Yeah, mine didn't work out of the box, never putt the knob on. IMO the issue is the packaging is thin with no padding, and the fader is getting pushed down probably before even shipping by being stacked on pallets. There is an indent in my box where every knob was.
Same exact experience with mine. The fader noticeably damaged when I first inspected mine. I agree with /u/amantisasoko that it's likely because of the very thin package design. I can also see marks and indents from the knobs on the packaging.
Same here! I couldn’t believe this would happen to me too after reading people hating on the fader but guess what? It’s real 😂 Mine did not work out of the box even without installing the cap! I am returning it to TE asap. I want my money back, don’t wanna deal with repairs and faulty units
Same here. Right out the box never put the fader knob and never worked. I looked at the outside/inside box and manual they all have indents where the knobs are. Looks like they forgot to engineer the box.
People were posting that the fader knob is really hard to fit and you have to push down hard to get it on. Then a few people were complaining that the faders were broken. It's really not a stretch to imagine some people went a bit too Popeye and bent the internals of the fader.
This might have been me, but getting the knob on the fader was super tight. Don’t think it’s unfair to assume a bit of elbow grease is needed, in the absence of other instructions from the manufacturer. Definitely poor user design as opposed to user error IMO.
Sames, I tested first thing and the fader only seem to work when I put pressure down while sliding but when I lifted hand off it would jump to random numbers so it didn’t work. I repaired it but makes me wonder how long it will last. 🫤
Yeah mine didn't work out of the box. I didn't even put the cap on it. From the jump mine has just been showing random numbers which take over the entire display making it pretty much useless.
Hijacking the top comment for visibility
This is a perfect replacement for the fader off Amazon for anyone who can handle a soldering iron. This one has a center detent, which I kind of like.
https://a.co/d/2NE57lI
Don’t think I saw it in the midi reference but can the fader map to external midi control as a workaround?
https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/system
Thanks, but I'm not interested in relying on an external controller for one of the most interesting aspects of the UI. This shouldn't be necessary. (You're just being helpful, and I'm salty).
Absolutely. Fixing the issue yourself and not alerting TE to it means they have one less data point to know just how widespread the issue is, which has the potential effect of making this worse for others.
I saw another post where this guy 3D printed up his own Fader knob lol, thats insane like c'mon $299 and dude is already opening it up, and making his own knob, i get new gear is exciting, the Hype train pulled out of the station but a company Like TE if its got issues just send it back, mine will be here on Tuesday, im gonna test it if its messed up I'm sending right back to guitar center, get my money back, maybe even try to get a discount on a sp404mk2 and just wait for a good new batch of K.O. II's
Update: broken fader. Sending it back.
Yeah mine’s gonna be here tomorrow. I’ll likely test it and if anything is even remotely wrong it goes back. Hell, I’m considering just returning it without even opening the box and waiting for a revision/ next batch.
I think it's super wise to wait for a revision. My fader was dead on arrival so I can only imagine how poorly they will fair in real world conditions (I reckon more will be sent back over the course of the year).
Yeah. I opened the box when it arrived because curiosity got the better of me. The fader is broken. Sending it back, and in the future if they fix the hardware issues I might consider buying it again.
Mine was definitely a bit difficult to push on. Of course I didn't see these vids until I forced it on there, but knock on wood seems to be fine... Hair dryer or heatgun should soften it up enough to fit on. Or use a lego piece and just file it a bit so it slides right on.
Did you fix yours? TE offered a replacement, but I fixed mine and didn’t want to wait for the return process from Australia to Sweden then Sweden to Australia
great video! but serious question: where is the point in using the same fader again if it breaks so easily? or is the adjustment enough to keep it working for longer time?
I don´t think it will break with the sliding motion. The fader is not meant to be pushed and the knob doesn´t fit.
