM / OTP chips or "modern" flash memory storage.
The one and only EPROM-driven unit which I won't be able to backup by myself, or for which I haven't found a ready-to-use binary file on the web, is the Lexicon MPX 1.

I'm going to send to Vincent at DBWBP all of the binaries which are not already there; stay tuned for some very special ones.

Now, if someone would dump a v1.1 MPX1 and send it to Vincent as well...

[Rasputin]

I'm going to send to Vincent at DBWBP all of the binaries which are not already there; stay tuned for some very special ones.

Yay!!!

[SerialSinger]

I'm going to send to Vincent at DBWBP all of the binaries which are not already there; stay tuned for some very special ones.

Yay!!!

I know how it feels!

Right now I'm going to send him all the missing binaries which I collected from the web in the past, mostly for devices which I don't own; I like the idea to make all of them available in a single place...
In a few days I will send more of my own dumps.

[baz99]

Here you go: http://pkgrepo.linuxtech.net/files/Lexicon/MPX1/

Be aware though that there appear to be at least two different hardware revisions of the MPX1, I don't know whether the firmware can be used on both of them regardless.

[SerialSinger]

Here you go: http://pkgrepo.linuxtech.net/files/Lexicon/MPX1/

Be aware though that there appear to be at least two different hardware revisions of the MPX1, I don't know whether the firmware can be used on both of them regardless.

Well, baz99... THANK YOUUUUUUU!!!

I knew that there surely was a revision of the hardware; for example, the first batch of production was using lower resolution DACs. My unit is using the most recent ones, according to what Lexicon tech support told me. If this is/was the only difference, I think that the firmware won't make any difference.

UPDATE: I just remembered that I took a picture of the soldered EPROM inside my unit; it's a bad picture (so ashamed I won't attach it here... ) but readable.
Guess what? The label on the chip has the same code number as the one you put into your file name! That sounds veeery good to me!

ehm... did I say THANK YOU?

Case closed. Stay all tuned in the next weeks for my firmware dumps to Vincent's page.

[baz99]

You're welcome.

If your chip is soldered how are you planning to do the update? surely you will have to desolder it first?

My Firmware Eprom is socketed so reading it out was very easy (obviously I own an Eprom reader/writer).

Edit: never mind, I didn't pay enough attention, now I see you only needed it for backup purposes.

[Rasputin]

You're welcome.

If your chip is soldered how are you planning to do the update? surely you will have to desolder it first?

My Firmware Eprom is socketed so reading it out was very easy (obviously I own an Eprom reader/writer).

Edit: never mind, I didn't pay enough attention, now I see you only needed it for backup purposes.

Thanks to both of you for contributing some hard-to-get firmware. Great to see!

As for the soldered EPROM problem, there's always the piggyback method. Disconnect the chip select pin on the original by running it to 5V instead of the motherboard (requires tiny cutters or the like) and then just solder the new EPROM over the top of the old while making sure the new chip enable line is jumped to where the old one used to be connect to the motherboard.

Uh, I think I got that right. Not that it probably is going to happen in this case.

[SerialSinger]

You're welcome.

If your chip is soldered how are you planning to do the update? surely you will have to desolder it first?

My Firmware Eprom is socketed so reading it out was very easy (obviously I own an Eprom reader/writer).

Edit: never mind, I didn't pay enough attention, now I see you only needed it for backup purposes.

Thanks to both of you for contributing some hard-to-get firmware. Great to see!

As for the soldered EPROM problem, there's always the piggyback method. Disconnect the chip select pin on the original by running it to 5V instead of the motherboard (requires tiny cutters or the like) and then just solder the new EPROM over the top of the old while making sure the new chip enable line is jumped to where the old one used to be connect to the motherboard.

Uh, I think I got that right. Not that it probably is going to happen in this case.

Right, my machine is already on version 1.1 but I wanted to have a backup. If I'd need to refresh it, I will surely go the desoldering way (maybe with a "hot air gun", you know...) and then install a socket: if the EPROM goes to heaven during the process, I may just burn a new one and put it in.

Good to know the piggyback method anyway!

UPDATE: I just sent the MPX 1 dumps to Vince, together with some other firmware files of mine, including Boss SE-70, Lexicon Vortex, Korg Wavestation SR, etc.
I will finish my collection in a few days. Enjoy all!

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...] This could be useful for other MPX-1 owners, because many units on the used market have the old version 1.0 which is "missing something"... [...]

So what's exactly lacking with 1.0? What does 1.1 have to make it worth having? Better audio performance, more algorithms, less bugs, a brighter display?

Stephen

[SerialSinger]

So what's exactly lacking with 1.0? What does 1.1 have to make it worth having? Better audio performance, more algorithms, less bugs, a brighter display?

Stephen

All the changes are described in a document which can be downloaded from this link:

https://lexiconpro.com/en-US/support_do ... ducts/mpx1

It's the file named "MPX1_V1_1_Adden_Rev1_original.pdf".