I'm not sure exactly which part you mean, if you mean the piece of plastic that slides on the rails, I think that has to be plastic to make the fader slide nicely.

Nope, i mean the part with the hole for the screw on both ends of the rails. Black plastic part that keeps the fader in its place. Sorry it's hard to explain in english.
I fixed it with super glue.

I play with a band, and on some song parts I am slam on my fader so hard that I knock shit of the table, I have never had any problems, and it feels as good as new after almost a year?

PM one of the mods, they are awesome about takin care of this kind of stuff...

Nah, i already fixed it. Just pointing out that the plastic parts are a bit weak.

Rane is very good about fixing stuff like this quickly for cheap or zero. I have sent stuff into them and gotten it back within days. I do prefer the more sturdy feel of some other mixers. 57 is tight tho

I can't send my mixer cause i have to work.
It would take weeks. I live in Argentina.

i have had a similar issue with the mixer... the fader for the cue went bad in just 2 weeks of use.. which i found very strange for a product from "rane"... i am not saying that the mixer is shitty.. i believe we just got a "bad one" cause i have alot of friends with it that have had no issues with it..

The fader finally snapped.
I noticed that this plastic part of the fader (where the screw fits) used to be a solid whole piece
See this pic: www.skratchworx.com

Now its hollow. Is rane trying to save money on plastic?
My fader snapped, i had to use glue again. I'm really careful with my gear, i don't know why this happened.
How can i get a new fader without sending my mixer to U.S.A.?

Oh by the way. Buttons B1 and B2 keep failing. Im really pissed off.

why are you fixing it yourself? if you can't afford to send it in to check out, ask rane/your distributor to send you a new fader.

I live in Argentina.

@DJ Stuart: i agree, i had problems with my faders too. i also had the new faders, with the light anchors (i think, anchor is the official word for this part). first i had problems with my crossfader, i thought, damn, i scratched too much. after i replaced it, i had problems with both linefaders. i recognized, first the screws get loose, then the anchor will break. Since i replaced the anchors, everything seems to be ok, never had problems again. the new material is weak, but the new construction hold the sensors, this is a big advantage to the old ones. Keep care, that you don't have something like cailube near the screws and i put a piece of foamed material on the faders when i carry it in my Creator-Bag to minimize the pressure. this works

Smooth!. The EXACT same thing happened to me. Screws get loose then it breaks. I'm not alone!.
And i also have the creator bag, and i have the foamed material that came in the 57s box holding everything in place.
Since we had the same problem, Where and how did you get the new anchors?

Thanks Smooth.

For me it's much easier, in germany we have a rane-dealer where i can get my parts.

Exact same thing happened to me! that cheap plastic snapped on my old fader and 2 weeks into my new fader the screws got loose and now the whole fader is loose.

I live in Australia and last time I sent my mixer to the (only) rane dealer here to fix an E.Q knob it came back 5 weeks later with a broken fader.

I thought of getting a slightly bigger screw, do you know if that will work?

i think a bigger screw will damage the anchor, better ask your dealer to order only the anchors and you replace it on your own.

Is it possible to order the old anchors?

Not even sure what the anchor is... What about putting some Bluetak or silicon to try and seal the screw hole a little? can you think of anything that could damage?

Would be nice to hear from a Rane person here... I baught this mixer thinking it's tank, I've treated it like a lady and have been having countless problems from within a few months of use. Cheap plastic on the faders does not sound like the right thing to do form a quality perspective.

It is spelled "bought" :) (Just mentioning it cause you mispelled it 3 times in a row...) Back to topic.

Ha HA! Thanks Nik, my mom is an english teacher, I'm sure she'l appricaite this lession :) (English is my second language after all...)

Oh... sorry, I thought that was your native language.

I grew up in Israel so Hebrew is my first..

Any thoughts on a 'Do it Yourself' way of fixing the whole in plastic so that the screw fits in?

I tried everything, but the screw kept getting loose, and eventually the fader anchor snapped.

Mods,
Is there any way to get new faders or new anchors in Argentina?

I kind of feel silly to buy a whole new fader just because the plastic got a bit too wide for the screw..

Doesn't make sense to throw away a perfectly working fader like that..

Rane can send you new fader handlers...they have redesigned them. I went through several sets of them and now all is fine.

I'm getting the same problem with B1 and B2.
I have 2 TTM57's and I use those buttons a lot when I'm doing weddings.

The 1st generation mixer is fine but the new one is giving me problems.

I didn't expect this to happen to such an expensive mixer
- Kenny Q

I've spoken to the Rane dealer here and they are happy to replace my fader, they've ordered them in and said not to expect anything for at least a month! (mind you it just took 5 weeks without my mixer to fix a knob on the EQ)

Damm it's frustrating using Rane outside of the US!

f*ck.

i bought a 57 less than a month ago and the anchor where the screw holds the fader in place has already snapped.

this is absurd.

the 56 (which i had for 6 years) seemed literally indestructible. the 57 is like the hip of some 90-year old grandmother.

I have to correct me, now it's the 4th anchor... damn it

it must have to do with the transport in the udg creator bag...

It should not happen either way...

For those who missed it... Zach wrote here www1.scratchlive.net <- click:

now you know how strong i am :-)

"Extremely Strong"?
Ok, im gonna make a video showing the crappy anchors. They break like cheap porcelain.

These look like the old faders.. if they were so strong, why did they get replaced with cheap crappy ones?

No, this are the new ones, the old ones are grey

Stuart,

I'm surprised you didn't contact me directly on this. You have my contact details. send me an email or private message and we'll sort this out for you.

Anyone who has problem with any Rane products should contact us directly so we can take care of you.

-Dean

Dean,
I just sent you a PM.

I was surprised that a Rane mixer could have this kind of problems, and being in a situation that i was forced to fix it myself (i live in Argentina and i play 4 nights a week, can't send my mixer to Rane) i was kinda pissed off. So i didn't even think of contacting Rane support. But as i said many times, the people at Rane are the nicest and are very proffesional. I hope we can work this out!.

Thanks Dean.

Stuart,

We hired a “forensic” engineering firm to analyze the broken end blocks. They did visual inspections using electron scanning microscopes and also did chemical analysis of the plastic compound. Some of you may have seen the “torture test” videos we did in house trying to get the end blocks to break.

The overall failure rate was very small, but we view any failures to be too many. As a result of the forensic analysis, we had our supplier change the molding process which appears to have solved any problem with the end blocks breaking.

As I let you know in the PM, just get me your shipping details and we'll send out the new end blocks and get you up and running.

The same thing applies for any of you who have had problems with broken end blocks. All you have to do is let us know and we'll take care of you.

-Dean

do you have a link to buy the new ones? Mine are not broken but I wouldn't mind having a few backups in my bag.

The contacts page on the Rane Website: www.rane.com
lists email addresses including one for placing parts orders. Outside the US, you can contact the Rane Distributor. A link to our distributor page is on the contacts page above. In the event that you run into any problems, please feel free to contact me directly (my email address is also on our contacts page).

-Dean

Thanks Dean

a question to the other users having problems: do you also use a creator bag for transporting your mixer? sometimes i thing it's not a good idea to have him in a bag with a lot pressure on the faders?

nope - i'm rocking an actual mixer case (same one i used w/ my 56).

I don't think i'd be totally comfortable w/ carrying that mixer around in a bag. It seems like there would just be too much pressure/friction against the faders/knob ect. Padded cases are the way to go (even if they are 1 more thing to carry).

I was able to return/exchange my 57 (since i had purchased it so recently).

We'll see how this one goes (fingers crossed...).

I been carrying my mixer on the Creator Bag for a whole year but i adapted the foam pieces that came on the 57 box to keep the mixer on place and pressure free. The anchor (or block ends as rane call them) broke because the screw got loose and the fader was tilt on one side, and the fader was slammin hard on one side.

definately the bag yo. I carry a bag for other mixers and i break knobs like crazy, even with the foam. Im feeling its the moving back and forth like when bending metal you can wear it out really fast and SNAP.. you broke it

What is the status on new mixers with the incorporate end block fix being shipped out to Rane distributors?

I want to purchase the 57SL and don't want to worry about the rare but possible end block problem.

There shouldn't be any problems with current production. In the event that you do encounter problems with end blocks, we will take care of you.

Now I use the old end blocks from the 56, they are much better. With the new, black ones i needed every 3 month a new fader. I had 4 broken...

