Korg Forums

DoctorMo · Joined: 10 May 2010 Posts: 41

The last few weeks have been very bad for our M50-61. It becomes more difficult just getting the keyboard to start up, let alone trying to keep it from locking up.

We got so frustrated that we contacted Korg and worked out a deal for them to ship a replacement 61 to us. The customer service rep was very pleasant and accommodating to us.

We received the refurbished, replacement today and it looked like it had been dropped from a truck, several times. It was scratched, the case was bent and the touchscreen was scratched and difficult to use.

Less than five minutes after powering it on, it froze. We swapped power supplies and less than five minutes, it froze, again. We shut it off and packed it back up. The replacement was worse than the current keyboard.

Now, we are waiting to see what Korg's next step will be. I will keep you informed.

Clearly something is terribly wrong with the 61 for us to have continuous problems with ours and the replacement they sent us. For those of you who may say it is something we are doing, I will say that we also own a M50-73 and have never had a single problem with it. (knock on wood)

michelkeijzers · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:42 am Post subject:

I also have a 61 and gigged with it and used it for about 3 years, dragging it to and from the rehearsal rooms without much problems (only 1 time a cable inside was disconnected which was fixed in 15 mins).

So to say there is something generally wrong with the 61 is incorrect.

If your replacement was damaged, you shouldn't have taken it (or at least complained to customer service).

Hopefully you get a good replacement.
_________________

Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see http://pcgtools.mkspace.nl

DoctorMo · Joined: 10 May 2010 Posts: 41

I won't get into a semantic argument about "general issues", but there are too many people having problems with the 61 models, versus the 73 and 88 models, that it is a problem.

In fact, it is a HUGE problem for those people who experience the issues.

The keyboard wasn't damaged during shipment, it was a refurbished model that looks like it had been dropped from a truck, figuratively.

I gave them two solutions that will somewhat satisfy us. Now, we are waiting to hear what they will do.

Also, my wife is very angry because we originally purchased a special-order, green keyboard. They no longer have those. So, not only do we get a bad replacement, but it is not green, either.

That is fine. I understand that things can sell out, however, that doesn't explain why our 61 went to service, twice, and was going to be replaced with another failure. This is quite aggravating.

mike

7livinpunneli7 · Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 3 Location: india

I own a korg m50 61.... it was also having the same freezing problem...... i've sent it for repair 5 months back... now i got it repaired.....but i had to pay rs.8000. means $160
.. Shocked

they told me that the problem was with the main board...

any way its not having the freezing problem now......its working 100%
thank god...
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~L!v!N__M50~

outsider9 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:37 pm Post subject:

You should post serial numbers. There is a thread for that, where this issue was discussed before.

In short, the freezing has occurred in all models, not only 61 keys, which is the most sold unit and maybe that's what confuses people. There is a case or two reported on the 88, and maybe a little more on the 73. The 61 has 20-something reported cases.

Apparently the 'freezing' units belong to an early batch.

I have a 61, 3 years with it, it has travelled by plane, bus, and it's not from an early batch. Don't have any problems. (Just minor issue twice or thrice with the software, but that is now in the past.)

michelkeijzers · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:40 pm Post subject:

Mine was bought not that early, but it is a black one at the time that there were no colored ones yet.
_________________

Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see http://pcgtools.mkspace.nl

outsider9 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:43 pm Post subject:

Then it must be from an early batch...? I'm not sure we know precisely how early is early enough...
That does not have to mean that every early unit will have problems though, I guess some units have manufacturing issues due to poor quality control or something like that, that apparently was taken better care later.

Pincho Paxton · Junior Member Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 65

I feel sorry for people with this problem. I would never respond with "I'm all-right Jack, so it's not a problem."

outsider9 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject:

Pincho Paxton · Junior Member Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 65

outsider9 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:48 pm Post subject:

Hey, Pincho Paxton, I apologize too. I think michelkeijzers didn't meant it that way, though.

There's a feeling of panicking when this things happen. Obviously the people with faulty units have some right to. But also people who have ok keyboards may fear they will have some problem eventually. Should they?

Seems the majority of buyers got units in perfect conditions, though. (There aren't that many cases of freezing, considering whole numbers, so we can't say it's a general problem).
But there is a real problem for those who have experienced the issue.
We are trying to find an answer, anything that could help. I think the serial numbers could point to it.
IIRC, the majority of the faulty units were actually from this early batches I was referring to, as collected on that thread for the s/n.

Korg doesn't have a real forum, has it? That's very strange. I doubt we feel there is real support forum-wise for us users.
Would we a lot better if someone representing Korg would give a clear answer.
Or maybe there was such a thing (say, probably confirming the batch issue) and got lost somewhere? Anyways, it's very sparse.

michelkeijzers · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:51 pm Post subject:

I never said there is no problem, and I feel sorry for those who have the problem. I can imagine how inconvenient and stressfull it is to have a nonfunctional synth, where you always should depend on.

I only meant that if some have a problem with a certain model, it doesn't mean that every model has the problem.
_________________

Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see http://pcgtools.mkspace.nl

synthasound · Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 7

This has got to be one of the most frustrating issues. Regardless of what some users are saying..The m50 does have a problem that began during building these units. Whatever piece of electronics inside had to be damaged or not assembled correctly. Maybe all the M50's aren't affected, but the ones that had the bad piece (diode, transistor, whatever the piece is) is giving them a nasty grade as far as some owners are concerned.
We have a hi def tv that developed a problem, and so many people who owned that model had a free service call and the problem fixed, no charge.Any chance of that ever happening? I've owned mine about 3 yrs..011754s/n and it is a yellow SE. Or should I wait for hell to freeze over The only temp help I've had is re-installing the latest software update a couple times.

Alp · Junior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 51

Do a search for "serial number" in the m50 forum. You should find a thread or two that mentions the capacitor problem, as well as some of the serial numbers that people (like me) have reported as having this problem.

mine is 006414.

Here is the url of one thread:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=54750&highlight=serial+number

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=54750&highlight=serial+number

DoctorMo · Joined: 10 May 2010 Posts: 41

I'm the OP. Our serial number is 14673. It has been repaired, twice, with no success.

On Saturday, we tried to use it an a very important gig.

After setting up, we powered on the M50-60. It locked up, immediately. We tried again. It took about 20 attempts to get it to work.

Then, it worked for about an hour into the show. It took another hour of constant attempts to get it working again, while my wife played on her M50-73.

Finally, the 61 worked for a couple songs and then it locked up again. She was able to get it restarted after many more attempts.

What we noticed was it would start up, but as soon as we pressed the COMBI button, it would lock up, most, but not all, of the time.

Sometimes, it would start, but not make any sounds.

So, my wife is now on the phone with Korg support giving them an earful. You can't imagine how pissed she was especially since we delayed our second set about 10 minutes trying to get the 61 working. Add to that the fact that all eyes were on her reaching around the keyboard constantly trying to get it started.

mike