Time to give up the ghost *rimshot*
It's been a good 2 years, but today....it happened
Dead Key
The 2nd B flat. I tried to resuscitate it (banging continuously for a few minutes) but sadly, not a peep.
And to top it off now the aftertouch is gone, accross the whole board. Only if I press the keys to snapping point do I get anything out of it.
I opened her up for the first time, for some surgery. Couldn't get access to the key contacts and scared myself that I might make things worse. I did however remove a few dead woodlice and some fluff, before puting it back together again ( I wish I was joking).
So...
Is that it? Is a dead key the end of the line for a synth? I can't afford repairs. :(
*weeps*
OK, I'm not a keyboard player or anything, but could you possibly use the clever multisampling thing to still get some use out of it? :?
Yes I may be overreacting. It's only one key out of 61, but it's in such a bad spot....
The current workaround is to put that note onto one of the pads....:?
It'll be a bit of an arse if you need to play a left hand bass line with that note in it :lol:
Here is an example:
"Hmmm... the G is right there, the A is next to it... the Bb is over here, up the other end, just above the actual keys, assigned to this little button thing, and I need to play them all in very fast succession with one hand..." :?
Alright, 2 years for the life of a £2k workstation isn't that great. I have had mine for a year and mine has it's flaws, but there is good news. Roland already know of all of these flaws and will gladly fix them, if you are covered by warranty, then it'll cost you nothing. If not, it will be a very little amount. This isn't Apple, they don't charge the cost of the hardware to replace one of the keys on the keyboard. (I'm sure Apple would)
What I'd recommend is you go to your local music dealer (ie where you bought the fantom if you bought it in a store) and get them to register your Fantom for repairs. This would be classed under Wear and Tear, which tends to come out cheaper than Accidental Damage claims. Upon examining your Fantom, they may even class it as a 'Defect' and repair it for nothing. (Don't bank on this, but I do know that the pitch joystick issues are common faults and are normally repaired free of charge, as well as pad failures)
If you bought it online, get in touch with Roland directly and work it from there.
Wow thanks SerFox, that's comforting to know.
It's not under warrnty I don't think (and if it was I wouldn't have a clue where I put the paperwork :oops: )
but I'll certainly ask my local dealer. My Cousin actually works at the shop I bought it from so I might get in touch with him too.
I must admit I was worried this would be in the hundreds to repair.
Roland has a lot of issues with dying keys. I had to repair my PCR-80 midi keyboard when 4 keys died on me...
But a Phantom is definitely worth repairing; especially when it's just one key that died.
It's an overall issue with gear these days; it starts to fall apart after 1 or 2 years, doesn't it? No matter if it's synths or TV's or Laptops.... it all seems to be crap these days. And if it's not falling apart..... they just stop supporting it software wise.
Then again, we need to consume, don't we?
btw, if repairing costs to much you might wanna try hooking up a (cheap or 2nd hand) midi keyboard to your Phantom to control it.
Yeah, that's a good point- might aswell try to make the most of the thing if it's brains still work :)
If it's any consolation, the bottom B on my D50 has just died too.
Crikey, this is getting like celebrities...you know, how one dies and that seems to trigger a bunch of them?
I'm not switching on the Triton tonight! :?
Quote from: "tomskerous"If it's any consolation, the bottom B on my D50 has just died too.
Bummer ..... but ...... that's after 20 years or heavy duty, isn't it? I mean,they used to build stuff that lasted 10 to 20 years!
FFS! The laptop that I use to write this very post wasn't cheap and is only 16 months old but the space bar is dying all ready. Thankfully MSI (the brand) gives 2 years warranty but I have to turn it in to have it repaired. I mean, WTF?! :?
Sometimes these things can be really cheap to fix. Mrs Gman has had her Wavestation and SY77 repaired for various issues (loss of volume, patches disappearing) and they cost something like £50 each to fix.
We sent our Dynachord powered mixer back for repair - it wasn't under warranty but the problem had clearly been there from the start so they fixed it FOC.