Update:
I got the new endblocks today (Thank you very much, Dean). They look just like the old 56 endblocks, they are not hollow like the ones that come with the 57 and they don't have the small piece that blocks the sensors from bending too much.
I replaced the old ones. It was easy. Just gotta pay attention to the fader connections.

The new ones are way better. And you can adjust the sensors to get a really sharp cut (waaaay sharper than before).
My mixer works perfectly now, and the faders feels much better than before.

So,as i said before the Rane Staff and Mods are the nicest people on earth, very professional.
I got my endblocks replacements in a couple of days.
If your endblocks break, don't hesitate to contact them right away.
Thanks, Dean!.

yep, i am also happy with the old ones (grey), much more stable...

I have read posts here for a long and never got around to joining forum.
now I have joined I will post my views


support People at Rane are very nice.

The best!

Got an instant response from Dean that they will send me some end blocks after PM'd him my problem. Thanks rane :)

Comon mate this is not true what so ever. The mixer was returned in perfect working condition. For the record we are not a Dealer we are the importer in Australia. The reason for your wait is this issue has never been seen or heard of before here. We have sold hundreds of TTM57SL's and thousands of TTM56's which use the same x faders without any problems. We will do all we can to help you through your issue, but if we have to order parts from Rane then there will be a wait ( especially over the Christmas Holiday period ).I would appreciate it if you did not bend the truth on forums about us as we have always been willing to help you and will continue to do so. I though I should set the story striaght though. Cheers Brad

Brad, the mixer was returned with a broken fader...(I brought it into you guys the very next morning and you replaced it on the spot) and I did have to wait for 5 weeks without the mixer in order to fix the E.Q knob..

This is not criticism at you guys or a bend of the truth (I wouldn't have sent you the link to this thread otherwise..) but it has been a long and frustrating experience getting the mixer back to working order (still not fully there.. on 6 month old TTM57).

For the record though, you guys at Audio Telex in Vic have been more than supportive!!
You've replaced the fader instantly and answered my annoying phone calls with manner and grace once a week. Including today... always calling back. (Mega thanks to Andi..)

I hope no offense is taken, I'm greatly appreciating the efforts you guys have taken to help me.

This thread is hot.

dean is the man!

Yeah. Dean is the man. He saved my mixer.

+1

An update: Recieved the parts from Dean (they were sent within a day of my PM to him!)

It was an easy fix, thanks again for the service :)

Dean, I have sent you a PM. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for sharing everybody! Glad i'm not the only one that's in this problem!

Dean:

Any idea on what the end blocks are molded out of? Plastic? You mentioned that you had your supllier change the molding process, would you really consider changing the molding process. Usually it wouldn't be recommended to chage any processes until the root cause points to the "process". There could've been other causes for the end block to break. Alright, sorry about this. It is just that I am a rane 57sl proud owner and a Plastics (molding) engineer and I came across this thread....

Yes, we use a plastic compound for the end blocks. Sorry I don't know the specific composition. We spent thousands of dollars hiring a forensics engineering firm who evaluated the plastic compound and investigated the molding process used by our supplier. Any decisions for changes were made after extensive study and consultation from plastics experts.

Any more issues after the change? I'm actually pretty surprised that this piece is braking, is there a recommended torque for the screws...seems like peeps are over tightening the screws, weakening the polymer. I have not seen the block myself, but is there or should there be a metal female (thread) insert in the block to prevent the block from breaking or getting stripped?

The new blocks are unbreakable. They are just fine.

Great!!!!! I'm not the only one!!!!!!!I am having major problems with the B1 & B2 knobs, geeeeezzzzzish!!!!!They are broke???????Really nerve racking!!!!!!!

The blocks have been solid since the changes and we haven't had any additional problems.

The screws are self tapping and specifically designed for use with plastics. It is extremely difficult to strip out the holes in the block by hand tightening. the plastic compound is elastic enough to where you can't split it even if you drive a punch into the screw hole.

We have not been having any problems with the knobs. What has happened to them? Are the controls OK? Send me a PM with the details so we can take care of you.

I have a same problems!

img530.imageshack.us

& I have a problems with my mini-headphones out!!

img295.imageshack.us

My broken fader - img295.imageshack.us

Makiba has sent me a private message and I have responded. We will work with him to help resolve any problems.

maybe it would be a good idea, if Rane develop a plastic-cover for the mixer, which can take the pressure from the knobs and faders. i would invest some money in such a peace of plastic, also a good dust cover at home...

+1. Good for the UDG bag.

maybe it would be a good idea, if Rane develops a plastic cover for the mixer, to protect the knobs & faders in the bag, also a good dust-cover at home. with some clips to fix it. i would invest some money in such a peace of plastic.

maybe it would be a good idea, if Rane develops a plastic cover for the mixer, to protect the knobs & faders in the bag, also a good dust-cover at home. with some clips to fix it. i would invest some money in such a peace of plastic.

We looked at doing this when we first introduced the TTM 57SL - we took a prototype moulded hard cover to the NAMM show and no one thought it was a good idea.

It would be cool, if the moulded hard cover could fit in the creator bag. I would definitly buy it.
What was the size of the prototype, Dean?

I can see it (a cover) being useful. Even though I keep my 57 in either the rane calzone lasagna whatever it's called case that's made for the 57 or an odyssey case I would cover mine every night and during transportation if it meant it helped to keep it from breaking. Also, horray for no dust/dirt getting into it. Currently during the week I cover the mixer with a lint free rag to keep dust out of it.

it was fitted for a TTM 57SL

hahahaha lol @ calzone lasagna


That reminded me of Elaine in Seinfeld. "Mr Vegetable Lasagna" hahaha

so maybe you showed the prototype to the wrong guys or they had not the problem with the fader-ends... i think it would be a good idea. if you have a prototype maybe you can send one to germany for the musicfair, i would show it to some people and i am sure they will love it.

I'll be in Frankfurt for the Messe. The prototype is long gone - and we don't have time to create a new one. We will ask around again and see if there is enough interest to bring this forward again.

Cool, so i am looking forward to see you at the fair again. best wishes!

These guys are the best ! Never had such a good support with any other supplier before...

It's great, but i live in Russia...I will wating new parts for so long!! =)

I made one out corrugated plastic sheet and some foam, similar to the way the carrying case is for the serato laptop stand.. it cost me about $10 all together and about 20 minutes.

Niros

I think I found out why you're understanding ex-fx-user lol

Just don't tighten up those bitches like you do your wallet and you'll be alright.

I'm waiting new end-blocks for 5 weeks - nothing! =(

After 30 minutes from my last post - "I'm waiting new end-blocks for 5 weeks - nothing! =(" - post-man came & brought me my new end-blocks! =) Sorry for English!

lol =)

Timing

I'm seriously!!! Fast work!! =)))

He read your post and teletransported to russia to prove you wrong!.

lol

Just an update.. it's only been a couple of months since I got the new end blocks and fitted them in..

Same thing just happined again last night half way through a gig, the screw got loose inside the plastic, fader dropped into the mixer, the knob got lost somewhere on the dancefloor and the fader won't screw back into the mixer... now my mixer is out of action.

Dean, I've just sent you a PM.. can you got a brother another fix?

I replaced my faderendblocks complete with the old (gray) ones, since i did this i never had a problem again.

How long ago was that?

a few month, with the new blocks i would have trouble meanwhile :)

Mr.Nice... time to lay off the fat customers off your mixer. *No humping fat chicks on the mixer* :P

Come on Sixxx, I thought this beast was meant for battle!

hahahaha

We normally send out a complete set of replacement end blocks when this comes up. Apparently we only sent 2 of them to Mr. Nice, so now the another fader has failed. We will send him out a complete set of end blocks this time around. Sorry for any problems caused.

-Dean

Thanks for the quick response Dean.

Well appricated!

please do
who ever you showed it to were dumb asses (no offense)

I went and made me a supper ugly foam/felt/pleather ruggedly sown 'thing' to protect my 57 in the UDG bag

its so ugly I hide it at gigs


please make one

Akiem,
Thanks for your input. So far, not many requests for this, we'll keep checking around and and see if there is enough demand to amke this feasable.
-Dean

put me down for requesting this too :) I'm always worried about breaking the faders/controls when removing it from my bag, especially after a few beers ;)

so I'd buy one too , saying that I'd buy anything with a rane or serato logo on it :)

I am down with this too!

