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Electribe ESX: Knob Jitter - An annoying issue

 
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cooptrol
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Joined: 05 Jun 2009
Posts: 100

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:22 am    Post subject: Electribe ESX: Knob Jitter - An annoying issue Reply with quote

I have an ESX bought about a year ago. I bought the new version, with SD and digital power supply.

About 6 months ago I started experimenting knob jitter: data being sent from some knobs without touching them.
This happens always about 40 minutes after the ESX is on, which is a problem in most live performances which usually take longer.
So, it is not a problem of dirt in the knob.

Oddly enough, when the problem starts, if I press the ESX's baseplate with a finger, the jitter increases, and decreases on release.
I read somewhere that tubes' heat can affect the motherboard after a while, but I'm not sure this is the cause.
Also I guess it can be some kind of electrical loop between the power supply and the audio system, but I'm not an expert.

Does anyone have a clue about this? Other topics on the forum talk about knob jitter on old units, but this is not the case.
If the tubes are the cause, I'd be happy to remove them, but I don't have a clue on how to bypass them, cos removing the tubes
cuts the main output (I've tried it).

Anyone?
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Aciphecs
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Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 558
Location: Biblical Proportion, Michigan

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it's still under warranty, I would take it in to get repaired. Especially if you play it out live, it must be reliable.

You cannot bypass the tubes Crying or Very sad
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cooptrol
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Joined: 05 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Guarantee is not an option, I live in Uruguay, we don't have a Korg service here. I need to find a way to solve this on my own.
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cooptrol
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Joined: 05 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Besides, replacement is evidently not a solution. I found this review:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1T67OXET71HXS/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R1T67OXET71HXS
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cooptrol
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another one, much enlightening:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/123512-korg-emx-esx-junk.html

"I finally got the tech support guy at Korg USA to actually admit to me yesterday in an email that the 'knob jitter' problem is in fact now a recognised problem with 3/4 of the machines made and he said that the 2 bug fixes do not fix this. When I pushed further as to ask what would happen if I bought 10 more of these units (for my Art/Sound Collective) and they were dodgy, what could he do?...and all he could say was that he would be willing to work with me on the problem.
I already own all of the Electribe series made and my EMX is fine so far and the guy at Korg USA has at least 'sort of implied' that he will help if I get further problems but my girlfriends one carries the jitter bug and Korg UK (she lives in Edinburgh) have ignored all her emails and 'recorded delivery' posted Complaint letters.

Now, with all this in mind this could mean 1 of 2 things if you get a dodgy one.
A/ A new unit will be supplied (probably more so if based in the USA - even though many replacements have the same problem and getting another one is a very stressfull experience. Read the Korg forums!)
B/ or not supplied (tech support will sadly always usually make it an uneasy task, regardless)"
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Aciphecs
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Joined: 16 Aug 2010
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Location: Biblical Proportion, Michigan

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like you answered your own question then, good luck.
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cooptrol
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Joined: 05 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok thanks. But I am not asking YOU to give feedback in particular, but since these are the KORG forums, it would be nice for someone from KORG itself to acknowledge this issue, at least. And the ideal off course would be for them to provide the users with an effective solution that we could implement by ourselves to solve this. I am sure the problem is not only faulty knobs, cos when i use the ESX WITHOUT the tubes, the jitter reduces dramatically. So it defenitely has something to do with them. Maybe if they could provide with a software upgrade that would route the effects section also to outputs 3/4 and the master volume so we can get rid of those annoying pieces of outdated technology and use the tribes in their whole capabilities.
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Aciphecs
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Joined: 16 Aug 2010
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Location: Biblical Proportion, Michigan

PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This forum is Not affiliated with Korg so you will not be seeing a response from them here. Sorry Sad
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HensonCanDance



Joined: 23 Aug 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like possible EMC interference from the tubes? I hate the tubes. Hate 'em. Hate, hate, hate 'em!

There IS in fact a way to bypass the tubes totally, but you need some soldering skills:

http://www.electribe-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1473&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=20

Whether it's relevant or not, I saw a post recently on the Wladorf Blofeld (which suffers from similar problems). The guy solved it by putting a capacitor on the encoder.

http://eazombieshop.blogspot.com/2011/03/waldorf-blofeld-bad-encoder-fix.html

I had knob jitter on my ER-1 which some 'Servisol' fixed.
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supermel74
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Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 333

PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cooptrol wrote:
Another one, much enlightening:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/123512-korg-emx-esx-junk.html
For the record, my ESX still hasn't failed once since it was repaired over 4 years ago. I'm disappointed to see that the newer versions are also having this problem.
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cooptrol
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Joined: 05 Jun 2009
Posts: 100

PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well guys, I solved the problem... It's... ridiculous, really stupid...

I followed my instinct and took off the faceplate, and observed the knob jitter continued, especially when I pressed the "underplate" with my finger.
So I just figured out something was pressing the motherboard, and I loosened slightly a screw, near the middle of the machine and.. voila!
The jitter was gone...

This I did several days ago, and to this day, there's been no further Jitter.
It seems I had jitter since day one and I didnt realize til some months later (I had little time to use the machine the first months I had it). So it was an assembly error from the factory.
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ajs1601



Joined: 18 Jul 2017
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:50 am    Post subject: Esx-1 Knob Jitter Reply with quote

Hello Guys
Im from Brazil and finally solved my esx-1 knob jittering.
The solution is very simple, if you have an know how in electronics
The problem is located on pin 198 of Microcontroller
The pin is the analog vss1 that has to be "jumped" to pin 208 (analog vss2)
This jumper may be done by a wire between a "via pad" from pin 198 to capacitor c38 that is conected to analog vss2.
This via pad on pin 198 lost the connection to pin 208 in this case and causes a noise on all analog inputs of the microcontroller.
All pots are connected on these analog inputs[/img]
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charkachak



Joined: 06 Sep 2019
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi everyone,

I've got the ESX and the EMX and they both have knobs jitter issues. what I have noticed so far :
Everytime I dismantle them and clean the PCBs with ISP alcohol (even without cleaning, fresh air seems to solve the problem for a short period of time Smile)

The knob jittering issue is gone for a few days (weeks sometimes, even months) but it always comes back.

I've tested the backing paper, the tip from ajs1601, changing pots (all of them!), changing the slider, shielded the PCB (none of them have worked for me : only a couple of days or weeks as I mentionned it before.)

Yet I found this article where a woman who repairs synth (I think she is based in the USA.) offers a new solution. I haven't tested it yet but apparently it works. All you need is as many caps as pots. Here's the link of her explanation :
http://www.belltonesynthworks.com/blog/2017/08/26/korg-electribe-esx-1-continued/
Hope it might be useful
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