Is it made for eternity?

No, you cannot. They need to be the same type of encoders. (which is a pretty readily available part)

5 Likes

Just in case anyone’s in need of one, I recently bought one of these https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32664312910.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&productId=32664312910&productSubject=UpBright-New-AC-AC-Adapter-For-Elektron-Machinedrum-SPS-1-MK1-MKI-MD-SPS1-MKI-MK&spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.1f745576Pbq8YJ 6V AC power supplies for an MD Mk1 that I borrowed from my brother (he lost the original power brick). Took a few weeks to arrive, but works a treat.

2 Likes

@Ess, do any of the machines use antimony based, Pb free solder?

You can actually still get the power supllies for mkI units direct from the original manufacturer, I asked support a while back and they gave me the companies details, IIRC they are Norwegian based.

As for longevity of Elektron machines I have no reason to believe that people would be unable to fix them in the future, almost every vintage device I have owned, including 808, 909, MC-4b, and tons more have needed repair or sevicing, parts wear out, capacitors dry out or leak, internal batteries can explode or leak, and even some semiconductors can fail, transitors, regulators, diodes, ICs. Etc etc.

Even though they are mostly SMT they can often still be fixed, if you are determined.

Question is will anyone be using them in 30 years aside from a few retro nostalgia fans or old guys?

5 Likes

There is some mythical ideology that is attached to some of the older systems like the 909. But, while there are vintage synths kicking around, a lot of what’s currently available in the vintage market has likely had various repairs over they years. As someone mentioned earlier, components eventuallyfail over time for various reasons.

That being said elektron gear is generally solid and tank like in my experience. Lasting for eternity, probably not, everything eventually decays.

1 Like

Yes they are. True story: After one of the bloodiest days at the Battle of Verdun, the survivors found everything around them shattered to pieces from German artillery, except for a black rectangular box. That box? The Octatrack MKI.

5 Likes

image
-image copyright @sezare56

7 Likes

i would say, this only depends on if you get bored of it :roll_eyes:
when it comes to the hardware, from the mechanically viewpoint, definitely NOT. the Encoders and Potis of the rather older Elektron Machines, particularly the Machinedrums and Monomachines, will become wobbly and finaly break and you get pissed of it. i experienced it myself two times with both named units btw. i managed it to repair them, but quite late before selling them^^

Are the DSP chips and everything “off the shelf”? That is, could you, with enough time, take a “stripped” circuit board and buy (from sources other than Elektron) and fit all the parts required to make it work once you flash the firmware on? Or are there some parts which are bespoke to Elektron? I guess this is where it feels like there’s potential for non-fixable failure in future.

sound itself likely won’t last for “eternity” so i’d say that any consumer electronic device won’t last either

Where can we order this encoders? Only from Elektron support? Is there any part Number /Vendor where we could order them? The contact for the “down” key on a friends OT broke (after heavy usage though.)

From support is obviously wisest - but there’s plenty of discussion of going solo with parts that are the equivalent/same

e.g. part referenced here

1 Like

judging from the popularity of the 808 and 303 Elektron stuff is probably too good at what it is designed to do to become timeless anyway.

make stuff crap again!

:wink:

The posts from people having issues with the new encoders got me worried though. Specially the ones that describe scratchy heavy feeling encoders. I hope these are just a few exceptions but I do worry about the longevity of the encoders. Only time will tell :sweat_smile:

It is unfortunately inevitable that things break or have defects regardless of how high quality it might be, but considering the amount of units we have shipped with these new encoders, these posts on the matter is an incredibly small percentage, meaning that the failure rate is very, very low.

(And in the case of a defect or encoders breaking we do have a 3 year warranty)

6 Likes

No custom DSP or other CPUs in our units. Theoretically you could do that, but it sounds like a pretty big project! :smiley:
Having said that, we try to repair boards down to the component level if things are broken or defective, and are most times successful at doing so.

4 Likes

I’am woried about a rubberised layer that the new buttons have, like on the digitakt.
I have the 2 items that are nearly 10 years old that are using this rubberised layer on plastic and it started to “melt” on them.
One is microsoft mouse and other is motorcycle helmet.
That tiny rubber layer lost all of it’s properties and as soon as you touch it it glues to your hand, smears. All sort of dust/dirt is getting glued to the surface. After you take the items in your hand part of the layer will stay on your fingers. Totall mess.
I’m really worried that it will be the same on the elektron boxes.
But as I said about 9-10 years time was needed for that rubber layer to go completely bad.

We’ve stress tested them quite extensively and honestly, they’re hard to ruin with a knife. It will be fine. :slight_smile:

2 Likes

yes, i hope so. Time will tell. I plan to keep my elektron for more than 10 years :smiley:

2 Likes

Cheers Ess, good to know that in theory people could fix up these devices long beyond their expected lifetime even if Elektron stop servicing :slight_smile: