Weird texture, “smear” marks on B-Stock OP-Z

OP-Z Help
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#1

Hello!

I would like to share with you that I have bought my 1st TE product (as a heavy Elektron user) and I am happy!

The device was opened once, had a dead battery, replaced by TE in 2020 than stood in a shelf in a store since then, got it for a really good price.

So far so good, except some issues I have rralized at home.

  1. Loose backplate cover — read on the forums that it’s either loose and I should chill or it could be tighten with the screws. Either way, I’m not bothered.

  2. Now this is strange (and hard to photograph). On the plastic surface, back and front, it appears to me as if it had smear marks, you know when someone taps it and gets oily due to human skinoil. However, it does not disappear when a simple and subtle but thorough by-hand cleaning operation is performed by myself. Given it’s plastic, it could even be like a heat shock? Or just the aging of plastic? I’m a little confused whether I should contact my support or just leave it?

Anyone experienced this weird plastic texture?

THANKS

#2

Both 1 and 2 typical from the (3) brand new units I’ve went through.

#3

Yeah, it’s just the way the plastic is, I have been through 4 units and all of them had their own unique patterns to the plastic.

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#4

@neon have you bought a unit recently? looking to possibly buy one new and wondering if some of the warping issues were fixed with newer units

plastic texture doesn’t bother me :slight_smile:

#5

Hey @zzdot
Picked up my last one about October 23, first one was so old it had the different printing for the icons on the keyboard (kinda wish I’d kept that one instead of getting a replacement for trig issues haha)
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All of them have had similar bends straight from the box, it’s annoying but never really been an issue in use.

As far as the most recent one, I have a feeling it’d been sitting around on a shelf for a good while as I had to jump start the battery to get it going so I doubt it’s from the most recent batches. Could be a year or two old already…

#6

The one you got last was warped as well? That just shows that have done sod all about ever trying to rectify THEIR design/manufacturing.

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#7

As a 3d printing person (mostly PLA via FDM printers) their process reminds me of some 3d printing issues since the plastic is weird and has random blemishes even when new.

Once you get past that and the potentially slight warping of the case the device is incredible
form a music and and control point of view. Add the OPLab module inside and you can control
a whole modular set with cv/gate and/or control a tool full of MIDI gear with the OP-Z at the
center, sorta like a hardware DAW. :slight_smile: It’s very cool.
You can attach MIDI controllers to add the missing vel and AT of the key buttons. Also don’t ;forget to use the built-in rubber pitch bender strip on the front edge. Enjoy…
I have 2 of them synced with a single USB-C cable for double the fun.

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