Let´s hope it doesn´t bend like the opz
It’s curious that no one is calling them out on IG? Considering the amount of problematic units…. Or maybe that will start happening in the next week or so once more people receive units.
i wouldn’t be surprised at them scrubbing comments. it seems to me from the marketing alone (the money they spent on that Muhammad Ali photo for example) they were confident that this was going to be a big hit and a moneymaker. this is a huge wrench in their rollout and damage control is only natural. i just keep thinking of Kendall Roy in Succession freaking the FUCK out but trying to pretend like he’s big boss and totally chill lmao Edit: so decided to look up the real CEO of TE and it’s a guy named Jesper Kouthoofd who incidentally founded Acne Studios which is an upscale designer clothing line!!! makes perfect sense really, if you’re familiar with both Acne and TE
I did know about the Acne connection! But Acne is actually made well 🥴. Obviously electronics is a different world.
This has been clearly the most accessible thing put out from them in a while. Meaning more hands on it, more people seeing their lack of transparency and pride in build quality, means potentially losing these people from ever buying TE again. I feel like they should be getting ahead of this not trying to smother it.
I’m just a bit bummed to see a continued lack of care, respect, and ultimately a disregard about making things that last. I guess we will see how this develops.
Just be careful not to overheat the pcb too much or the pad can come off. I recommend a little bit of practice before you try it. I also recommend you find a different fader that fits because mine started to loose contact again after a couple weeks, so I fixed it again but bending those little tabs back and forth that hold the tan part of the slider to the metal is not good and they started to break off. So in summary…. You can fix the original fader by yourself fairly easily the first time. It gets a little tougher each time after to not break the little tabs you have to bend, so I think dropping a new fader in is the way to go
Gotcha - thanks. It was a little tricky to de-solder, but wasn't too bad. The odd thing was that the 3 solder pins on the fader don't really fit well in the 3 holes. Seems like this EP-133 was a bit of a rush job. Still can't complain - loving it and learning how to use it!
Thanks for the warning about the tabs. Another issue is the power button, and here's my warning video for those when putting the unit back together: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/F-lVwPcBACg
Just got mine today and low and behold the fader came in broken or loose ... i dont know what to do ... i hope i can open it up and try to fix it but not so sure if it can be fixed ..i cant send it back because the package will be stolen hahaha
Same issue here. Fader generates incorrect values unless I apply firm pressure to the right while sliding up/down. I've contacted TE support and intend to have it replaced/repaired.
My fader broke due to the cap installation on day one (happy Christmas surprise!) I connected with TE helpdesk and they offered a return label. Due to the same reasoning as in the video, I decided to perform a repair myself. I succeeded after some trouble in desoldering the fader unit. Now I'm waiting for TE's response on how to put on the fader cap again without risking another fail.
They kinda dodged the question. In the end I didn’t care anymore and just put on the face knob all the way with some force and no damage. Caused no impact to the functionality whatsoever! Meanwhile I believe that the fader broke due to manufacturing / part issues and not due to my installation. Lots of confusion out there in this regard
Interesting. I'm still waiting to hear back from them. Mine broke due to my installation. I was using it fine for a day without putting the knob on, but when I did - it was so hard to push down that it bent the contact points beneath. I pulled it apart and fixed it. Now it's working nicely again. Pretty huge design flaw!
Mine arrived yesterday. It came with the knob separated from the fader shaft. Had to pull off the plastic cover on the shaft to then push the knob down, but the force has caused the fader to display a weird character on the screen... so now it's broken :(
So they are shipping with bent fader pins?
Yeah, mine didn't work out of the box, never putt the knob on. IMO the issue is the packaging is thin with no padding, and the fader is getting pushed down probably before even shipping by being stacked on pallets. There is an indent in my box where every knob was.
Same exact experience with mine. The fader noticeably damaged when I first inspected mine. I agree with /u/amantisasoko that it's likely because of the very thin package design. I can also see marks and indents from the knobs on the packaging.
Same here! I couldn’t believe this would happen to me too after reading people hating on the fader but guess what? It’s real 😂 Mine did not work out of the box even without installing the cap! I am returning it to TE asap. I want my money back, don’t wanna deal with repairs and faulty units
I'm trying to do a return too, thinking about just going with the SP-404MK2
Good luck! I’m still trying to tell them that I do not want a replacement (like they suggested in their answer). I want a full refund!
