"Degenerative Message Disease"

[smkeys]

Hi All, I have a Keylab Essential Universal 61 (previous model) that I've used like 20 times in the almost two years I've had it. It has worked well until now. This board has been treated with kid gloves, no knocks, no spills, hard case stored. Over the past three days it has started behaving erratically by not sending midi messages on specific keys. I have monitored the messages on two different PCs (MAC, Windows) with different USB cables. The pattern (starting from the rightmost key) is every 8 notes (G#, C, E, G#, C... descending, you get the idea) until the low octave, which is all out. Yesterday I tried again and now an additional low-octave plus is out.

 I've done a few factory resets to no avail. This doesn't feel like a mechanical issue on the key bed. I'm thinking maybe the USB port? Anyone experience anything like this? Thanks!

Steve

[gphantom]

I suspect it could be something getting loose on the PC board inside.  I doubt it would be the key contacts since it would be one or maybe two keys that would fail.  If you try different USB cables and the same symptoms occur, I doubt it would be the USB cable but, on the other hand, it could be the USB jack on the keyboard itself.
You could have it repaired at a recognized keyboard repair center or if you want to try it yourself, you could try to look at the fingers in the USB jack to see if the contacts are aligned properly and not bent.  I recommend getting it repaired.  Opening it up might have many springs jump out and wind up under things and , you might not know where they came from in the first place.

Even if you stored it properly, humidity is a killer and, if you live near an ocean, it is a huge killer because of the salts in the air.

If you want to open it up and clean any contacts, you might try asking Arturia if by opening the case, anything will fall out or jump out as in springs and stuff.

Good luck.

Phil
Sr. Software and Applications engineer
Computer specialist
Electronics technician

[smkeys]

Thanks Phil. It's the eight note pattern that's throwing me. If I didn't know any better I would think it had a virus. But I agree with you, it may be a pc board needs to be replaced or reseated. Anyway, I'm sending it in. Thanks for the input.

[gphantom]

No problem and good luck