Encoders inconsistent/failing?

Anyone else had a problem with the new encoders yet, my digitakt aquired a heavy response on the F a while back which has developed into a slack, heavy response, if it were a car wheel you would say the bearings had gone. I guess I need to send it back for repair but I am nervous about sending it through the post without a backup solution.

You may have already tried this, but have you tried pushing the Encoder in while you turn? It gives you more direct control i.e turning in whole numbers like 4, 8, 12 etc instead of 1.82 to 3.46 and what not. Mine are pretty loose on their own but by pressing in and turning it’s much more direct.

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No its definitely different to all the others, at first it became heavy now it is heavy, scratchy and has play, all the other are quick and smooth.

I get varying responses from my encoders on different parameters sometimes. they boot along sometimes, then they let laggy the next.

personally I really dislike the acceleration style vibe of the new encoders. the old way was great, no need for acceleration imo.

mine is a software thing tho so not the same as op.

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I have just started experiencing this on the E encoder after twiddling about with a filter while recording. Now it’s noticeably stiffer then the other encoders and feels kinda rough.

What? So many worn out encoders already? :anguished:
Fortunately i’m using a midi controller to control a lot of the parameters. At one point i might have to use a bunch of them and totally avoid the controls on the Digitakt.

My H encoder is crazy ! Value changes without tweaking. I send it back soon to Elektron for repair :frowning:

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Did they tell you it was a fault?, I have had over sensitive encoders since day one and no update has improved them yet, nor have I heard any confirmation that it is problem. I get the feeling its going to be another one of those “working within expected parameters” problems.
My heavy encoder hasnt got any worse so unless I find out my phantom encoder behaviour is unit specific I wont send it back, being without a means of music therapy for a month+ is not going to happen over something that might not be fixed, lesson learnt over quality expectations though.

Oh shit, i am not the only one, have’t had any issue with this box until now, kinda bummed, not had it for a whole year yet… I’mgoingtocry

Send a support ticket, find out for sure if the behavior you are experiencing is either a bug, over sensitive encoders, or broken encoders. It the only way to know for sure and the only real path to a fix.

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After a while, your encoders are smooth like they were too lubricated or they take a little bit of tightness just like they were brand new?

I bought a used Digitakt and am a bit worried about the encoder lifespan. Like the op, my E encoder is not feeling as smooth as the other ones. It has some play or slack before it “graps” and changes values. And it’s tighter to turn. Not a deal breaker but I’m worried it might be on its way out and eventually break. Nothing suggests that it’s been misused by the previous owner, probably just regular use.

Also some “ghosting” on the D knob, sometimes brings up the sample select for instance, but luckily not enough “move” to cause a change of sample.

Now I’m contemplating whether I should create a ticket or just live with the issues. They don’t prevent me from using the DT but still is a bit annoying. Makes me doubt the build quality and long term lifespan of the unit :confused:

Do you know if these types of encoders are possible to repair with somekind of lubricant or spray to get them smooth again, or do they need to be just replaced?

Serendipitous timing , I was about to post a very similar question.

My Digitakt was supposed to be new when I bought it in May 2018. Immediately I got it home I started to get random but infrequent Sound Pool or sample slot menus popping up when I pressed certain buttons but mostly the Func button. Elektron support said to send it back for repair which my local shop did. Took 7 weeks to get it back and when I did, straight out of the box it does the same thing but no more frequently and always brings up the Sound Pool menu. I can see the Level knob is now to blame as it randomly increments without being touched. I find that mashing on the knob for 10 seconds or so fixes it for a while but it always comes back.

My question is, should I return it now and get it fixed, which I thought they had done last time or wait until my warranty is running down? I couldn’t sell it like this and have doubts about these encoders long term. My MK 1 A4 and Rytm’s were faultless when I had them, I assume they were pots and not encoders.

Any ways, I feel your pain. My concern is that I’m going to be sending this back, and being without, every few months for the next 2 years.

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So you sent it off for repair and it came back the same?!!, I would be super pissed, bad enough that they sent them out untested in the first place but to not check the fix is unexceptable. I was allready on the fence about sending mine off since it seems to effect more than 3 different encoders and I was concerned it would be missed like it was when it came out the factory, I hope they are not trying to wriggle out of their reponsibility after finding an expensive hardware design flaw, 3 year warranties are supposed to give you some confidence in the quality of your purchase, if they are not honoured reputation is trash. I have heard tales of Elektron having great support but they seem to date from before my time as my expereince is bad quality control and as little contact and support as they can get away with, their poor customer service has done a good job of putting me off any future purchases.

When I returned it to my retailer the tech guy entered the fault details on the returns paperwork. I can only assume that Elektron fixed the one encoder that they thought was causing the problem but didn’t then check any of the other encoders. This I find frustrating as the fault occurred the first time I used it again, pretty much immediately.

I’ve got the warranty period so it’s not the end of the world but my confidence for longterm reliability is questionable now. I’m going to wait it out for a few months to see if it gets any better with use.

I’ve had in total 6 Elektron boxes and all but this one have been rock solid. I’m still mostly happy, mistakes can happen with any process, which I understand. I was just surprised that a repaired unit was not tested adequately before sending back.

Some you here might not know but Elektron has a history of having “wobbly” knobs in some of their boxes in the past, mostly first gen A4 but also RYTM.

The construction and design being such that the pots are simply not properly anchored into the board inside and in use and in time they develop some play. While this usually has no effect on the functionality, it is very irritating. Also as far as I see there are no DIY fixes to this issue.

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Monomachine as well…
To be fair, no matter the vendor, most encoders die after heavy use. Replacement is the only real cure.

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in the older machines plastic shaft encoders are used… they changed now to metal which shoud make them a bit more durable.
i was looking for replacement metal shafts for the older machines but couldnt find a suitable one.

Unfortunately almost all my Elektrons (Octatrack, Rytm, analog 4) had problems with encoders.
My Nord Modular G2 also use encoders and i never had any problems with theme, never.

I like Elektron product but tbh im not going to get anything else from Elektron unless they use better encoders (if that exist).

Nord and Moog encoders are the best i’ve felt, wonder what they’re using? Although neither of them have endless encoders, maybe that’s the issue.