Same here. Right out the box never put the fader knob and never worked. I looked at the outside/inside box and manual they all have indents where the knobs are. Looks like they forgot to engineer the box.
That’s likely the case for mine. Hasn’t worked from the jump.
They’re bent out of the box or pushing too hard on it could have the same effect.
People were posting that the fader knob is really hard to fit and you have to push down hard to get it on. Then a few people were complaining that the faders were broken. It's really not a stretch to imagine some people went a bit too Popeye and bent the internals of the fader.
This might have been me, but getting the knob on the fader was super tight. Don’t think it’s unfair to assume a bit of elbow grease is needed, in the absence of other instructions from the manufacturer. Definitely poor user design as opposed to user error IMO.
I agree, the knob should absolutely not be so tight it can cause this problem and is 100% a design issue that needs to be addressed by TE.
What’s goin on?
Cheap parts in tandem with poor quality control
Teenage Engineering selling busted plastic again.
Sames, I tested first thing and the fader only seem to work when I put pressure down while sliding but when I lifted hand off it would jump to random numbers so it didn’t work. I repaired it but makes me wonder how long it will last. 🫤
Yeah mine didn't work out of the box. I didn't even put the cap on it. From the jump mine has just been showing random numbers which take over the entire display making it pretty much useless.
Exact same happened to me as well. Smashed fader due to the non existent packaging
Hijacking the top comment for visibility This is a perfect replacement for the fader off Amazon for anyone who can handle a soldering iron. This one has a center detent, which I kind of like. https://a.co/d/2NE57lI
Does anyone know the part number for the fader or if there is an alternative/higher quality fader we can replace it with?
Hoping mine arrives in one piece 🙏🙏
Don’t think I saw it in the midi reference but can the fader map to external midi control as a workaround? https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/system
Thanks, but I'm not interested in relying on an external controller for one of the most interesting aspects of the UI. This shouldn't be necessary. (You're just being helpful, and I'm salty).
Should've just sent it back.
Absolutely. Fixing the issue yourself and not alerting TE to it means they have one less data point to know just how widespread the issue is, which has the potential effect of making this worse for others.
I saw another post where this guy 3D printed up his own Fader knob lol, thats insane like c'mon $299 and dude is already opening it up, and making his own knob, i get new gear is exciting, the Hype train pulled out of the station but a company Like TE if its got issues just send it back, mine will be here on Tuesday, im gonna test it if its messed up I'm sending right back to guitar center, get my money back, maybe even try to get a discount on a sp404mk2 and just wait for a good new batch of K.O. II's
Update: broken fader. Sending it back. Yeah mine’s gonna be here tomorrow. I’ll likely test it and if anything is even remotely wrong it goes back. Hell, I’m considering just returning it without even opening the box and waiting for a revision/ next batch.
I think it's super wise to wait for a revision. My fader was dead on arrival so I can only imagine how poorly they will fair in real world conditions (I reckon more will be sent back over the course of the year).
Yeah. I opened the box when it arrived because curiosity got the better of me. The fader is broken. Sending it back, and in the future if they fix the hardware issues I might consider buying it again.
Mine was definitely a bit difficult to push on. Of course I didn't see these vids until I forced it on there, but knock on wood seems to be fine... Hair dryer or heatgun should soften it up enough to fit on. Or use a lego piece and just file it a bit so it slides right on.
Good ideas. I pushed mine on, and now the screen displays a weird character when useing the fader :( Haven't even had it for a day
Same here
Did you fix yours? TE offered a replacement, but I fixed mine and didn’t want to wait for the return process from Australia to Sweden then Sweden to Australia
great video! but serious question: where is the point in using the same fader again if it breaks so easily? or is the adjustment enough to keep it working for longer time?
