I must warn anyone who is considering purchasing any Open Labs gear that they have on sale now.  Open Labs has had a reputation of having good customer service, however, I must share with you my past experience.

Unfortunately, I must report that Open Labs is brushing me off. I feel like I’ve been cheated. I’ve purchased $10,000 worth of keyboard equipment with this company. $4,000 for dBeat that isn’t functioning properly. I’ve been working on resolving crooked chassis, BSODs, intermittent power supply issues, noise audio outputs, pitch bend issues, imaging issues, controller hardware issues since July of 2009. I have complied with all their troubleshooting requests from the top down. My Neko XXL for the most part is functional except for a couple issues (key bed issues, aftertouch issues, pitch bend issues, and some annoying imaging issues).

In March of 2010, Hank Coleman, promised me he would get me another replacement with a different product that would prove to be more reliable. Needless to say they haven’t given me my replacement and now I have a $4,000 paper weight. Before I purchased my Neko XXL they were giving me excellent customer service and now at this point they are completely ignoring me (except for one person, Michael Corley). I’ve sent 7-10 emails and 5-7 voicemails in the passed couple of months and the person who offered me isn’t saying anything to me anymore. He told me that the delay was due to manufacturing problems outside of their realm, but now I see one of the products that he promised he would swap with me and he still isn’t responding. I know they are fulfilling orders because on the Open Labs forum people are receiving brand new DBeats and Miko LXDs.

It appears they’re going through some financial trouble, but I have been a very patient (I’ve been troubleshooting the DBeat for over a year) and courteous customer and now I fear my good intentions have been taken advantage of.

My dBeat is a $4,000 paper weight. I was promised it would be replaced with an A stock replacement and their web site showed that they had it in stock, but because they’re trying to make another $3,700 instead of honoring their word to me.

Last I heard, they are now saying I wasn’t ever promised a replacement. I was so shocked that they are now saying that. I have documentation showing the conversation. I didn’t ever think that I would need it because I didn’t think they would do this.

I’m extremely shocked that they are doing business like this with a customer who has purchased $10,000 worth of keyboard equipment with them. I feel so taken advantaged of.

Hank Coleman (the CEO) is not responding back to after all his promises. I hate to say it, but it appears that he made all these promises to persuade me to buy a Neko XXL and then after I bought it, silence…he got back to me a couple months later….then silence again…I’m not saying they treat all their customers this way as it appears they do try, but in my case after all the issues that have happened with me, they’re choosing to ignore me. I’m actually surprised that he’s ignoring me and apparently now I hear that he’s saying he never told me that they were going to swap out my dBeat and I have emails proving otherwise.

I hate to say it, but it looks like they’re not going to respond back to me unless I am more vocal about how they are treating me (which at this point is basically just ignoring me). Also, now Tech Support isn’t getting back to me regarding some issues with my Neko XXL. Particularly, the pitch wheel. When you bend a note it doesn’t come back to the correct value. So you’ll come back to a different key after you a bend a note.

Also, the key bed aftertouch is basically useless (at least for both of the key beds for mine-it was replaced once already). You’ll be playing and the aftertouch will get pinned at 127 and I’m sure that I’m not triggering it. This happens in Reason, Cubase, & Ableton Live. At this point I just disconnected the cable for the aftertouch.

I feel so cheated. When I do actually talk to someone, it’s we completely understand that you’re upset, but we’re not going to give you a replacement that we promised to you even though we have it in stock according to our web site. And to top it all off, I purchased an extra year of their flagship “platinum” support. They charge $600 for this.

I can say a lot more, but I won’t at this point. I will just warn people if you have issues that go beyond the normal surface level problems OL knows how to resolve they may treat you the way they have treated me and Justin Stewart (but lucky for him they contacted him back to make it right). And no, I don’t want to go the route of suing them. At this point I’m not sure how far I want to go with this…I’m just very disappointed that they’re treating me this way.

I just can’t help, but think “$10,000 in keyboard equipment with one company and they’re treating this way…wow…I didn’t think it would come to this”. And I purchased the Neko XXL after all my issues with the dBeat thinking that they would in good faith treat me right and fair. They’re responding to other customers on their OL forum, but I’m getting ignored.

This should really be posted in the “Mo Lounge” section. It has nothing to do with the Motif XF.

My apologies, if I posted this in the wrong section.

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/08/01/open-labs-heads-to-the-auction-block-did-windows-kill-the-company/

I think Yamaha bought Open Labs.

ZombieRaider - 11 August 2010 03:20 PM

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/08/01/open-labs-heads-to-the-auction-block-did-windows-kill-the-company/

Yup, AFAIK Open Labs is done. Shame really, but not surprising.

I tried one. The concept was great. However, for over $6,000, what you got was M-Audio or Presonus I/O, freeware softsynths, some glitchy built-in software designed for their touch screen, and control surfaces that were really cheap: non-motorized short-throw wobly faders, buttons that didn’t firmly click, and unresponsive drum pads. The surfaces/panels worked OK out of the box with their custom software, but reconfiguring them to be controllers for your DAW of choice wasn’t particularly fun. Beyond that, the 61 key synth model weighed as much as an 88 weighted keyboard workstation. Oh, and it is worth repeating how bad the included synths were.

If they had built a Mac in to it, instead of a Windows PC, and had included the Logic suite, with Main Stage, then it could have passed, in terms of instruments and control, as a keyboard workstation. With synths from Purity and other freeware junk from the 90’s, it sounded like old GM soundfonts for a SoundBlaster. Sure, you could add your own synths, but, all of their synth host software depended on plug ins that respond to MIDI patch change and full support for GM CC messages. Practically no synths bother with that anymore. Patch change? Who cares. Add another instance, on another track, with the other patch. Want to change some aspect of the tone? CC what? SysEx who? Use automation already, geezer!

Too bad.

Yeah, the A/D converters are not the greatest that’s for sure.  I mainly use it as a VST synthesizer and Ableton Live playback system.  I’ve got mine loaded with VSTs.

WesEXer - 11 August 2010 04:10 PM

ZombieRaider - 11 August 2010 03:20 PM

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/08/01/open-labs-heads-to-the-auction-block-did-windows-kill-the-company/

Yup, AFAIK Open Labs is done. Shame really, but not surprising.

Open Labs is in business under new ownership. They are not gone.

http://www.openlabs.com

The monster.

DavePolich - 11 August 2010 09:33 PM

WesEXer - 11 August 2010 04:10 PM

ZombieRaider - 11 August 2010 03:20 PM

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/08/01/open-labs-heads-to-the-auction-block-did-windows-kill-the-company/

Yup, AFAIK Open Labs is done. Shame really, but not surprising.

Open Labs is in business under new ownership. They are not gone.

http://www.openlabs.com

Cool. That’s seriously great. Even though it’s not my cup of tea personally, I’m still glad they’re out there!

From the way things appear to be going, many have speculated that it is just a front.  Open Labs isn’t responding to many of their faithful customers. 

I hope that it is not the case, but it looks like Open Labs doesn’t appear to be concerned about their long term future.

Open Labs and I have resolved this issue.

jxsbebop - 26 August 2010 01:21 PM

Open Labs and I have resolved this issue.

I’m happy for you It’s very sad you had to go to Yamaha to resolve your issue with Open Labs.