Sega Saturn audio / freezing problem, mod chip related

[marurun]

I have a weird problem with my Sega Saturn that has persisted for years. I sent it out over a decade ago to have a mod chip installed. When it came back, everything seemed to work, except... when I got to playing games for long stretches, the audio would start to get messed up.

I played a burned copy of Magic Knights Rayearth and for the first 30 - 45 minutes everything was fine, but after the system got warmed up, the audio would start to mangle, typically starting with sound effects. Instead of the regular attack sound, I would hit attack and the system would shriek at me. It would get worse and worse the longer I played at a stretch. Every once in a while it would freeze after a particular horrific mangled sound effect.

I also found that Panzer Dragoon Saga would often freeze during loading (I found out it uses the audio chip and audio RAM to help buffer CD data).

These audio problems also affected regular pressed releases, but at the time I was spending more time with burns because I had already played all my pressed games to death.

Then, after a several hour move over 500 miles away, the system started working just fine. It would play originals and burns just fine, even if the system was on for hours at a stretch.

THEN, we moved a very short distance a few years ago (just across town), and the system in question started acting up again. Now it is worse than ever. Games crash early and often, or don't load at all. When they do load, the audio goes to hell pretty quickly.

All I can think is that the moves are jostling something critical.

Anyone have any guidance as to what I should look for or where I should seek help?

I do have a soldering iron, but no multi-meter tool. I suck with the iron and probably could not install any kind of mod chip at my level of experience. But I can poke around at stuff.

Would be willing to pay someone to take a look at this if necessary, or offer up goods from my sale/trade list in exchange for help.

[Hobie-wan]

Have you tried just reseating the mod chip and ribbon cable?

[marurun]

I have opened it up and poked around at it a little. Saturn mod chips tend to be on very thin boards, so I've resisting moving too much stuff around. When it was installed it was taped down to hold it in place, so it's difficult for a full disassembly without accidentally bending or pulling something probably shouldn't be bent or pulled.

I will give it another look, though.

[s8n]

ive had about 75 consoles shipped from other countries to Australia and all have worked except one.


i did fix it though after doing different types of fixes on it , the point is consoles can take some poking around / odd bangs and stuff like that and it will not die.


so dont be scared doing some work on the Saturn

[marurun]

Oh, I'm not scared for the Saturn so much as I am for the mod chip. I can't solder worth a dam, so if anything comes unhooked cause I messed with it I don't have the know-how to re-attach it.

I have one Saturn with a region mod that's quite literally falling apart and still works great.