Broken? Internal rattle noise when moving the OT around

Numinamusic · 2014-05-23T00:09:15.000Z

Greetings - long time Elektron user here - since the MD MK1 in 2001 - and I own 4 machines.

I recently purchased an OT and have a question/concern. When I rock the OT back and forth or front to back it sounds like little pieces of plastic, or metal (hope not) moving around inside. I can’t tell if it’s truly broken pieces of whatever or what it sounds like is little data pin connectors (the kind that are kind of loose).

Can anyone verify that they hear the same thing in theirs? I confirmed with one friend that he does NOT hear this in his. Only a little rattling with the CF ejector button - which I also hear. pluggedin a CF card and the noise still sounds.

Any response is greatly appreciated.

HansM · 2014-05-23T09:08:19.000Z

Definitely no sound at all with mine, none at all. I’d open it up and check and clean up… maybe some stuff dropped in through the scene slider opening.

ufuk · 2014-05-23T09:34:14.000Z

Hi,

please contact the Elektron customer support about this:

Elektron

Support

Elektron | Within the music

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and fill in the form.

If the machine is under warranty, please don’t open the machine since it will void the warranty!

Cheers

natrixgli · 2014-05-23T15:56:32.000Z

@ufuk -

I am the previous owner of this machine. Do I need to do anything to transfer the warranty to the new owner? I did not register it, and purchased it new from Novamusik in February of this year. I still have the original receipt.

He said his A4 makes a similar noise, just quieter. Like it may be the trig buttons jiggling around or something. But understandably he wants to play it safe.

ufuk · 2014-05-23T16:02:09.000Z

If it’s bought by a retailer then you need to ask them how their warranty policy is.

Tell him he needs to contact the Elektron support.

Cheers

Numinamusic · 2014-05-23T18:03:21.000Z

Hi - to follow up on Natrixgli’s comment, I do hear this same noise in my A4 but it is much much less noticeable / loud, and the A4 has air vents. It’s almost impossible to hear it on the A4, but it’s there.

I have had a couple synths over the years that had a loose screw or a broken piece of plastic stuck inside and it sounds like plinko when when rocking it back and forth. This almost sounds like that here on the Octatrack but I can’t quite tell for sure if it’s something that is falling all the way from one side to the other or confined to a small space.

I think the rattle noise I’m hearing is something intrinsic to the mechanics of the buttons and/or knobs. It sounds like little loose mechanical pieces contained inside “something”. That’s the best description I can come up with. When I rock it a little hard the rattle noise sounds like multiple little “pins” in unison moving around. When I rock it slowly the “pins” all move and make little noises at different times.

I did ask a local to me Octratrack expert, Mark Mosher, and he too stated he did not hear any rattling noise in his other than the CF card reader ejector button makes a slight noise, as does the one on mine. So, the consensus is this is abnormal. Natrixgli has kindly offered to refund my money after I ship the unit back to him for him to address the problem and have it fixed.

Numina

natrixgli · 2014-05-23T18:06:41.000Z

I have a feeling I may just end up keeping it. I did have a bit of seller’s regret when I dropped it off at the post office.

Aaron2 · 2014-05-23T22:21:53.000Z

""natrixgli"":

I have a feeling I may just end up keeping it. I did have a bit of seller’s regret when I dropped it off at the post office.

Ah, yes, seller’s regret. We’ve all had it before. But you’re lucky; at least now, you get to cure yours!

natrixgli · 2014-05-23T23:57:00.000Z

I’m actually super psyched about having it back. I sold it to fund a Analog Keys that was coming back on return at a local shop, I would have been able to get a nice discount on it.

However (and ironically) it came back with pieces rattling around inside and therefore I couldn’t buy it

So I guess I will be a sampler guy again. Might be looking to swap my Tempest out for a Rytm soon tho. I gotta say the videos that are popping up are really tweaking my GAS level. However I’ve never been able to manage to part with my Tempest so it will be hard. Can’t afford to have both, don’t need both. Want 'em both.

natrixgli · 2014-05-28T00:31:55.000Z

Just to follow up; I just got the OT back and gave it a thorough inspection. It sounds like the springs jiggling a bit inside the buttons. The sound is not concentrated anywhere in particular, you hear it all over the front panel.

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, I ran the self test in the early startup menu, checked all the knobs, buttons, crossfader, etc. Then proceded to jam on it for like an hour and a half and wonder what made me sell it in the first place! (oh yeah, the lust for more gear as usual.)

Anyway I grabbed a Microbrute and a OP-1 over the past few weeks and these both seem like fun OT companions so I have a feeling that it might stick around for a while, at least till the next lusty piece of gear comes out.