@acemonvw : Thank you for sharing this info ! I was interested not to use rack ears, but create my own stand, I will take care about this important point !
oh!!thanks for sharing the info.
sorry for yours mnm 8-((
Thanks guys.
I guess I hadn’t read that part in the manual to use these exact screws. Since I ordered it from someone on eBay who said it worked, I thought they would be fine. And… really, why the hell would the company put the screw holes in that spot?! It makes no sense to me!
So… yeah, I guess it’s my fault. Whoops.
Anyway, here are the photos along with the warning so you can see the damage (even as slight as it is):
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Sorry to see this man!
Interesting it doesn’t look like either screw hit anything besides the ground plane of the PCB.
I really hope these issues will be fixed easily.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
that’s a shame and indeed, thanks for the heads-up - just commented on a related thread about avoiding this very issue - i was very very cautious about sizing bespoke screws for bespoke end cheeks
i’m a little surprised about the damage though, my take on this is that it’s no coincidence that the holes line up with the edge of the pcb in an area where there’s no components, so i figured it was not a ‘huge’ risk - i’m no expert !!
so i’m wondering, has there been excessive force used on screw entry and could that have led to dry joints at a dodgy bit of solder if there was unusual flex
just curious (and a little anxious) ?! (i know my screws are well clear of the pcb though as i used a depth guage)
and might that help you narrow down the issue, i’m surprised it’s gone so bad just from that easily made mistake
edit: on second thoughts, if it’s same faults for both devices then it’s more likely an electronics issue that elektron may be able to shine some light on, might be fixable, good luck with it
That’s a good point about the solder joints. Wouldn’t hurt to reflow those and see.
Also test the switch for continuity and see if The LED’s are actually blown or not.
Well, there’s a technician I bring my stuff too. The guy seemed unimpressed with the problem and said ‘this will be an easy fix’.
So…
Here’s hoping!
Thanks for the tips.
And yeah, I suppose I should’ve thought about damage in advance… but hindsight is a bitch and rarely works in your advantage. So, hopefully this helps other people!
Elektron should have damn warnings printed right next to each screw hole!
Ugh. Well, there goes some cash…
This is a nasty story. I just bought some stands myself and reading this made me sweat, it seems my screws are just safe. (10mm screws for 6mm of perspex) I’m kind of lucky I used the spacers I was given.
It looks to me like the screws should never go more than 4mm into the machines. Avantronica what did your depth gauge show?
Should this thread be stickied to avoid others ever making the same mistake? Note: This is the same for my MD mkii and A4.
Good look with the Mono’s acemon.
theres only about 2.5 mm of thread in most gear
and the thickness of the mounts to add
the right length is not always easy to source
i usually hand screw them in to see how far they can go before hitting anything
had to cut and file some to avoid the ops prob
bad luck there
That sounds about right, but do not quote me, given the nature of this issue. The official screws are 6mm long and they need to accommodate a 2-3mm plate so it sounds about right. It’s trivial to check (when unplugged) with a cocktail stick !
I don’t even like visiting this thread… reminds me of what a dumbass I was!
Ugh…
@avantronica, good call on the cocktail stick for measuring lengths. I wish I had thought of that.
Hi acemonvw - i fixed this very issue for a friend of mine. The lower righthand screw cuts through a fine PCB track and causes the problem you describe. Its actually a fairly easy fix - you can bridge the damage with a strand of copper. All is not lost with you’re mono!! Its an odd fault because it affects two buttons but is only one track that is cut.
M
Wow, that sounds great! I brought it in. The person who is going to be fixing it said it wouldn’t be too difficult to fix (no way could I do it!
Thanks for that info 
Hope you get them sorted.
As a few people have said, the ‘problem’ is that the mounting holes in the sides of the Elektron cases perfectly line up with the control PCB that is mounted to the underside of the top panel. This is true of all Elektron machines.
I measured the inside of the cases and there is just about 5mm of space between the inside edge of the enclosure and the edge of the PCB.
When I supply mounting screws with my acrylic stands I only send 6mm screws with stands made from 3mm acrylic and 8mm screws with 5mm stands. This means that only 3mm of the screw actually penetrates the enclosure.
So someone tried to MAKE A GOOD POINT to Beethoven, but the DEAF ELF EAR only listened with the flesh, not with the mind.
Uhh… What?
Yeah, I told the ebayer that sold me the item that they should reconsider the size of the screws they send people so that this no longer happens. But I don’t want to say who it was because I don’t really blame them for it.
Just sucks in general that it has this, as you put it, ‘problem’ with the control PCB. Like I said, I should get it sorted!
Oh man, my heat stopped when I read your post Acemon. I’ve been enjoying your 2X MNM videos a lot, so this was especially unfortunate to read about!
When I bought my MNM from my local synth store there were no screws (or stickers) included in the box. Maybe the store owner “misplaced” them. I don’t know.
Anyway, I ended up making my own end cheeks, when fortunately forced me to delve into the manual to find the screw size I needed. Long story short, I had to drive all over town to find the exact right screw size (actually had to go to a shop that sells only screws!). I cringe at the thought that I could have easily done this same damage to my brand new MNM and MD, had I not been forced to go find the exact screws!
I agree 100%, there should be a warning posted next to the mount holes:
“WARNING! Use only 4x6mm screws. Using other sizes of screws will cause damage to internal parts.”
Glad this won’t be a big deal for you to get fixed.
I have noticed on ebay (USA) of late, some rather “low-rent” looking homemade stands for sale (extremely cheap) that are indeed made of plywood and particle board and veneer and something to watch-out for with such stands is that you must use a spacer/washer because the very nature of that type of extremely cheap wood composite is those screws will very quickly wear away at the composite wood and a natural inclination may be to tighten them, which could be extremely bad news for anyone’s Elektron. FYI.