Part 2 of 3
I think I went through the seven stages of grief while staring at my newly purchased, DOA OB•12:
Shock - I can't believe I've been ripped off!
Denial - Maybe I'm not starting it up correctly. Maybe all it needs is a factory reset...
Anger - That SOB knew this keyboard was busted and just unloaded it on me!
Bargaining - Maybe it's the cord. (I tried three different power cords.) Maybe the outlet....?
Depression - It's done. I'm out the cash, and I have a pretty doorstop. It's my own fault for jumping so impulsively.
Testing - Maybe there's something on an OB•12 FB group. I can't be the only one with this problem!
Acceptance - OK. It's dead. I'm out $800 and I'm going to have to spend more money if I want to get this working.
So at this point you might ask why I didn't simply report the transaction to eBay and demand my money back from the seller. The answer is ... complicated.
I finally had an OB•12 in my hands again!
The thing was gorgeous.
I was still about $500 below what I see these go for on eBay and Reverb.
See #1...
I did in fact contact the seller. He swore that it worked when he shipped it. So, I thought, maybe something simple like a connector became dislodged in shipment. If I could get it into a shop, and repair it for less than $500, I'll still come out ahead of current eBay prices AND I'll have an OB•12 in GREAT shape!
By the way, I forgot to mention that rationalizing spending money on equipment is one of my few, true superpowers.
So first things first: I hit the OB•12 Facebook groups for guidance and info. The two groups I belong to are great. The members are helpful, supportive and generous. I found all sorts of information on resetting the OB, files for the OS and sounds, and a manual. One member was even able to provide me the schematics/service manual! (Thank you Ralf!)
But no matter what I tried, the OB wouldn't reset or load any files. I needed to put it in a shop. Fortunately, I have a synth repair shop in the area that has a great reputation. I dropped the keyboard there at the end of February 2020. They said they could have the problem diagnosed in about 2 weeks....mid-march at the latest.
Then, the world changed.
By mid-March, the entire country was entering lockdown because of the Pandemic. The shop was closed...and remained closed for the next 4 months.
With everything going on in life (work disruption, school disruption, 90 year old parents to attend to, etc.), the OB fell to the back burner. In fact, I didn't inquire about it again until the late fall. Turns out the shop hadn't even looked at since the spring. They reached out to Viscount Italy for help, but never got a response. (At least, that is what they told me.) Eventually they admitted that they could not sort out the issue and I should come pick the board up.
So, I did. When I got it home, it was in worse condition then when I left it. Whereas there were minimal signs of life before, there was absolutely no sign of life now. Not only that, but the synth case wasn't re-assembled properly AND it was scratched. And for all of this, they charged me only $125...
I was pretty bummed.
Fortunately someone on one of the FB groups pointed me to some old information about a service representative for Viscount based in North America. Digging a bit more, I found out that he was still active. Better still, he was located just three hours away in Pennsylvania. I brought the keyboard home from the shop, and reached out to Mr. Robert Darnall...
Part 3: Success!