I like how that works, I call some guys "dumb asses" and the a mod comes on and says thanks.

:P

I am down.

I made one for my 57 when I use to carrie in the shuttle bag. It was like a book cover made with corrugated plastic and foam to protect the faders (looked like the case the Hi-Rise came in) The foam was about 1/4" above the faders. What was nice about the design was that you can slide it in and out of bags.

Dean, showed it to Mike awhile ago, let me know if you guys are interested.

S

I'd Love One.

I need one before June 23 :)

Shipment arrived in record time! Problem fixed :)

Thanks for this great service!

+1 the B1 button sucks after 6 months because of too much vinyl recording!!

Deoxit will help

i had the same thing happen to me i just havent contacted rane about a replacement yet,i rigged it so it works,i dont wanna send my mixer in n be without it yet.

We've come up with a protective foam cover for the TTM 57SL & Empath mixers. You can see it on our website: www.rane.com

Coolness!

Good stuff.

On the foam and on the new looking website.

Daaamn. The website looks doooope! Props

cool, thats what I made, except I have three flaps of pleather like fabric that cover the whole mixer (and its really ugly and hand sewn)

Who cares if it's ugly as long as it protects its contents. :)

How can i get one of those here in Argentina? (the dealers don't even have 57s)

Contact the distributor and ask if they can special order for you or the dealer:

Pro-Show SA
Parana 164
1017 Capital Federal
Buenos Aires
Tel: 011-4383-1722
Fax: 011-4383-1722
consultas@pro-show.com.ar

Stuart,

You can contact our distributor in Argentina and they can order one for you. (the reason they are not yet stocking the TTM 57SL is that they are still tied up in the bureaucracy of getting Argentinian electrical approvals -)

Our distributor in Argentina is:
Pro-Show SA
Parana 164
1017 Capital Federal
Buenos Aires
Tel: 011-4383-1722
Fax: 011-4383-1722

$239 for the pelican case...yikes.

Good stuff!

Just ordered one :)

Wish I had this a few months ago.. I already lost an E.Q konb and recently my Mic input knob to my UDG creator bag.. I can't afford a month without my mixer to get it fixed :(

It shouldn't take very long for our Australian Distributor to take care of you.

following are their details:

Audio Telex Communications Pty Ltd
1 Clyde St
Silverwater NSW 2128
Tel: 61 2 9647 1411
Fax: 61 2 97482537
Email: hq@audiotelex.com.au

Same happened to me, end block on my 56 broke right where the screws threads in. Bummer. Been out of commission for a week now.

Have you sent your mixer in for service?

Hey Shaun,
I contacted Kelly and she sent me the repair parts. Would you like me to send in the broken block so you can have a look at it?

Victor

No, but thank you for asking.

i think that RANE has the best quality of faders out there. when i've used other brands i realize how much cheaper their faders are (djm-800 is a great example of a mixer that is not chaep, but has some really shitty faders).

I've had the new endblocks for almost a year. They are really strong.
The 57 is built like a tank (just don't drop it in the creator bag without protection).

Yes DJ Stuart, you're right. Since i have my new endblocks and a pelican mixer case the 57 has the best faders ever in my opinion. Heavy scratching is no problem, dust or anything else also. just clean the fader and go ahead...

yeah I learned the Creator bag lesson the hard way too

You guys at Rane should think about upgrading the delivery service you use. The parts were sent on Oct. 29th and I still haven't gotten anything.

Where are you located?

Hm, Rane still has 19 days to delivier with a zero day delivery time, since today is october the 10th. ;)

Whoa. He's back from the future!

Haha. Got me there! Nah got them tonight and everything is fine! But yea took a while,... almost thought I'd have to borrow my friend's SM-1. argh.

I know the topic of this forum changed from broken end fader blocks to bent b1 b2 knobs...but Can someone post some pictures of the broken plastic blocks, I'd like to get an idea where it's breaking (cracking)from....

Posted by Makiba

picture's kinda blury but from what i can tell is that it broke right on where the screw is at. Overtightening an issue Shaun? Anymore pics?

Yeah, over tightening the mounting screws can cause issues, but it's pretty rare.

