well, its not 100% coded on steem, but maybe 80%. some of the falcon and ct60 specific stuff needed real hardware, and steem doesn't have features like microwire etc. ultimately you always need to test on the real stuff, because even a nice emu like steem isn't perfect

The atari emulation avalible is really good. and afaik GWEM even coded maxymizer in Steem (correct me if im wrong gwem but this is what ive heard) so composing on real hardware, atleast if you use mym, would in this particular case be like forcing yourself to use a wheelchair when you are not disabled.  imho.

Hmm... that's odd! My STE has sockets there. In fact I recently pulled the CPU out of mine in order to test an accelerator.
There's another socketed chip on the underside of the keyboard itself by the way, but I doubt that's the problem.
Anyway, I hope you get your STE working again! Can't really help much further than I have.
And of course, like Low-Gain said, watch out for static electricity so you don't fry your chips by accident.

i'm going to try this asap.

..maybe it looks so white thanks to the mega-flash of my camera.

mmh.. i cannot see any socket under the keyboard..
Those 'squares' are soldered..

btw.. your STE is really clean!

The better thing to do would be to carefully remove said chips one at a time and put them back in.

Let me rephrase.. With the power off, and your body discharged of any static electricity...
remove 1 chip.. and immediately put it back in. proceed to do this to every other socketed chip on the board.

I'll repeat.. Do this 1 chip at a time... do not pull every chip out and then put them back in unless you are 100% sure of where they go back!

There are 2 square chips in sockets under the keyboard which seem to be the usual culprits on my STE. One is the CPU, and I think the other is the blitter. I can never be bothered to remove the metal shielding completely (actually I can't figure out how XD) so I just remove the keyboard, unscrew the front half of the shielding, lift it up a little, and stick a finger or screwdriver in there to push down the 2 square chips.

mmh...
i've pushed these three chips...

but it still doesnt work..
should I push something else or simply should I lose all my hopes?

Thanks Awol!!
Yeah probably that's the problem!
..i'm going to try this asap!

Have you turned your Atari upside down recently (maybe to unscrew the case to put in a TOS upgrade), or carried it somewhere in a backpack or suitcase? Atari computers have a problem where sometimes chips come loose from their sockets. Sometimes it can be fixed by lifting up the Atari a couple inches and dropping it on the table, although that doesn't usually work for me. After taking my STE somewhere in a suitcase on a plane, I usually have to open the computer and push down on all the socketed chips (TOS, CPU, etc) to make sure they are tight in their sockets. After you have pushed in the chips, be gentle when you turn the Atari upside down again to screw the case back on! This has fixed my STE several times when I was sure it was "dead".

i know that STU for his livesets uses an atari without monitor...
i could write my songs on pc via emulator and than perform/record from the atari... i know...
but i would much more prefer to use original hardware even for compose...

does it still boot atostarting applications? if yes, you can always use it as a Synthezier with Maxymizer and as an STj station! Who needs monitors on ataris anyway...

That thing doesn't have a "videocard", it has a GPU for sure.
Not sure you can fix it with a 520. Someone more knowledgeable in Atari ST will have to answer you!

that sucks so bad man, sorry to hear that wish i could help but i'm an STe noob