As David Soul once said "Don't give up on us baaaaby, we're still worth one more try"
Quote from: "SerFox"Roland already know of all of these flaws and will gladly fix them,
Is woodlouse-infestation a known flaw?
I thought Roland had a 5 year guarantee on everything. As long as you've got proof of purchase it should be ok. In the meantime, can you use another midi keyboard to control it? It sounds like it's only the keybed that's fallen over, the synth engine will be fine, including the aftertouch. :D
I've noticed lately that the pitch bend is starting to get a bit flaky on my G actually...
Says the man who makes keyboards cry.
Gadzooks! Look at all these replies.
Well I took the Fantom apart again today, managed to get most of the boards out but still couldn't quite work out how to get into the keyboard mechanism. And when you're surrounded by screws and electrical parts of unknown origin, it's time to jigsaw the thing back together again before you make an even worse mess.
Band practice on Sunday, so I should find out how many of our songs use that one note. I get the sickening feeling I'm going to be transposing the whole thing down a semitone and trying not to forget that I've done so. Gigging next week :|
Quote from: "Pedro"Crikey, this is getting like celebrities...you know, how one dies and that seems to trigger a bunch of them?
I'm not switching on the Triton tonight! :?
These things come in threes Pedders, and a couple of weeks ago my Trinity developed itself a stuck key. Which is why I'm not controlling the Fantom with that. I'm watching out for the third..... :?
Quote from: "Gman"Sometimes these things can be really cheap to fix. Mrs Gman has had her Wavestation and SY77 repaired for various issues (loss of volume, patches disappearing) and they cost something like £50 each to fix.
We sent our Dynachord powered mixer back for repair - it wasn't under warranty but the problem had clearly been there from the start so they fixed it FOC.
As David Soul once said "Don't give up on us baaaaby, we're still worth one more try"
As Hippo speculated, creepy-crawly infestation isn't an inherant flaw with Fantoms. Perhaps if I word it right, using the word "bug" to clever effect.....
Quote from: "Jem"I thought Roland had a 5 year guarantee on everything. As long as you've got proof of purchase it should be ok. In the meantime, can you use another midi keyboard to control it? It sounds like it's only the keybed that's fallen over, the synth engine will be fine, including the aftertouch. :D
That's probably the solution. All my receipts and things are in a box in my dads attic since I moved house. Methinks it's time to get dusty.
As for another Midi keyboard, that was actually the first thing to cross my mind, but the thought of lugging two 61keyers about, one of which is built with sturdy brushed metal, with me relying solely on public transport and kindly friends (with small cars) - this was not the most practical solution.
Ok so scrapping a perfectly good synth in a fit of rage probably wasn't a good second choice either. Fortunately you've all managed to talk me down.
Quote from: "RacingHippo"Quote from: "SerFox"Roland already know of all of these flaws and will gladly fix them,
Is woodlouse-infestation a known flaw?
Of course, the thing's full of timbre! :D
:lol:
Timbre! Geddit?
:lol:
Quote from: "Pedro"Quote from: "RacingHippo"Quote from: "SerFox"Roland already know of all of these flaws and will gladly fix them,
Is woodlouse-infestation a known flaw?
Of course, the thing's full of timbre! :D
Pedro, that was lousey.
Quote from: "Jem"I've noticed lately that the pitch bend is starting to get a bit flaky on my G actually...
I've had my bender on the G8 shit itself multiple times. I've taken it to Roland to be fixed and this is what they've done to fix 'er up:
Take your USB out. Turn it on, and go to test mode by holding down tempo+efx routing as it's starting up. Release it when you see the test mode loading. Then you want to go to #19 A->D test, where you can test the MIDI information that the bender is sending (And other controllers). Usually just doing this re-calibrates it and stops it from being so jumpy!
QuoteI've noticed lately that the pitch bend is starting to get a bit flaky on my G actually...
Listening to TDL (and presuming some of the bends etc were played on the G whilst trigger other synths) the it's hardly surprising - it does sound like it took a bit of ahammering!!! ;)
I'd suggest Roland use you as a testing ground for their new gear - if Jem can't break it it's good to go (like the toys!!!!!)
