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I’ve repaired two Octatrack MK1 units and a Rytm MK1 with no soldering whatsoever, and I’m pretty cack-handed when it comes to this sort of stuff. And when I needed Elektron to send replacement encoders and pads for a Rytm previously owned by a chain smoker, they were quick and courteous in their service, and the parts were surprisingly affordable. Also I’m possibly the luckiest SOB on the planet but none of my many Elektron units have malfunctioned, the ones I repaired I bought cheap second hand to repair and sell.

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Update on my end:

After contacting support with my provided Case number and RMA - I was ignored.

That is, until I sent an email follow up days later… then they responded after the weekend. Unfortunately their response was:

“Hey, sorry for the delay - I know we received your device over 1 month ago now (received 11/7), but we still haven’t inspected it, and have no ETA since we’re playing catch-up with devices that were received at the end of summer. Sorry for the inconvenience”.

I’m paraphrasing, but really that was the jist.

Here’s an idea for anyone facing an issue with their device right now:

If you need service, and have responsive representatives from Elektron talking with you - great. I’d still recommend asking if they have any LOOSE idea of their backlog of work - which is what I am now kicking myself for not doing.

They wouldn’t even pick up the phone or respond to my tickets, why would they have proactively let me know that I would be able to send my device in - but that I would have to wait over a month for them to even look at it?

Now that they have my device that won’t power on, I don’t have the option to explore other options for repair, like the electronics repair or music device repair places that are local to me.

Would the repair have been covered within warranty? No… but at least I’d have a device to play with, and almost certainly someone that would talk to me along the way.

Not the greatest experience. But it’s an expensive, niche music device - so I’m probably just being a Karen about all of this.

P.S. My Dirtywave M8 was delivered with Up and Left keys that didn’t work. The owner messaged me immediately on their discord, immediately took it to email to open a ticket, received my device and shipped the replacement (repaired) device back ON THE SAME DAY.

Even if it hadn’t been, I work in manufacturing and understand turnaround - but holy smokes, at least they talked with me and made it right.

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I don’t think it’s Karen-ing at all to be frustrated with bench backlogs on top of getting lost in bureaucracy. I’ve definitely called Elektron directly in the past when stuck in whatever ticketing loop, the venting is understandable.

And heck, I appreciate the update. I sent in my DN Keys recently and noticed that while it’d been signed-in, no progress was ongoing. Hope mine’s done early next year ;(

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I would imagine the scale of the operations are quite different. The total number of M8s in the wild vs the total number of Elektron boxes, and the age of many of them?

It’s a hell of a lot of products to support, a hell of a lot of people and really can’t be compared to Dirtywave’s setup.

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Sure. Wouldn’t deny that.

But complete radio silence and no communication on ETA or expectations whatsoever… come on.

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Then request it’s return and send it to a 3rd party?

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Good news for mine, at least. Got an emailed reply that the parts should be in next week and they’ll be able to start.

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