Hi all, lately the plastic rounded parts (i really don’t know how to call them but added a photo) that are inserted in the main out and headphone and cue outputs are breaking and falling apart. I noticed they are glued inside s pieces are still inside.
I travel a lot with the Octatrack in a Pelicase in the hold so i still don’t understand how this is happening as all the rest is perfectly intact. And also all my other gear.
Does anyone have any idea if this compromises the output sound? Shall I replace these and if yes, how? Also how would i remove the parts that are still glued inside?
Like this the jack wobbles a bit but I think there should be no other problem although I am worried also the other will start breaking.
It shouldn’t compromise the outputs as long as the jack sockets are still soldered onto the PCB okay. I’ve not been inside my OT but I’d be surprised if the socket assembly is then glued to anything like the back panel? Normally the socket is mechanically attached to the pcb and the spigot it attached to the back panel by a nut as you can see from the other sockets. Just to clarify the rounded part is the nut and the bit of the socket that pokes through the panel is the spigot.
Did you buy the unit new? It looks suspiciously like the socket has been broken in the past and glued together somehow. That repair has then itself failed hence the seemingly random nature of the damage.
Replacing the socket shouldn’t be a big job for a tech and should doable at home if you’re handy with a soldering iron.
The purpose of the missing thread and nut is to transfer mechanical stress to the metal case of the OT rather than the PCB. If your OT sits in the studio and you rarely unplug the output cables, you will probably be fine. If you are giging, it will fail soon.
Without the thread and nut you will slowly work the jack loose from the PCB. You can open up the OT and reflow the solder from time to time, but eventually the traces will lift or the jack itself will fracture and break elsewhere.
I would contact Elektron and share that photo to get their advice. As @Bunker suggests, a competent tech should be able to replace the broken parts, but check with Elektron first.
Yeah good point about regularly using the socket, it’s gonna fail over time.
If the unit is still under warranty it might be worth contacting them but otherwise wouldn’t it just fall under user damage? The thing that Intrigues me is the glue? That points to something happening prior.
I would keep my expectations low, but ask. Elektron may have used a custom part that only they have access to, and are willing to sell. Also, email is free.
Check the fit of your OT in the case carefully. If the back of the OT sits close to the back of the Pelican, I could see someone sloppily dropping the OT in and the jack catching on the edge.
It is also possible that as you setup your gear the OT often “drops” onto the edge of a mixer or FX unit or something like that sitting to the back and left of the OT. That would explain why two jacks are damaged and the rest seem untouched.
The “Headphones” text shows some scraping which suggests something like this is going on.
hi @obscurerobot@Bunker@warpigs330 thank you all for the feedback.
I bought the OT new in April 2019 so it’s almost 4 years old, but for the first 2 years it was just for studio usage, for the last 1,5-2 years it tours with me, so the device was new and it has only been used by me. I bought it back then from Gear4music.
I very often plug and unplug the jacks in and out of the cue and main out as indeed I tour and rehearse with the OT so a lot plugging and unplugging all the time.
Unfortunately I can’t do any soldering myself, I would need to ask someone. Maybe they are not glued but they are screwed in, and in order to remove them I would need to open the OT and screw out the pieces that are left inside.
I will write an email to the Elektron support and ask how they would fix this. But yes after a while they might break again…
Regarding the fit of the OT in my Pelicase it’s completely protected around all parts but all is tight inside and above the upper parts (where the sockets are) I lay rolled cables and then close the Pelicase so maybe with the pressure it broke the plastic sockets.
During live shows the OT is always standing on a laptop stand so nothing can bump into the cables so I am guessing it must be because of the pressure in the Pelicase and the fact that i plug and unplug the cables out of that sockets a lot, although i never use the headphone output.
