Analog Rytm Purchase Woes

cluetokalo · 2014-06-25T02:05:00.000Z

Hey guys. I’m having a bit of a tough time with the purchase of my machine so thought I’d ask for some advice.

Last month I decided an AR would be perfect for a project I’m working on, so walked into the distributor’s store here in Australia (who I’ve bought all my Elektron machines from) to grab one. They were out of stock with a waiting list, and weren’t going to get any machines for several weeks anyway. So I weighed it up and decided to import one from the States. I ended up paying the same, but it just meant I could start using it asap.

When the machine arrived it had a weird problem with one of the pads. The RS pad wouldn’t trigger a lot of the time, but would often be triggered when hitting adjacent pads (the CP and SD pads), and sometimes even the BT pad. I updated the firmware, performed a factory reset - the problem persisted.

It sort of seemed to fix itself for a day or two. But then one day I switched it on and it was even worse than before (the RS pad stopped working completely). I contacted Elektron support and went through some troubleshooting with them, sent through videos, and was told that it seemed like a problem and the machine would need to be sent back to Sweden.

I told them I was in Australia and had imported the machine from the States. I was told that they couldn’t ship a new machine to Australia because of their deal with the local distributor, who I was asked to contact and see whether they’d be willing to do me a favour and send the machine back on my behalf. I was told they were in no way obligated to help me out because I’d imported the machine. I (perhaps naively) didn’t think that my purchase of the machine from OS would have an impact on support in this way. I sort of assumed that if I bought a machine from anywhere in the world it would be covered by Elektron and they’d be able to sort me out directly. But it seems that in Australia this kind of stuff needs to happen through the distributor. It’s worth keeping this in mind if you’re thinking of grabbing one from outside of Australia. You may have a similar issue to me if you import a machine, buy one while you’re travelling, move here etc.

Anyway, I contacted the Oz distributor (feeling a little guilty), but they were nice and understanding (I made it clear I did try to buy it through them initially). But now I’m in a position, a few weeks later, where I’m unsure what’s happening with the support of the machine. I’m needing to prompt for updates and it seems it might take a while. I’m relying on it being sorted between Elektron and a distributor who has no obligation to assist (so it’s understandable it might not be their number one priority).

In the meantime, the machine seems to be working a little better. The pad works more often than not in the few times I’ve turned it on while waiting to get the issue sorted, and has been working fine the last 5 times I’ve turned it on. Maybe it’s a problem that could sort itself out. But even when it’s working fine there’s a part of me that wants to be 100% confident in the hardware of the machine. I plan to use it live, and I’d hate for it to crap out in a performance. I could cross my fingers and keep using it, assume it’ll be fine, but the thought of having to go through this process again if it does break is not appealing.

What would you guys do? Would you roll the dice, hang on to the machine as it is? Would you swap it over for a newie this far through the process? Has anyone had a similar issue with the pads on their machine that has righted itself? My concern would always be that it’s a weakness in the hardware that could show itself again when the machine’s out of warranty.

Any advice would be appreciated.

analogback · 2014-06-25T02:32:29.000Z

does the pad respond in test mode?

cluetokalo · 2014-06-25T03:21:41.000Z

Because it’s intermittent, it’s hard to test in this way. It happens off and on. In the end I just had my phone ready to record it when it was going on, sent this through to Elektron, they talked me through some troubleshooting, and in the end said it would need to head back to Sweden.

analogback · 2014-06-25T03:51:03.000Z

yeah intermittent problems are difficult and in the end you have to trust in their judgement. however, similar issues have been reported on here about unresponsive pads and afaik has been resolved by reloading software etc. in the end, if it can’t be replicated in test mode then it’s a software issue. you could do some extensive testing in test mode by leaving the machine on for a couple of days and hitting the pad every time you walk past it! there’s no voodoo involved, it’s either a faulty pad, a bad solder connection or a software problem. it might pay to do the test, or you surely have to send it back and that may be more painful!

Elektronot · 2014-06-25T04:18:07.000Z

Get rid of it. You know you want to. Stay persistent with Elektron, and if you if you’ve done business with that distributor before its in their best interest to accommodate you. Get what you want, you’re paying for it.

cluetokalo · 2014-06-25T04:45:18.000Z

Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice. When it was at its worst I did an immediate factory reset and the issue was still happening when it booted back up. I don’t know if this would indicate it to be a hardware issue, but the problem is that even now when it’s been working for a couple of days I just don’t have the confidence in the unit.

dimi3 · 2014-06-25T05:07:33.000Z

One thought, if you bought it in the US send it to them for fixing. you should be able to get a waiver on the tax on the return.

