Hey there,
does Elektron in general want you to turn off elektron devices before you plug out or in stereo cable to the main out or like the left and right input?
I got a electronic shock yesterday over the left screw of my Octatrack MK2 during the plug in of the stereo cable to the main in.
Did anyone discover something like that. I think thats super strange
…sounds more like u attachet a hot cable to the chassis and experienced a little static charge…
means, that electricity came from the other end or that cable jack itself and would have haapened also if the ot would have been turned off…
more for the sake of ur speakers than for any personal electrick shock risk, it’s always a good thing to make sure, ur monitoring is not open, when hotplugging any cables…
One time I tested my digitone chassis with a multimeter to confirm that no ground passes through it even when it’s powered on, Octatrack also has a DC power source with no ground to the mains and should be no different in that regard. If you were plugging into a mixer that has an AC wall connection, you might have caught some electricity passing through the cable and temporarily grounded yourself to the OT chassis while inserting the cable end, but I would also say it probably came from the other end of the cable. If your monitors are off, or you have the destination muted, there’s no harm in plugging or unplugging cables with the machine powered on.
Thanks! Crazy how fast you people are helping. Thank you so much!
The other end of the cable was already connectet to a steinberg soundcard which also was connected to KRK Speakers. Both were turned on. I in general have a lot of trouble with the OT. It hangs up almost every session a lot of times. I would like to send it back to elektron to get it checked and i think i will have to describe the troubles. Do you think i should tell them about it or does elektron in general wants you to turn out everything before you plug in or out stuff?
The OT also hangs up if i dont plug in or out something…
I’ve never heard of any recommendation by Elektron directly to turn everything off before plug or unplug. Usually an expectation like that is outlined in the manual, and since it isn’t, that’s a clear sign that they aren’t looking for you to power down before changing cables. I’ve never had that issue myself either, but it doesn’t mean someone else hasn’t. You could mention it, but they might also tell you the issue is likely with what you plugged in, rather than how you plugged it in.
I don’t know why your soundcard or audio interface would zap you, but I suppose it’s possible? It’s also possible you somehow built up a static charge in your body and it zapped you on the lightly coated metal (ferrous steel) of the screw but it’s really difficult to say just from guessing. My thought is that if Elektron services your machine, even if they fix whatever else is wrong, the issue with the shock will remain something separate. Hopefully you can get it figured out though because it sounds annoying.
If your things are zapping you, you may need to find a a better electrical solution to plug to a wall socket. I would invest in better power strips maybe. It’s possible that you may be carrying electricity that get discharged when you touch a machine that’s turned on - are you walking with socks on a carpet floor? Maybe you need to ground yourself by touching some metallic object?
Otherwise, I +1 the advice that there is no rule for connecting and disconnecting cables for the electricity sake unless explicitly stated by the manufacturer. Instead, as mentioned by others, the advice is to connect and disconnect cables in a way to avoid the noises, crackles, and pops that can damage headphones, speakers, and possibly ears.
just a bit of low voltage discharge from a capacitor … see an official response to this matter from a while back