Quote from: "RWA"Quote from: "tomskerous"If it's any consolation, the bottom B on my D50 has just died too.
Bummer ..... but ...... that's after 20 years or heavy duty, isn't it? I mean,they used to build stuff that lasted 10 to 20 years!
Allegedly. This was one of the first D50s into the country, so probably August or Sept 1987. The aftertouch wasn't great after year one, but I never really used that.
However the JX-10 I bought second-hand about four years later has been really bloody erratic though.
I know it isn't really as expensive as all the gear you guys are talking about, but someone recently gave me a yamaha
PSR-510. On first glance I realised that where the pitch bend wheel should be, ther was a small rectangular aluminium plate atatched with two bloody great wood screws to the plastic body. When I picked the 'board up I could hear something rattling around inside. When I opened it up that thing turned out to be the wheel, and all of the circuitry was still intact- so I took the plate off the front, clipped the wheel back in place and it's as good as new!
WTF was the thing taken off in the first place?!?!?! :?
Quote from: "gav"WTF was the thing taken off in the first place?!?!?! :?
perhaps it belonged to a school, and the kids were constantly messing with the pitchbend wheel and the teacher finally just disabled the blasted thing!
Wise words of weary experience, rog? :)
Quote from: "Pedro"Wise words of weary experience, rog? :)
indeed! :lol:
Now that you mention it, there is a school's name scribbled on the back, but it looks like someone's tried to remove it with a scouring pad. Hopefully it's not stolen, the person who gave it to me said that their uncle bought it for them at a carboot sale... :?
Ah, the old 'uncle at a carboot' defence, there's not a jury in the land that would convict.... ;)
I doubt that it's stolen, but if you take it gigging where there's UV lights be ready to say; 'that's not a postcode, that's the name of my last band'. :)
:lol: Thanks for the advice Pedro!
Quote from: "gareth"Quote from: "Jem"I've noticed lately that the pitch bend is starting to get a bit flaky on my G actually...
I've had my bender on the G8 shit itself multiple times. I've taken it to Roland to be fixed and this is what they've done to fix 'er up:
Take your USB out. Turn it on, and go to test mode by holding down tempo+efx routing as it's starting up. Release it when you see the test mode loading. Then you want to go to #19 A->D test, where you can test the MIDI information that the bender is sending (And other controllers). Usually just doing this re-calibrates it and stops it from being so jumpy!
That's bloody marvellous mate. I shall try it in the morning.
Quote from: "Jem"That's bloody marvellous mate. I shall try it in the morning.
No worries! I forgot to mention that you should probably do a factory reset after doing that. Which reminds me that I need to install that new 1.5 update...
What news on the Fantom?
Well I've spoken to two capable gents at my nearest Roland stockist, on the recommendation of my cuz' who works there, and they should be able to fix it for nowt because it's still under warranty.
There was also some nudge nudge wink wink say no more talk of turning a blind eye to the fact that there are now two less screws inside the thing, which might give away the fact that I've opened it up myself to have a sneaky look.
'Ope is on the ''orizon.
Now I need to wait until after our next gig to leave it in their tender loving hands for a week.
In the meantime various workarounds mean the dead key isn't too much of an issue. The worst one being I transpose everything down a semitone for a few songs, which is fine and dandy as long as I remember to actually hit the transpose button....still working on that.
All this modern technology is great until it goes wrong... :?
Which is why I keep an accordion in my trouser pocket. It's saved a few gigs.
That takes all the fun out of the question "Is that an accordion in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?"
The only keyboard shaped thing I have at the moment is my upright piano at home, and the C below middle C keeps sticking on that, making it essentially unplayable :x
Also, how does one go about fitting an accordion in one's pocket?
QuoteAlso, how does one go about fitting an accordion in one's pocket?
By having big pockets ??? :lol:
Cue a few jokes about having a large organ in your trousers.................................... :roll: :shock: :o