Analog Keys - Oil leaking out from bottom centre screw

Jukka · 2021-03-09T02:44:23.336Z

I’m stumped.

Cosmic · 2021-03-09T02:46:09.679Z

Well I am not going to pull it all apart. I think i am just going to clean up the obvious leak and keep using it. I will just keep monitoring it. I could take it in for a service but I have just got something else serviced and funds are low for servicing everything.

I think I will send this discussion to Elektron support and see what they say about it.

JamesM · 2021-03-09T02:51:57.921Z

Mine definitely didn’t come from food and I doubt that it was from a popped capacitor. It works perfectly, and the leak had no chemical smell. It’s more like a Vaseline/petroleum gel.
Also, mine has experienced a few Australian summers, which are a tad warmer than your average Scandinavian heatwave. First week of autumn and most days still over 30°C

Cosmic · 2021-03-09T02:54:20.461Z

I’m in Australia too so it could be heat related, i am assuming it is from a part in the keyboard housing such as the keybed mechanism which requires some lubrication and it is running from there.

JamesM · 2021-03-09T02:55:21.389Z

Good call.

Jukka · 2021-03-09T02:56:00.208Z

The oil filled capacitor don’t pop, they leak and continue to work, as i am aware. They can be as small as half a pack of cigarettes, but no smaller. Again i really doubt this is the source.

JamesM · 2021-03-09T03:09:06.985Z

This photo from @analog shows some of the area immediately above those screw holes.
¿Could be lube from the keys?

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Jukka · 2021-03-09T03:14:26.063Z

Isn’t keyboard lube generally grease ?

Perhaps grease could get less viscous with some real heat. It’s summer in Australia. Maybe.

JamesM · 2021-03-09T03:23:54.095Z

If it stops working, I’ll pull it apart and look closer. It’s now out of warranty. Till then, “if it ain’t broke…”

Cosmic · 2021-03-09T03:29:22.946Z

I put in a support ticket so if I get any logical explanations will report it back here. I just cleaned up the case and closed it back up. it is all working as expected otherwise. I assume there is this oil running inside though so it could do with an internal clean at the least so might be worth thinking about.

Jukka · 2021-03-09T03:33:18.244Z

Cosmic:

internal clean

Keyboards get so grody inside even with a cover, i don’t know how it happens, it’s one of those mysteries of science.

Cosmic · 2021-03-09T03:35:58.328Z

The keyboard circuit board is the one closest to the bottom case so it is reassuring that if the oil is from there, it is likely just running straight out without coating all the other boards.

JamesM · 2021-03-09T03:44:07.575Z

I’m looking at this guy right here. If there’s some kind of lube in those springs dripping down???
Or, if that’s a metal stalk and the screw is self tapping, then it’s fairly possible they used some metal drilling lube.

image2048×1431 465 KB

Cosmic · 2021-03-09T03:46:42.839Z

I wish I was brave enough to pull it completely apart and solve the mystery but I chickened out.

plusn · 2021-03-09T08:45:26.485Z

That’s ok, I wouldn’t do it either. Just wait what Elektron support comes up with.

echothief · 2021-03-09T15:36:13.496Z

its the VCO…Voltage Controlled Oil-filter

jdaddyaz · 2021-03-09T15:44:46.997Z

Press the corresponding key. See what happens. I’m still running with some put a little too much lube and it liquidized. The internals are clean, so no worries there.

JamesM · 2021-03-10T09:13:59.245Z

Just flipped mine to discover another leak
And on close inspection, peaking between the keys and underbridge discovered ANOTHER leak, which doesn’t yet appear underneath.
Have to clearly note for any @Elektron staff that the first leak was discovered BEFORE underbridge was attached.
Also the leak has not attacked the paint surface at all, and doesn’t have any acid/alkaline scent.
And today was another +30°C day. You can tell winter is coming now.

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image3024×4032 1.71 MB

ps: Still sounds awesome

sjelectronica · 2021-03-10T09:23:03.067Z

I had a similar occurrence with my Moog Sub Phatty. One day I noticed an oil like substance on the bottom of the synth around one of the screws. I never did anything about it and nothing ever came of it. The synth still worked fine years later. I never tried opening it up to see where it was coming from.

It’s just my luck that this would happen to me when I also own a Subaru…

Schnork · 2021-03-10T09:26:29.605Z

Never seen anything like that…The last pic is oil pooled inside underbridge? That seems quite a lot?