Hello All,  While I certainly appreciate all the 'sound' advice (pun
intended) about the PDS-128 that doesn't recognize that a disc has been
inserted, I get the feeling that no one knows someone who can actually
fix the problem.  To date, all the responses I've received state that
I should call a local representative or the manufacture.

Well, I finally did some research myself and found an email address
for PianoDisc.  It's (what else) 'www.pianodisc.com'.  But I'm truly
surprised that no one in the forum knew the address right off the top
of their head.

And I'd like to thank Robbie for pointing out the obvious with regards
to attempting to upgrade the system.

By the way, I did try three different discs.  And I've never heard of
any system that when left unplugged for any length of time would
'drain'.  What if the unit sat in the store for two years before it was
sold? That just seems too bizarre to be true.

When I get a reply from PianoDisc about the problem I'll send a copy
along to the MMD.

Thanks,

John A. Tuttle

 [ Actually, "www.pianodisc.com" is not an e-mail address.  Its
 [ the name of a computer which contains the PianoDisc Website.
 [ The correct specification for that Website is:
 [
 [    http://www.pianodisc.com/
 [
 [ There are some "buttons" on their home page which can be used
 [ to send mail if your browser is correctly configured.  Here's
 [ the e-mail addresses from that page.  Their purposes should be
 [ self evident:
 [
 [     tech@pianodisc.com
 [     music@pianodisc.com
 [     sales@pianodisc.com
 [     general@pianodisc.com
 [
 [ Its been a while since I had a PDS-128 controller apart on
 [ my bench, but I'd like to comment on the general notion of
 [ computers not working if they've been off a long time...
 [
 [ Many computers store a small number of configuration settings
 [ to be used each time the unit is turned on.  Usually these
 [ settings are not stored in EPROM or "Flash RAM", but rather in
 [ in a small piece of CMOS memory.  PC's also incorporate a clock
 [ into this function.  This requires a battery.  Some computers use
 [ a long-life Lithium battery and some use a rechargable Ni-Cad battery.
 [ To be sure, the ones that use Ni-Cads will loose their settings if
 [ left off for too long.  The ones that use Lithium batteries will
 [ "forget" when the battery runs low, regardless of how frequently
 [ the unit is turned on and off.
 [
 [ I don't know how the PDS-128 handles its parameters, but its
 [ unlikely that they are saved with the software in Flash Ram.  Please
 [ let us know what you find out.   --Jody