Hi, kind of a strange story follows:

I have a GUS Classic (v3.74). I've had it for about three years and earlier this year I've noticed that it plays some of the MIDI files included with the GUS distorted. The 1024kb sample MIDI sometimes does not load. In fact it almost never loads, though sometimes it does. More likely than not I get an error message about not enough memory, sometimes the computer freezes. I am positive that last year the card used to work correctly.

I managed to buy another GUS Classic (v3.73). Works perfectly.

After some troubleshooting with the RAM in the first card (swapping chips, checking contact but ultimately no joy), I've swapped the GF1 chips of the cards, cleaning the contacts with some deoxidizing spray in the process. Both cards work flawlessly. I've been happy thinking that some rust caused the problem.

Swapped the GF1 chips back, and lo and behold, the first card had the same problems as before, and the second worked perfectly.

Swapped the GF1 chips one last time, and once again both cards work perfectly.

What can cause this?

• Contact error between the GF1 and the socket? I do not think so, as the problem seems to be very consistent. But who knows....

• Dying caps? And one of the GF1-s (the newer, form 9510 does not tolerate them, but the older form 9247 does?

• Bad socket joints? Not very likely.

Any ideas?