hello friends, i bought an intellijel plonk, and when i turned it on for the first time, all the lights went on, and the front panel doesn't... and also doesn't make any sound. Does anyone know what this is and how to solve it?


what do you mean by "the front panel doesn't"???

I don't think the plonk will make any sound unless it is triggered!

what other modules do you have? the only rack you have made here is a single small row of 1u which is empty!

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


what do you mean by "the front panel doesn't"???

I don't think the plonk will make any sound unless it is triggered!

what other modules do you have? the only rack you have made here is a single small row of 1u which is empty!

-- JimHowell1970
did not turn on the front panel! I have a beatsteppro, other modules too... that's not the problem...
the situation with the plonk that is my doubt. all the lights turn on, but the front panel doesn't, the button that would trigger the trigger doesn't either. when I send trigger, or cv, it also has no reaction.
ps. I'm going to build my case here at MG haha


ok do all the other modules work perfectly in the same case at the same time? are you sure the power cable i in correctly - red stripe corresponds with marker on module pcb and bus board? if keyed headers - is the cable correct? red stripe is left when key is facing you (lines up with a tiny, almost invisible triangle) on both ends

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


ok do all the other modules work perfectly in the same case at the same time? are you sure the power cable i in correctly - red stripe corresponds with marker on module pcb and bus board? if keyed headers - is the cable correct? red stripe is left when key is facing you (lines up with a tiny, almost invisible triangle) on both ends
-- JimHowell1970

thank you Jim for your attention ..yes .. all these procedures I've already checked! and i even disassembled the entire rack, I tried to turn it on only, and it has the same condition (all lights are on, and the front panel is off).


Hi Morellofabio,

  • So you did check the module alone in a rack without all the other modules and it still doesn't work?
  • Not very likely but if your rack is pretty full with modules you might have reached the maximum power consumption, in that case pull out a few power hungry modules and try again
  • You did check the power cable connections on both sides (at the PCB of the module and at the bus board of your rack)? Careful please, it looks like the Plonk doesn't have a boxed pin header so make sure indeed the -12 V (red line) is connect to the PCB where also that white line has been indicated and -12 V has been written. Same goes for the bus board connection
  • If that all still doesn't work, try to use a 10-pole power cable from one of your modules you are 100% sure it works and check again
  • Now test the other way around, take one of the modules you are 100% sure of that it works, test that module, remember at which bus board header you connected it, does this module indeed work well? It should, right? Okay now remember to take this same bus board header again and now connect your troubled-Plonk module exactly at that bus header, does it work now?
  • Still not? Did you try to install the latest firmware? (Again? Perhaps previously went something wrong?)
  • Still not? Well there is a change that you got a dead-on-arrival module, contact Intellijel, perhaps they have a few more ideas of troubleshooting before sending the module back to your dealer

Good luck with the troubleshooting, please keep us updated and kind regards, Garfield.

Edit: Removed typo.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Morellofabio,

  • So you did check the module alone in a rack without all the other modules and it still doesn't work?
  • Not very likely but if your rack is pretty full with modules you might have reached the maximum power consumption, in that case pull out a few power hungry modules and try again
  • You did check the power cable connections on both sides (at the PCB of the module and at the bus board of your rack)? Careful please, it looks like the Plonk doesn't have a boxed pin header so make sure indeed the -12 V (red line) is connect to the PCB where also that white line has been indicated and -12 V has been written. Same goes for the bus board connection
  • If that all still doesn't work, try to use a 10-pole power cable from one of your modules you are 100% sure it works and check again
  • Now test the other way around, take one of the modules you are 100% sure of that it works, test that module, remember at which bus board header you connected it, does this module indeed work well? It should, right? Okay now remember to take this same bus board header again and now connect your troubled-Plonk module exactly at that bus header, does it work now?
  • Still not? Did you try to install the latest firmware? (Again? Perhaps previously went something wrong?)
  • Still not? Well there is a change that you got a dead-on-arrival module, contact Intellijel, perhaps they have a few more ideas of troubleshooting before sending the module back to your dealer

Good luck with the troubleshooting, please keep us updated and kind regards, Garfield.

Edit: Removed typo.

-- GarfieldModular

hello... thanks for the attention GarfieldModular...
i tried all these steps you mentioned... still with the same problem. an unusual situation occurred. when I tried to update the firmware, the update was completed successfully, and the module turned on correctly, everything worked.... however, when I turn off the rack, and turn it on again, it comes back with the same problem... then If I repeat the update procedure, it works again, and when I turn off again, the problem returns... I passed all this information to intellijel, let's wait for their response.


Hello Morellofabio,

That's indeed a very weird problem :-) Sounds like if the module wouldn't save the new firmware update or something like that, as if it all forgets about it after a power down... Strange...

Please keep us updated how it goes and what Intellijel tells you/ask you to check. Good luck and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads