TC ELECTRONICS WARNING!!

[AwesomeTyler]

Just wanted to give a heads up as to my recent experience with TC Electronics and see if anyone here has experienced similar. I'm apparently far from being the only person that's had this kind of experience with them.

Bullet point, to keep myself from getting out of hand:

-Bought a Ditto X4 in September ($250+tax)
-Never leaves the studio
-Seven months later it just stops working
-Go to TC for Warranty repair (1 year manufacturer coverage)
-Find out they're owned by a different company ('Music Group')
-Music Group doesn't give a crap
-Just keep telling me to update firmware
-....There hasn't been a firmware update for the X4, but I follow their steps anyway
-Finally get to warranty
-They tell me to ship it out to some general elec shop in Florida (I pay shipping)
-Check reviews
-2/5 stars
-Apparently tons of music companies use these places to cover their warranties
-"Took weeks and sent back still broken"
-Find out I need original receipt of sale
-Find out I have no warranty because I don't have it


$250 for one pedal from a company that calls themselves boutique and they essentially sold me a $250 paperweight. Unbelievable. Also found out that the standard warranty could be 3 years, if you register your pedal within 90 days....Something that is advertised nowhere.

All this work just to screw their customers. I'll never buy TC Electronics again. If only 24bit DIY loop pedals were a viable option.

[thesmokingman]

that a bummer.

[somnif]

I know the little 1590A sized ditto is notorious for its stomp switch shitting itself. Any chance that something similar has occurred with your unit?

http://www.coda-effects.com/2015/04/ditto-looper-repair-how-to-fix-broken.html

[flanagan0718]

Is it Harmon Music Group? I have a friend that worked for them a long time ago. When they used to get warranty calls they would pretty much laugh at the customer and hang up. They suck big time.


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[Adam_DIY]

I won't buy tc anymore either.  I had a spark mini which died after 13 months and I was told by tc to buy a new one as it will cost more than that to fix the switch on mine. 

[AwesomeTyler]

I know the little 1590A sized ditto is notorious for its stomp switch shitting itself. Any chance that something similar has occurred with your unit?

http://www.coda-effects.com/2015/04/ditto-looper-repair-how-to-fix-broken.html

That wasn't the issue with mine in-particular, but in my initial "TC Ditto X4 issues" Google search, about half the complaints were towards that issue exactly and the other half being my issue. TC Elec uses momentary switches attached to a spring that hits a much smaller, internal switch beneath it (wtf). Apparently, those springs pop out of place constantly due to there being no containment structure for the springs.

My particular issue was this:
I go into the studio one day to find my Ditto X4 (which I'd previously left off, obviously) 'on' with a red LED glowing above the 'LOOP1' switch. I can't remember if the signal was being bypassed/audible or not. What I do know is that nothing on the pedal was working. I unplug it, plug it back in and all lights flash a few times and then back to the red LED and no function. Tried both the original power supply and secondary to make sure it wasn't that. It wasn't. It's literally just bricked.

[AwesomeTyler]

Is it Harmon Music Group? I have a friend that worked for them a long time ago. When they used to get warranty calls they would pretty much laugh at the customer and hang up. They suck big time.

I don't think so, but I'm not entirely sure.
This is the link to TC Elec's parent company from TC's website: http://www.music-group.com/brands?active=Brands

[Willybomb]

From memory, that's Behringer under another name.

[somnif]

From memory, that's Behringer under another name.

Same group owns a bunch of brands, including Behringer. From what I've heard most of TC's new 50$ budget pedals are Behringers in prettier boxes.
(Including the goofy spring-and-microswitch set up).

[Cortexturizer]

only TC pedal that does anything good to your tone is their polytune mini tuner.

anything else I've used I just though sounded super artificial and I never wanted to stomp on it.

[somnif]

I loved playing with the Toneprint reverbs (trinity 2) just because I could make it sound like I was suddenly playing a wall of amps the size of a house in a cavern the size of a blimp. Great post-rock "Big Noise" soundscape stuff.

If you want over-the-top ethereal ambience, its fantastic. But most of the other day-to-day toneprint stuff was fairly "meh" (to me, your mileage may vary of course. Some folks love em)

[WormBoy]

I love the sound of my TC flashback mini delay. Bought it because the DIY pt2399 delays were either too dark or too noisy for my taste. Apart from a tuner it's the only non-self-built pedal on my board. Did have problems with it though: when switching, the LED would go on, but no delay to be heard (only the bypass signal). Pressing the switch a few times, and the delay returned. Mailed TC and got a friendly reply with the advise to return it to the store I bought it from. However, since then, I cannot recreate the problem ... it seems to have solved itself, so I did not sent it back ... well, as long as it ain't broken ...

[madbean]

I've ended up with a fair bit of TC Electronic stuff (Ditto, Polytune Alter Ego x4 and T2 Reverb) and I've had nothing but good luck with them so far. I really like the Alter Ego...like a lot. Esp. in stereo. The T2 not as much but it's not bad by any means. Anyway, no failures so far...but maybe they will someday. Those switches don't seem too difficult to repair. I think Smallbear has compatible parts.

[culturejam]

TC Elec uses momentary switches attached to a spring that hits a much smaller, internal switch beneath it (wtf).

That's exactly how Line 6 implemented the switches on the DL4. And it's also why they broke all the time. I repaired a DL4 and replaced all the springs with regular momentary footswitches wired directly to the PCB (had to remove the tiny little push-button momentaries from the board).

[impycat1]

So what you are saying is the Foot switch on my Doubler is just a spring loaded cosmetic button screwed into the case which then prods a cheap internal switch when depressed and not an actual switch with contacts soldered internally.
Hate being ripped off.