emusonacid!

Hello everyone, i have just received my long awaited e6400 ultra in the post and to my horror when i boot none of buttons do anything. It starts up ok, checks through all installed stuff etc but then goes to a screen called "Multimode" and i can't do anything. The screen darkens after a while too but i think this is just what happens when nothing has been pressed for a given amount of time (needless to say the screen doesn't, light back up when i press a button).

Im desperate for this thing not to be broken as i have spent way too much money in the past on ebay items which have ended up faulty its becoming a joke.

First of all it sounds like the connection between front-panel and mainboard is loose.

But before opening your e6400, check if the MIDI-LED lights up when receiving incoming MIDI-messages.
If this does not work, I bet on a loose contact and you might be a lucky guy after checking the connections.
Therefore you have to open your e6400 and check if the cables are mounted properly on the connectors.
It might be necessary to check the conection on the front panel PCB, too.

The darkening of the display is related to an optional power saving mode.
Quote from the E4-Manual:

Screen Saver
After a period of inactivity, the LCD backlight dims in order to prolong the life of the LCD. This parameter sets the period of time from 10 to 60 minutes (in increments of 10 minutes) before the screen dims, or “Never” so that the backlight always stays on. This option is not available on e64 or EIV units.

If a replacement of the front panel PCB is required, you will get it at:
http://www.eprelectronics.com/store/html/Products/E-mu-Rack-Mount-Modules/E-mu-E4XT-Ultra-Sampler/Front-panel-pcb-assembl-87.html

I hope this is just a small issue and you will join us in this forum in the future.