jumping through hoops

It always amazes me how some companies will make you jump through hoops just so you get the replacement part through them at a inflated price or worse send in for a referb unit at a more inflated price.

Case in point my SSL 9000 fader issue. I have traced it down to the motors on the large faders going bad. It's not a servo card issue or anything of the sort. it's been random over the console. Sure enough the moment we replaced the motors from a spare fader with a known bad fader, the bad fader worked as per normal. Plus we have one fader where the shaft coming out of the motor snapped off. Definitely the motor on that particular one for sure.

SSL refuses to let any information about the faders out and says just send us the whole large fader assembly and for 500.00 dollars we will replace it with a new one. the total cost for our studio would be over 4000.00 dollars not a good option.

I called alps who were little help going if we have a part number we can get you those faders at a minimum order of 100 units. Then adds that BTW we can't sell you just the motors. More over when I gave them what little information I had with resistance and the batch number when they were made, they couldn't really help me.

I have been back and forth with both companies.

So after much research I have an ALPS motorized fader coming which when looking at the engineering drawings from alps looks like it will work. All we need is the motor so we will jack that from the free sample and see what happens.

Bottom line is I much rather have the company spend way less money just replacing motors then a lot of money on a whole new assembly which may or may not be a referb.

I'd like to hear how that sample motor works out. Maybe a small group buy could arranged if it proves viable.

Tom

That's a bummer Pucho - and pretty much "the norm" with this stuff.
A mate of mine is changing all the motorized faders in an Otari "Elite" desk
which is quite a decent desk BTW.
The new "better" fader/motor packs are a little deeper, so he's having to
hand make a ton of "L" brackets and re-route a couple of cable runs that are
in the way !!
Also in the software, top of fader is recognized when the fader is only 9/10ths
of the way up ..... so the "real" fader position is incorrect .... bummer !

Marty.

yup... I wouldn't assume malice on part of Alps or console manufacturer... Alps makes semi custom parts in large batches... The motors are probably built to order for batch runs.

Some console companies are better than others about service/support issues. But it cost them a lot of money to buy and hold a lot of semi custom parts for possible future need.
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A little birdie told me there is widely used fader from Panasonic going end of life soon. In several years that may become an issue too when exact replacements are no longer being manufactured.

I recall at PV making huge end of life buys for parts like that, and even in one case for a very popular, very old (monitor console) I had to design an adapter PCB to fit a modern fader to the old consoles still in service. But PV service is perhaps a little above average in that respect.


JR

I'm not assuming malice or anything of bad service from alps or SSL. In fact SSL has always provided great service. it's just frustrating, especially when they should have some documentation somewhere and at least say something about it other then, we are not allowed to give out that info or in the case of alps, we need a part number.

If the part is/was a custom built fader for SSL then SSL should say so, don't you think? That way at least I would have an answer as to why that information cannot be handed out and why my employer would have to shell out 500.00 for each large fader assembly that although works does not move due to a bad motor.

It's a motor. I had a though of just going to a remote control car/plane/store, hobby shop, and seeing if they could provide something that would match a known good motor. hmmmm maybe I will. Maybe I will.