how do you doooo

[markoos]

Hello everyone - your latest non-owning forum-member here...I'm trying really hard to change that, though - I've sold some of my other studio stuff and I've made a space for a Ti or Polar which I'm trying very hard to find (take a look at the Buy & Sell if you're looking for a buyer for your Ti). I produce clubby, techie, psychedelic dance tracks and I think it's about time I had the sounds of a virus in my poductions - seeing as the OS seems to be maturing *very* nicely! See you around!

[AlexHall74]

Welcome Markoos!

Good luck finding a Ti. I've seen alot of them on eBay but don't know if they are in your area.

Cheers Bro!

-Alex

[Doc Jones]

hey Markoos, welcome to the forum.
I second what Alex said in regards to taking a look on ebay for a second hand TI. Hope you can find one soon as it really is one amazing synth!

[markoos]

Hi Alex, Doc - I have indeed been keeping a very close eye on ebay. Just waiting for the right unit - don't really want to pay much more than £825/$1600...seems like there are a few available in the States but once I take import duties into account - then I could almost buy new on the UK. Really, I was hoping the Snow was going to come in at £500/600, but once I saw the RRP I decided to aim for a used desktop Ti....the search goes on!

[AlexHall74]

Two things to consider regarding purchase from eBAY:

(1) Any price that is too good to be true might be a scammer. This happened to me a yea and a half ago when I tried to buy a Mackie Onyx Satellite for $265 (retail was $339 at the time) and it never was delivered. I recouped the money through PayPal dispute resolution but it took awhile. It is not uncommon for scammers to target gear freakz as the items are high dollar and are easy pickings for them. Stick to a seller with a high feedback rating and with a decent number of transactions under their belt, preferably a member for over a year or two. (30 transactions, 99% feedback or better, member for year or more maybe...)

(2) Some Canadian buyers request that the itme be labeled as worth far less than it actually is for purposes of customs duties. For instance, if you buy a synth for $1,000, but the seller lists it as worth $200 on the customs form to be filled out at time of mailing, you will only be taxed on the value of $200. Just a thought, maybe that works well for US->UK sales as well? It is highly unlikely that the customs officers know the worth of everything that comes in, especially electronics. Alot of a sale price is determined by factors other than make/model, such as age, condition, and relative need of the seller for cash at the time of sale...

Good luck!



-Alex

[markoos]

Thanks for those good pointers, Alex - but (if everything's as it should be) I will be the owner of a Ti desktop tomorrow! Really looking forward to finally getting a Virus...do you have any pointers on what I should look for when viewing/trying the synth out, before I hand the cash over?

[AlexHall74]

Look for sweat on the brow of the guy whose selling it.

Look for stripped screws, glue on bottom of knobs, cracked LCD, loose side panels (dropped), or other signs of abuse.

Trust your people skills and your instincts. Take your time with it and try it out. It's a lot of cash!

The best case would probably be going to the house/studio of the person you are buying it from and seeing alot of other good quality, well maintained gear...

[flipside]

Originally Posted by AlexHall74

Look for sweat on the brow of the guy whose selling it.

Good one Alex! That's probably the best advice you can get

Also check if often-used knobs have been turned too "violently" or eagerly, making them wobbly. Especially the filter knob which gets used alot.. Try "wiggling" very carefully (so you don't cause the damage you're looking for ) It shouldn't move very much.

And another (perhaps more minor detail), see if the silkscreen (correct word?) is worn by much knob-twiddling and fingers repeatedly rubbing against the surface..

I'm not saying it should cause you to back off, but I like my synths to look and feel as good as possible. And it's a relatively new synth you're getting.. Good luck!

Best,
Alex

[markoos]

Well, there was no sweat and no wobbly knobs - I am now the proud owner of a desktop Ti, which is sitting right next to me on my desktop (where else!).

There is no sign whatsoever of any wear - no marks on the screws, hex heads etc. boxed, manuals, accessories - all there - even the stickers (yay!)... so now I was thinking of working my way through the manual and the Howard Scarr tutorial. Is there anything I should know about the manual, ie, errors and omissions? are there any little tips which I won't find in the documentation? And is there any way I can find out what presets / soundbanks have been installed?