Just Purchased an M3 - Should I be concerned?

sjmarano · Post by **sjmarano** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:06 am

I just picked up a used M3 73 key keyboard in mint condition and am very pleased with it. My one concern: the number of messages posted to this forum concerning touch screens gone bad. Does anyone know if these are just isolated problems, or is/was there an unusually high failure rate for the M3 with regard to this issue? And when the problem does crop up, is it caused by frequency of use or simple aging? I'm hoping the fairly high number of references to this problem is just another example of people posting when they have product issues, and that the overwhelming majority of keyboards are problem free. Any insight would be appreciated.

Elektroman · Post by **Elektroman** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:31 am

Hey mate. Congratz on the M3 and enjoy your rig stress free.

Like anything these days, you could get a sour apple in any batch. Put it this way. On forums you're about 100 times more likely to hear a bad or concerning comment about something, than a positive comment.
It's what majority of users are here for, posting questions about a problem... If everyone out there who had a good experience with an M3 for example, was to post a positive comment, these forums would overload in a heart-beat.
ON another note, i know several people in bands, whos M3's have been through hell and back due to constant gigging and studio/gig swaps and they are yet to show any sign of a fault.

Once again, enjoy your rig to the max and disregard the negative posts.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:15 am

Hey sjmarano

Nah!! Ignore the problem topics and just enjoy this fabulous instrument.

As Elektroman says, you will mostly see issues on a forum - there are thousands out there with no problems.

Treat it with respect - it will serve you well

Congratulations - JUST ENJOY

Pete

kimu · Post by **kimu** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:32 pm

hi, play it with no concern, if it have to happen, it will do.

mine m3 has been always and only in my room, treated with all possible respect, but touchscreen had gone anyway....

so do not worry and just play

sjmarano · Post by **sjmarano** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:27 pm

Thanks to all for the words of encouragement.
I love this unit (and that's coming from someone with a Motif XF8).

electro21 · Post by **electro21** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:51 am

I'll have had my M3 for 5 years in January. 2 days after I picked it up from the store it was on the road. It traveled for 3 years before finally getting a rest. No issues (knock on wood) of any kind so far.

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:38 am

I am seriously considering buying an M3 XP 73 and read a lot about the M3. The screen issue also worried me for a while, BUT: I found a great topic about this issue - it also has solutions. It made me put aside this worry. See:

http://korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/view ... 0&start=30

The easiest solution - from what I read - is to keep the module flat. Also, if the problem occurs: use a hairdryer , description of this is in the last post (bottom of page), from the author "Mad Warrior". Also the findings from "gurn" are interesting - he made a real study of his screen problem. His conclusion is that gravity is the main cause of screen failure (in combination with heat, but gravity is number 1 as a cause), so keeping it flat seems the best thing to do. ( personal idea: perhaps you don't have to keep it flat if your room is not too hot.)

In conclusion: if your new M3 should be one of the unlucky ones (probably not, cause it is also my guess that only a few has these kind of problems), there are easy solutions!

Good to hear that you love the unit! Especially considering you have a Motif XF. I have a Motif XS.

electro21 · Post by **electro21** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:07 am

My M3 is stored upright. It's only flat during transportation. Almost 5 yrs later it's fine. I think it is just a bad batch of screens. Doesn't seem logical Korg would make the screen tilt knowing it would cause failure.

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:32 am

Yeh.

Only: what I tried to say is that if you happen to have this problem , there are easy solutions. When you have this problem - though chances are small - you must feel terrible, at least I would.

hammondcuni · Post by **hammondcuni** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:28 am

Dont worry.. At first I had concerns with the build of it. Have been gigging with it for almost 3 years. Has been kept in sound truck during the week for the last 12 months. No problems at all. Very solid unit.. Enjoy...

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:55 pm

Another thing to consider is the joystick. If it's been heavily used by the previous owner there could be problems down the road. When my joystick failed even the vibrations from just playing the keys would trigger the joystick causing unwanted pitch bend and other modulations making it unplayable.

The service center had some trouble getting replacement parts since the M3 has been discontinued. They finally got the parts and repaired it but in the end it cost me $190.00 USD for the repair.

I do use the joystick quite a lot so I'm not saying joystick failures are common but I do think it should last more than a few years.

BTW ... The screen on that M3 is always up and I don't have any problems with it yet. It looks a little faded so I just turn the contrast up a bit and it looks fine and touch works ok.

sjmarano · Post by **sjmarano** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:14 pm

For the record, I purchased the M3 specifically because I was looking for a synth action board with 73 keys, and couldn't get this with the Kronos (lower cost was secondary consideration). Knock on wood couldn't be happier with the keyboard. It is best IMHO I have ever encountered in a synth/semi-weighted keyboard. I can't speak to the advantages of the Kronos over the M3 (I assume it's primarily its far larger range of sound-generation engines?) but what prompted me to go the M3 route (advantages over Kronos):
- Availability of synth action in 73 keys (far and away most important)
- Pads
- Cue list for stringing together patterns. Don't know why they eliminated this from Kronos.
- Bigger size text characters in touchscreen display (this wouldn't have been a criterion 10 years ago when I didn't need reading glasses!)
- XY mode ( though this is minor)

Assuming I don't run into unanticipated reliability problems with the M3, I can see myself eventually replacing the XF8 in future, possibly for whatever Yamaha might replace it with (long overdue IMHO).

gnbutt · Post by **gnbutt** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:59 pm

I have not had one problem with my keyboard and giged frequently. It has been superb. GNB