SFX-6 repair in Germany

Elektron Gear Monomachine
#1

Hey Elektron lovers,

I need to replace my encoders and Elektron meant they wont to any repairs on the SFX-6 anymore (?)

Do you know anybody in Germany who has routine doing this job?

thanks and all the best

#2

elektron said WHAT ?

greeting from berlin by the way!

#3

what do you mean with ā€˜they wonā€™t do any repairsā€™? that sounds weird :thinking:
if you canā€™t find anyone that could help you out replace those encoders, just drop me a line :slight_smile:

#4

same here with my MD mk1.

#5

I am confusedā€¦ elektron officially said there are no repairs anymore for MD mk1 and MM sfx6 ?

#6

ā€œIā€™m sorry to inform you, but we no longer take SFX-6 for repairā€ (quote done)

My last update was that they run out of power suppliesā€¦

  • sfx6 means sfx60 mk1 as well I think

@gugu: where do you come from?

all the best
ron

1 Like
#7

Iā€™ve emailed elektron for clarification on this. Not good at all if this is the case, though not really surprising with the way they have gone as a company.

#8

And OP- I might be able to find you a synth tech in Berlin- Ill ask my friend who lives there and will update hereā€¦

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#10

I guess things like encoders and PSUs werenā€™t manufactured by a small company like Elektron, so may be hard to source replacements.

If itā€™s a case of no alternative parts available, then maybe fair enough? Thatā€™s the only acceptable reason for not taking the repair, IMO.

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#11

iā€™m in berlin ron

#12

Thatā€™s not very reassuring for me as A4 owner. The Monomachine is not even legacy hardware but it is still sold by elektron and still they canā€™t even fix up encoders? These encoders are kind of flimsy and bound to go south in the near future. Built to last they are not. Maybe i should already hand in an order for ten of them just in case. If Elektron ships spare parts at all.

#13

the OP is talking about an SFX-6 which is, well, oldish (canā€™t find a better word not to offend it :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: ) so it could be that for that specific model they used different encoders but itā€™s kinda weird because encoders shouldnā€™t usually be an issue so i would rest reassured about your A4, itā€™s a rather a younger product compared to the SFX-6 :slight_smile:

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#14

Itā€™s true:

Unfortunately yes.
We have no choice but to stop servicing the MKI units as we do not have any of the spare parts needed for repair left.

Absolute bullshit, given many parts are exactly the same.

#15

Oh, but they will sell you the spare parts (that they dont have) if you need them:

encoders and buttons are the same types of mechanisms.
We can sell those as spare parts, but we cannot take the unit in for service.

I appreciate that some parts may not be in stock, but when you make a machine that has buttons and encoders that are prone to failure, which you have stock of, the move to stop this specific fix is frankly ridiculous and indicative of what this company has become.

#16

While some mechanical parts are the same, all other internals are different.

This means that if something else is broken or needs to be serviced when we receive the unit (which has been the problem historically) we cannot do anything about it. Hence, we have decided to stop taking in MKI units.

We will also always try our best to help out when a unit needs to be serviced by providing advice, service information (not schematics) and so on.

Should a unit be unserviceable, in example a broken DSP card, please contact support and we will try to find a solution.

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MK1 sdram error
#17

But you are well aware of the need for the encoders to be regularly changed on these and that the buttons are prone to faliure, so why remove that service when you still have those parts?

#18

You are talking about the MK2 units. This regards the MK1 units.

There have not been any DSP, UI, CPU or I/O boards left for those for years and since about one year back there are no parts left even in the pile of terminated units. Even the actual components are obsolete. We are out. Completely out.

Mechanics(encoders, buttons) are still available but there is a risk PCBs break when you take them apart and starts soldering, and in those cases you get in to a situation where you break something and can not repair it. We would love to be able to repair the MK1. Itā€™s just not possible! Finding parts for a MK1 would be to buy a MK1.

The MK2 is a completely different story. Lots of parts for the future, and designed with the future in mind.

SIDstations can in some cases still be fixed but it sometimes takes months to source parts.

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#19

Keep talking, my SFX6 is going down in value with every post you make- basically you wont change the encoders and buttons you fitted in the first place, which you know are prone to faliure, because you are worried about breaking the PCB. Fantastic way to support your early adopters and a wonderful show of confidence in your servicing staffā€™s ability. To be expected given the way the company has gone.

#20

I understand that youā€™re upset and concerned for the continued working of your SFX-6, but there is another way of thinking about it: anyone with a Mk1 Monomachine now owns a goldmine of rare and desirable spare parts! Of course, Iā€™m sure that all owners would rather be able to have their instruments repaired if they were to breakdown.

#21

You are welcome to buy mine as a spare- Im done with this lot.