Are you having issues with your faders?

I've had my mixer for 2.5 years now, and had NO problems at all! Except for the FlexFX and the B1-B6 buttons not triggering as they should...any ideas for that?

deoxit

Yes, I am agrre w/ dj stuart .
I was spinning w/ my ttm57 the hole club was full and the fader on channel one falls down into the mixer , later the cross fader was loose , it was really wreid. the music wont stop but i had to switch into the back up system and i couldn't use the mixer for a week.
Solution ,, I used GORILA GLUE from home depot and fill the part with the hole for the screw on both ends of the rails. Black plastic part that keeps the fader in its place. for all 3 faders. and now i'm still working really good and better.
other issue. B1,B2,B5,B6 doesn't trigger right,(false contact)
some body has any good solution.

DeoxIT is the best cleaner for electronic switches, buttons, faders and etc -->> store.caig.com

+1000


I revived lots of old electronic parts with a combination of the fader lube spray/flush with the D100 solution/cleaner/lubricant

I use a drop of d100 solution to clean and lubricate the rails of the 57 faders.

remember to use the correct solution for your application

D100 is great for metal to plastic contacts
Fader lube is great for plastic to plastic contacts

I think the D100 is more of a universal solution and is great as lube on the rails of the 57 fader.

when in doubt, call caig labs help department. you dont want to use a chemical solution that is too harsh for what you are cleaning.

Ive just ordered the ttm57sl and I'm waiting for it to arrive next week - sweet !
Just a little worried after reading through all this (above). Have these problems (end blocks and B1-6 buttons) been fixed and will my new mixer be problem free?

It definitely should be :D

That's right, I guess when I cleaned my faders I put them in wrong and had to send my mixer back thinking it was the mixer! They fixed it with all new parts even tho they knew it was my fault. THANKS

djdannyd, I'm having the same problem with buttons not triggering, but have only really noticed it with button B2. Don't get me wrong the button works, but when tapping cues or loops it seems like if I don't press hard - even if it 'clicks'... the function is not recognized. It’s really noticeable when wanting to cue and it fails.

Has anything come to light on this djdannyd?

Fantastic !

That bloody UDG Creator Bag took out my Mic level rotary knob and the 2 bass EQ's on my 57SL back in June. It then took your service people here in the UK 6 weeks to fix, had to do several gigs without Serato and then when they did send it back they have managed to break the LED for the Deck 1 indicator!!! Cannot be waiting another 6 weeks for them to fix that so i have not even bothered wasting my breath bollocking them.

I was absolutely gutted when i spent over £100 on a bag which was supposed to protect my brand new mixer and then the thing turned out

I ended up buying a Road Ready 10" case for mine instead just to be sure i dont end up breaking a £900 mixer! I'll switch back to just using the backpack if this product is a proven solution - has anyone purchased one of these foam covers yet ?

My crossfader finally became a statistic... =/ Great! right before NYE... These endblocks should be sold in packs of 50.

Mine broke as well. Is it possible to buy just these end blocks because I live in poland and it would take ages to get it?? Please rane:)

PM the mods, i live in argentina and they sent me replacements right away. (It took less than a week).

Hi Dean I just sent you a PM

Guys did any of you experienced this?

With reference to www.skratchworx.com

I used contact spray to clean the rails of the cross fader, but the rods still seem to be stuck to it no matter how I clean it.

I also used a strip of newspaper to polish the rails

I also tried adjusting the spring.

I read up and there is an article about accidentally moving the sensors
of the brown fader which houses the magnet.

How do I go about fixing this as I feel an increase of lag when I am using the voume and cross faders.

Am I using the wrong kind of contact spray or lubricate?
I am using a solvent lubricate for audio equipment.

I'd like to read up on your this...please repost your reference link.

We recommend Caigs DeoxIT Fader Lube. It's a silicone based lube with a bit of contact cleaner -->> store.caig.com

I usually (one fader at a time) remove the fader from the mixer and then remove one of the end blocks (opposite of the ribbon cable) and take out the metal rails. I clean the rails using rubbing alcohol and rinse the plastic carrier slider with hot water (to clean out any built up gunk and etc).

After reassembling the fader rails and etc, I lube the rails using DeoxIT Fader Lube :)