• rdh3t
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-09
  • Posts: 14

Topic: What is with the RME USA repair service, getting ridiculous...

So I sent in my RME Multiface I soundcard for repair after it stopped working a few weeks back.  Synthax recieved it on friday, March 12, confirmed.  I begged them to try to look at it/fix it quickly, even offered to pay extra to get it looked at quickly--was me with nothing but "sorry, can't do that".  Now it's been in Ohio for 12 days, and I still haven't recieved any status update--I've called at least 5 times and every time, they say they'll call back, or this monday it was--"we usually don't have a laptop here, but somebody brought theirs in from home and is looking at your Multiface today".  Now its the end of the day Wednesday, still no word back.

Not only is this not the time-frame I was quoted on the phone (5-7 business days), but I find it unacceptable to have it this long and for them not to call me.  Just so you know, Synthax, soundcards are the heart of a music studio--no soundcard=no music=no money.  This is really killing me, if I knew my multiface would break twice in a year, and that it would take 3 weeks to get back for servicing, I'd have bought a different soundcard.  If I would've known I'd lose a few key recording session constantly waiting for Synthax to get back to me, I would've either rented a new soundcard or even bought one--this long timeframe without a soundcard has lost me some serious money.

Anyhow, since trying to get Synthax to get back to me or at least give me a status update/prognosis/repair cost, I'm resorting to warning others that their support sucks, and that RME should seriously consider getting someone else to repair their products in the US if this is the typical repair time--if you're going to limit me to only one option (monopoly) to get my soundcard fixed, at least give me a good and expedient option, perhaps even an outfit that has frikkin' laptops to test typical RME gear on--geez, how ridiculous is that?!?  It's like going to get your cpu tower fixed, and the repair store says they have to bring in a monitor from home the next day to be able to diagnose your cpu--ridiculous. 

BE WARNED--USA BASED SYNTHAX RME SUPPORT IS VERY VERY VERY SLOW, consider this carefully, and if you actually use you're soundcard to make money, consider it even more carefully.  This is really a pitiful situation, I would expect a LOT more from RME.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,807

Re: What is with the RME USA repair service, getting ridiculous...

Hello,

while we understand your frustration and apologize for the inconvencience, we'll have to wait for Jeff from Synthax US to chime in with an explanation. Meanwhile, please don't post the same subject into several (old) threads.

That said, allow me to mention that I find it surprising when studios that rely on daily business are operated without some sort of backup solution for hardware failures. This may sound like a strange idea to you, but maybe you could make use of the time out to examine your setup for other potential Single Points of Failure (SPOF), to avoid downtimes in the future...


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • rdh3t
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-09
  • Posts: 14

Re: What is with the RME USA repair service, getting ridiculous...

Thanks for the response, sorry if I came off a bit upset, it's just been a frustrating process with zero updates or calls from support for almost two weeks now.  Sorry to post on old threads as well, but I personally feel like if someone is looking into Multiface problems/repairs in the states, that it is useful to have the info be searchable and on the forums, as there isn't much on the forums about problems with the Multiface or USA repairs.

While my studio is not my full-time job, I do use it to earn income on the side.  Sure it's great to address SPOF, of which the computer and soundcard are obviously the most important.  I guess my problem, and surely the problem of many smaller studios, is that there simply isn't budget for redundant gear--there's always another mic, mic pre, hardware or software effects, etc. to get, and the budget isn't there for redundant un-used gear that sits on a shelf waiting for the day when it's twin craps out. 

From all the smaller home studios I've seen, like in the $10,000-$50,000 range, there's rarely any backup gear, that's my experience at least.  Sure, if I was in a huge studio (in which case I would likely not have an RME soundcard), I'd have multiple studios and backup computers and huge flat screen TVs for the talent.....However, as great as RME gear is, the target audience is clearly people like me--smaller studios, often no huge soundboard, no pro tools, no studio A and studio B, just one decent digital recording rig.  For people like that, prompt repair of the heart of the studio (Multiface) is important.  Thanks again for listening and sorry I was in a crappy mood last night.

  • rdh3t
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-09
  • Posts: 14

Re: What is with the RME USA repair service, getting ridiculous...

Finally got it back.  Bad pcmcia card, had to buy the new one with the fw input.  I feel my points are still valid--most audio repair places are set up in an environment with competition, so they provide quotes withing 24 hours, since they are in posssession of someone's beloved gear, and need to assess the problems and provide a price quote for the consumer to make a decsion.  With a monopoly on repairs, apparently this isn't the case.  It seems like it would take about 30 minutes tops to plug in my multiface, swap out the power supply, connection cable, pcmcia card, and multiface itself to determine, which was the problem--this simple test would've shown that the pcmcia card was at fault, and I could've paid my $400 or so on the spot and had the whole thing turned-around in a day or two, not two full weeks.  It didn't even require repair, just the quick test above and the purchase of a new pcmcia card.  Regardless of the overall repair time, Synthax should provide the consumer with an assessment of the unit within 24 hours of receipt, to at least give the consumer a sense of the problem/cost/repair time, that's just normal business procedure with every other audio repair I've had done.  Food for thought, peace out.