New Minibrute arrived this morning with 3 broken Keys!

[stuey]

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!

[inkuplex]

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.

[stuey]

As predicted, the next day delivery from my supplier didn't materialised. Again, 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. 

[inkuplex]

I'm also convinced maybe to go through Arturia's support instead. Have you tried it?

[stuey]

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.

[inkuplex]

Okay, that's concerning that Arturia's own support is sketchy in itself.

[stuey]

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

[stevism]

wow crazy at all the potential plagued keybed versions out there...scary stuff

[inkuplex]

I hadn't even heard of it till I experienced it myself, hopefully the issue won't go unresolved by Arturia.

[stuey]

Replacement minibrute arrived this morning from 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.

[stevism]

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

[inkuplex]

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.

[stuey]

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.

[inkuplex]

Yikes that does sound like a problematic retailer.

[stuey]

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?