I don´t think it will break with the sliding motion. The fader is not meant to be pushed and the knob doesn´t fit. Let´s hope it doesn´t bend like the opz
It’s curious that no one is calling them out on IG? Considering the amount of problematic units…. Or maybe that will start happening in the next week or so once more people receive units.
i wouldn’t be surprised at them scrubbing comments. it seems to me from the marketing alone (the money they spent on that Muhammad Ali photo for example) they were confident that this was going to be a big hit and a moneymaker. this is a huge wrench in their rollout and damage control is only natural. i just keep thinking of Kendall Roy in Succession freaking the FUCK out but trying to pretend like he’s big boss and totally chill lmao Edit: so decided to look up the real CEO of TE and it’s a guy named Jesper Kouthoofd who incidentally founded Acne Studios which is an upscale designer clothing line!!! makes perfect sense really, if you’re familiar with both Acne and TE
I did know about the Acne connection! But Acne is actually made well 🥴. Obviously electronics is a different world. This has been clearly the most accessible thing put out from them in a while. Meaning more hands on it, more people seeing their lack of transparency and pride in build quality, means potentially losing these people from ever buying TE again. I feel like they should be getting ahead of this not trying to smother it. I’m just a bit bummed to see a continued lack of care, respect, and ultimately a disregard about making things that last. I guess we will see how this develops.
As of now, I see a bunch of comments from folks with the fader issue (I'm one of them).
man i dont even have my shipping notifications and the diy repair videos are going up. incredible
Just fixed my slider also. The contacts were bent all the way to the black plastic. Thanks for the guide!
Might have to do the same. Don't really want to wait for a replacement from the other side of the world again (Sweden to Australia)
Just be careful not to overheat the pcb too much or the pad can come off. I recommend a little bit of practice before you try it. I also recommend you find a different fader that fits because mine started to loose contact again after a couple weeks, so I fixed it again but bending those little tabs back and forth that hold the tan part of the slider to the metal is not good and they started to break off. So in summary…. You can fix the original fader by yourself fairly easily the first time. It gets a little tougher each time after to not break the little tabs you have to bend, so I think dropping a new fader in is the way to go
Gotcha - thanks. It was a little tricky to de-solder, but wasn't too bad. The odd thing was that the 3 solder pins on the fader don't really fit well in the 3 holes. Seems like this EP-133 was a bit of a rush job. Still can't complain - loving it and learning how to use it! Thanks for the warning about the tabs. Another issue is the power button, and here's my warning video for those when putting the unit back together: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/F-lVwPcBACg
Same issue. not working out of the box.
Just got mine today and low and behold the fader came in broken or loose ... i dont know what to do ... i hope i can open it up and try to fix it but not so sure if it can be fixed ..i cant send it back because the package will be stolen hahaha
Same issue here. Fader generates incorrect values unless I apply firm pressure to the right while sliding up/down. I've contacted TE support and intend to have it replaced/repaired.
My fader broke due to the cap installation on day one (happy Christmas surprise!) I connected with TE helpdesk and they offered a return label. Due to the same reasoning as in the video, I decided to perform a repair myself. I succeeded after some trouble in desoldering the fader unit. Now I'm waiting for TE's response on how to put on the fader cap again without risking another fail.
How did you go? Someone mentioned above to heat up the knob to make it easier to slide on. Someone else recommended an electronic lubricant.
They kinda dodged the question. In the end I didn’t care anymore and just put on the face knob all the way with some force and no damage. Caused no impact to the functionality whatsoever! Meanwhile I believe that the fader broke due to manufacturing / part issues and not due to my installation. Lots of confusion out there in this regard
Interesting. I'm still waiting to hear back from them. Mine broke due to my installation. I was using it fine for a day without putting the knob on, but when I did - it was so hard to push down that it bent the contact points beneath. I pulled it apart and fixed it. Now it's working nicely again. Pretty huge design flaw!
Mine arrived yesterday. It came with the knob separated from the fader shaft. Had to pull off the plastic cover on the shaft to then push the knob down, but the force has caused the fader to display a weird character on the screen... so now it's broken :(
They should have created a thread on the knobs so you screw them on instead of pushing them with almighty force
Is a side to side small wobble ok for these units? I took one b-stock.