yeah
i am having this problem, after about 2 weeks of practicing (volume faders were gone after 2 hours)
white letters under every knob (filter,low,…) are mostly down so soon i will have only blank black desk with knobs
do you also have this problem or is it just me and i should go to the store and let them to replace it ?
Open a support ticket with Native Instruments. They’re aware of the problem and have said they’ll replace the faceplates (which luckily enough are just attached magnetically) when they have improved ones in stock.
Nah - I don’t view this as a serious problem in the least. NI is replacing them, as others have mentioned, anyway.
My Z2 is missing a lot of the paint under the crossfader, especially on the the right side (I favour the left turntable and don’t reverse the crossfader), but most of it was lost - as I’ve said elsewhere, but I don’t remember where - when I let another, much better, turntablist cut on it.
Its not a problem because as Sarasin says we all know a crossfader from an EQ pot. BUT, NI have still messed up. The fact that the faceplate is replaceable has nothing to do with this issue. Why would they make a product that is inferior and needs changing regularly? they wouldn’t. The faceplate is changeable for one reason… customisation. This mixer (unofficially) is NI’s way of showing that they can make serious hardware. There are people all over the internet who hate on the S2/S4’s build quality - unwarranted in my opinion but its there - and this mixer is supposed to remove that ill feeling. Having something as simple as this go wrong is a HUGE oversight IMO.
In the grand scheme of things a purely cosmetic problem is hardly the end of the world and doesn’t make me like my Z2 any less. However, you’re right that it’s a bigger problem for NI because of the effect it will have on the perception of their quality control. I’ve never even seen an s2/4 in person, so I have no idea if the poor quality reputation they have with some people is deserved or not, but I have no complaints wrt the Z2 or Maschine. It’s surprising that NI would miss something like this, especially since you can see it even on their demo models in some of the promo videos.
Are they? I’m not so sure. How many of the users that have bought these will REALLY use them, flat out, like the OP?
I imagine a lot of the users don’t put their Z2 through it’s paces like the OP has. Maybe NI has considered this, and that is why they ARE willing to replace the faceplates free of charge?
Because the number of users that WILL wreck their faceplate and claim for new ones MAY be pretty low compared to the number of units sold.
We should kick up a HUGE stink about this. It’s the only way we’ll get the major manufacturers to start building STUFF THAT LASTS. Good, tough, METAL GEAR!
The point is they should have to replace any, it’s a problem for them. If you launch a new flagship product and within weeks you’re having to offer free repairs your launch isn’t as successful as you wanted it to be.
I’d be worried about people losing faith in NI’s products or at least this batch of Z2s.
Totally agree with you. The issue for NI is that if this really is their flagship product they wont want some “cosmetic” issue dragging down the perceived overall quality of the product. Minor or not its a silly thing to go wrong.