TrabanT · 2014-06-25T05:30:11.000Z

hey there. i am sorry what is happening to you!

here my 2ct:

i would ask elektron to refund the unit in full (minus some whatever money you both find fair) and then buy it again from your local retailer … you may will have to undergo the same procedure again and again in the next few years while warranty lasts … so why not wait a few more months , good luck bro

Accent · 2014-06-25T06:02:58.000Z

Have out contacted the US distributor you purchased from? It may not be as convenient as dealing locally, but depending on where you purchased it, they may be you best bet in covering this issue. I know Sweetwater gives you 2 years of coverage…if I’d purchased through them (for example), I’d have them sort it out…maybe they can come to an agreement with Elektron so you can send it direct instead of Oz>U.S.>Sweden. Maybe more convoluted, but ultimately less hassle than trying to ask for the good graces of a retailer who you didn’t purchase through.

analogback · 2014-06-25T06:04:01.000Z

yeah its disappointing for sure… i would wait until the next OS release to rule out any software bug that is uncovered. if its not fixed then… send it back

cluetokalo · 2014-06-25T06:43:54.000Z

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate all the kind words. Yeah, it’s definitely been a bummer.

I have to mention that the Oz distributor has been good about it (I do have a relationship with them), and haven’t been weird about helping out (the guy I spoke to on the phone actually said that he had also been excited about the AR and would have considered importing it as well, considering you just couldn’t get them here). I don’t think I can expect them to make it their priority though, and don’t feel comfortable pestering them about it. I also haven’t heard from Elektron on whether they’ve worked with them to ship a replacement unit or not. It’s not clear who my point of contact is supposed to be.

I messaged Elektron again today to see if there’s any news, so hopefully I’ll have a better idea of the situation soon and how long it might take to get sorted. Will keep you posted.

tertior · 2014-06-25T10:35:39.000Z

I hope this is not a faulty weld, but as you say the assets of 2 pads I think more has to be done running.
Tap the pads in question dozens of times (quietly)
And at the same time start the procedure for a change and if it suits you have minimum two years to change it.
Good luck.

IVAN_B · 2014-06-27T10:16:42.000Z

Hey,

The AR is faulty. It has warranty. Send it back. There is no “deal” with any retailer that overwrites the law. No matter how you imported or where you bought the unit as long as you have the invoice you are covered.

Send it back.

snowcrash · 2014-06-27T10:23:28.000Z

""ivanberes"":

The AR is faulty. It has warranty. Send it back. There is no “deal” with any retailer that overwrites the law. No matter how you imported or where you bought the unit as long as you have the invoice you are covered.

Side note: Although it makes it easier for both parties, in some countries warranty is not tied to the invoice. So when you loose the invoice the seller is bound by law to hand you out a copy of the invoice on request.

Elektronot · 2014-06-28T02:16:22.000Z

""TrabanT"":

you may will have to undergo the same procedure again and again in the next few years while warranty lasts …

Are bad machine’s that common??

TrabanT · 2014-06-28T09:46:19.000Z

""Elektronot"":

[quote=“TrabanT”]you may will have to undergo the same procedure again and again in the next few years while warranty lasts …

Are bad machine’s that common??[/quote]
hey Elektronot … i didnt make myself clear … if he has another fault with the same machine he would have to go through the same hassle again and again
I would say Elektron gear is built VERY reliable! but there are problems, but elektron keep their words on a proper replacement and repair policy IMHO

Elektronot · 2014-06-28T12:00:36.000Z

""TrabanT"":

hey Elektronot … i didnt make myself clear … if he has another fault with the same machine he would have to go through the same hassle again and again
I would say Elektron gear is built VERY reliable! but there are problems, but elektron keep their words on a proper replacement and repair policy IMHO

Oh, ok. Gotcha. Thank you for the info.

dimi3 · 2014-06-28T18:07:47.000Z

did the update help?

cluetokalo · 2014-06-29T09:18:47.000Z

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts.

Dimi3, I haven’t tried the update yet, but will over the next couple of days. As mentioned, the last few times I’ve tried the machine it’s seemed ok. This is without doing anything new to try to fix it (I had previously tried lots of factory resets and updating the OS). So it’s difficult for me to know if it’s a software issue that somehow righted itself out of nowhere, or a dodgy pad that’s improving itself the more it’s played.

After seeing the videos I sent through Elektron seemed to think it warranted me sending the unit back to them, and other more technically-minded friends (whose advice I sought) seemed to think it was likely to be a hardware issue.

The problem is that there’s no real way for me to be sure, and just the chance that it’s a hardware issue that could rear its head at a later date (especially mid-performance) makes me not really trust the unit. As TrabanT said, the fact that it’s been a bit of a process to get this far with a replacement unit makes not want to take a chance on this one and see what happens. I feel like I should just follow this though now and be 100% sure about the unit (as much as you can be, anyway).

cluetokalo · 2014-07-10T02:42:33.000Z

Hi guys. Just wanted to let everyone know that I got a replacement unit from Elektron through the Oz dealer, who were incredibly nice about helping out. I’m really happy to finally have a machine that’s totally solid.