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Hardware Instruments => MiniBrute => General discussion on MiniBrute => Topic started by: stuey on January 03, 2014, 08:12:44 pm

Title: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 03, 2014, 08:12:44 pm
After lusting after one of these things for about 2 years, I finally got my hands on it this morning. Delivered to my door after a week of waiting, unboxed to find 3 broken keys! One of which wouldn't depress at all!

Packed it back up and called the supplier (GAK) who have said they will ship me another one out to me. Although they promised me a next day delivery, it is now delayed until next week. What with the GAK *uck up, not a good day today!

nil point Arturia!
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 04, 2014, 06:26:38 am
At least your retailer is offering next day shipping for replacement. Mine arrived today with the Middle C's keybed broken off and 8th Street Music will only use UPS ground for replacement meaning another week and a half of waiting around just to see if I get a working model. This being my first Arturia product experience I'm apprehensive about the future of my replacement model, that is, if it arrives in working condition. It feels sketchy being that there's a whole batch of Minibrutes out there with inferior keybeds. I hope, as the CEO said, they come up with a solution that can also fix past models if they result in the same defect.  :-\

If all goes well I'll be every excited to work with this synth, from the few seconds I've had holding it everything else seems to be solid quality.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 04, 2014, 02:57:26 pm
As predicted, the next day delivery from my supplier didn't materialised. Again, http://www.gak.co.uk (http://www.gak.co.uk) *ucked it up, promising things they couldn't deliver. Literally in this case. Any U.K folks, I would seriously stay away from these guys, nothing but hassle from the start. 

Have to now wait until Tuesday to see if they once again ship a faulty unit. But then you've getting the unit for far cheaper in the U.S than we can get over here in the U.K. At current exchange rates your unit costing $499 is about equivalent to £300. I'm paying £399 for my unit, which when converted into U.S Dollars is about $650.

I have the Spark drum machine and the older 61 laboratory keyboard with all of the soft synths. I've had a few niggles with software,but the hardware kit is well built and reliable and I've got nothing bad to say about it. For the few minutes I had the minibrute in my possession, that is also the case.   

Lets hope we both get a fully working unit this time. 
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 04, 2014, 09:46:15 pm
I'm also convinced maybe to go through Arturia's support instead. Have you tried it?
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 04, 2014, 09:54:45 pm
I have with other issues, but with limited success. Arturia tech support can be a little hit and miss. To be fair, maybe this is best directed to the reseller of the gear, as perhaps the units could have been dropped in shipping.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 04, 2014, 09:56:40 pm
Okay, that's concerning that Arturia's own support is sketchy in itself.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 04, 2014, 10:03:51 pm
They just need poking lots, their tech support isn't bad, it's just that they aren't always very eager to reply. I've not come across an issue I couldn't solve myself. Whereas the keyboard thing on the minibrute is more a design flaw
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stevism on January 05, 2014, 04:12:55 am
wow crazy at all the potential plagued keybed versions out there...scary stuff
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 05, 2014, 09:43:17 am
I hadn't even heard of it till I experienced it myself, hopefully the issue won't go unresolved by Arturia.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 07, 2014, 08:30:14 pm
Replacement minibrute arrived this morning from http://www.gak.co.uk (http://www.gak.co.uk). Only one broken key this time, well done FedEx, well done GAK and well done Arturia. *Stands up and claps slowly*

Perhaps if I was stupid enough to ask for another replacement, it might turn up with nothing broken.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stevism on January 08, 2014, 05:18:16 am
that really sucks...seems like that keybed problem is very very widespread...they claim the problem rate is "only" 1.5%, but wow do you have some luck if you got defective units twice.

I feel like the whole market is tainted now. who knows what used ones or what new ones have these clearly inferior keybeds....just glad i have one that hasn't broken yet (it came with a raised key, but that was easily remedied and has held up the past year)

oh that and we still don't have local midi off, a year after the last firmware came out
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 08, 2014, 10:38:45 am
The only thing that can rectify it is if Arturia can start shipping out a permanent repair solution. I agree, the 1.5% statistic definitely seems sketchy. Maybe try contacting them directly and requesting a new unit. Also did you have the retailer check the unit before shipping? That would give clues as to what caused the problem initially.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 08, 2014, 11:35:09 am
Yeah, i had a long chat with the reseller because of the faulty first unit. I asked them to personally check the unit prior to shopping, they said they'd check it, although when I opened the unit the PSU wasn't in a separate box like a new unit. The brute wasn't taped up in the bag and the power cable was un-wrapped, so it even may have been a returned or 2nd hand unit.

I might speak to Arturia directly.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 08, 2014, 08:33:18 pm
Yikes that does sound like a problematic retailer.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 09, 2014, 12:08:08 am
Yup, I got a full refund from them today, I am going to drive up to my local store and pick a brute up up over the weekend. Would deem the safest way. how's your going?
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 09, 2014, 07:44:53 am
Had them double check the unit they sent out as a replacement, the customer service was really nice and I used to work in music retail so I know what pain-in-the-asses like me are like, but he sounded pretty earnest, answered all e-mails and calls pretty promptly and said if there was any issue with Arturia honoring the 2 free plugins deal they'd speak directly to their rep. Honestly I'm more concerned about seeing a solid solution because even if it arrives in good condition I'll still play it gingerly in fear that I'll inflict the defect's wrath all by myself. A solution would at least give me some sort of safety net feeling but I have confidence in Arturia so far, they aren't Guitar Center. They also acknowledged the keybed defect but said they actually thought it was the old stock not the new stock.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 09, 2014, 10:12:14 am
This is what I had huge conversations with my retailer about. I asked about the new stock and that they needed to let me know if mine was from old stock. They keep saying that they had just been sent in from Arturia, so who knows. There's not been an actual official statement that the issues have been rectified, and that Arturia are now shipping fixed units.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 11, 2014, 10:55:09 pm
I picked up a 3rd mini brute up this morning from a music shop not far from me, I checked it worked and the keys were fine. I was happy. I got it home and within 10 minutes it stopped working! It just lost power, the lights now don't work. In a dark room the lights are very dim but I get no sound apart from hum.

If I could afford the time off and a flight to France, i'd fly to Arturia and launch this piece of shit through their window!   

If these were cars, they would have been recalled by now!

Mr Arturia! You need to be getting in contact with me before I seek legal action.
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 12, 2014, 12:35:45 am
Oh wow, very WTF did you check the power supply connections and electrical socket?
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 12, 2014, 01:05:53 am
yep, getting 12vdc from the PSU. Have lights, but very dim and no sound! not happy with arturia at the moment. Debating, getting them to refund me for all my arturia products. They are now just taking the piss!

 
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stevism on January 12, 2014, 02:12:11 am
just sounds like the common "loose cable" problem, which has affected a lot of units.

kind of makes it a bummer to bring around with you, unless you know how to open it up.

usually you just pop the cables back in though
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 12, 2014, 12:24:15 pm
Loose cable in the PSU?

I've not been able to test the PSU on load, and i'm not opening the unit. Fair enough, if this happened 12 months down the line, i'd sort it out myself. I need to find a 12vdc 1 amp PSU, so I can test the unit with a known good PSU. I'll then just get Farturia to send me a new PSU.

If we've talking about a loose cable in the unit, then it will have to go back.

I'd acknowledge the trouble I'd have if I were trying to stop arms talks with the congo or address climate change in government, but all I want to do is get a working minibrute. Is that too difficult a task?
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stuey on January 12, 2014, 03:02:52 pm
Finally sorted out the faulty PSU, found myself a 12vdc with a decent amp rating and my min brute is happy!

And, they have honoured my free 2 software units.


Alls well that ends well
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: inkuplex on January 12, 2014, 09:33:31 pm
I'm waiting for you to reply that you've just come back from the ER due to third degree burns from being electrocuted by your minibrute.  ::)

Glad to hear you finally got things to work out. Now I sit and wait  :P
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: z1o on January 14, 2014, 06:26:11 pm
My brand new Minibrute arrived this morning with one broken key (middle C).
I have been in contact with Arturia techservice and have received a manual how to open and to replace the keybed. But no word yet of a new keybed...
I purchased the Minibrute online (from Thomann) and am now hesitating if i should return the synth and hope to receive a new one without broken keys or if I should attempt to fix it myself with a new keybed which can hopefully be  delivered by Arturia?
Other than the key the Minibrute is excellent, wicked sounds!
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: stevism on January 14, 2014, 08:12:57 pm
these broken keybeds are a widespread travesty.

what a sad joke
Title: Re: New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!
Post by: z1o on January 14, 2014, 09:18:52 pm
I just decided to return it, I can't work with a machine that is bound to give more defects...