MIDIMAN HORROR STORY... Unprofessinal support.

[bigmoz]

I would just like to inform everyone of my horror story with midiman. This is the only way I can inform people about midiman. I purchased a USB midisport 8x8, for 350 dollars. Midiman "claims" to have support for XP for this product. I downloaded their drivers (latest update), hooked up the unit and attempted to install the driver... I followed all their instructions, and unfortunately came up with "DEVICE CAN NOT START, ERROR CODE 10." Anyway, I call up the tech support line, which is a 626 area code... They put me on hold for 15 minutes, pick up my call, and hang up on me by accident... THis occurs TWO times. Im paying for this phone call, because these guys dont know how to work their phone systems properly... Anyway, onto the product. I finally reach a guy at tech support and he leads me through uninstalling, and reinstalling the driver.... which I told him I previously did three times He leads me through it again, through safe mode, and I follow all his instructions. After following all his directions, I recieve the same error. He tells me to go under device manager, and check which IRQ my usb ports are installed under. They are on 19, and 23. He informs me that these are virtual IRQ's (which I know), and that I have to change them, so its DELL's fault, that the MIDISPORT doesnt function properly. Unfortunately, there is no way of changing these IRQ's in XP. This technician should have known that, but he obviously, would like to just peddle off the responsibility of his companies, non working product, to DELL. During our whole conversation, I can hear Trance music blaring in the background. Meanwhile this guy has the nerve to sing ALONG WITH THE TRANCE, as hes talking to me. Midiman offers no warning of these issues, and they have not offered me any support. I have emailed them several times with this problem, and their technicians issues, and they have not even bothered to amuse me with a reply. Its amazing that they are so quick to take your money, and only trully offer decent drivers for an obsolete OS like W98SE... or ME. I want everyone to know of MIDIMAN's character, and how they treat their customers. Since they allready have our money, why offer any support? You cant return the product unless its "physically" defective...

Any suggestions?

[BradLyons]

I'm sorry to hear of your problems with M-Audio as they are a wonderful company. In fact, Sweetwater is their largest dealer to the best of my knowledge. With that said, why are you calling a manufacturer for support when our very own Sweetwater Support Department is here to take care of you? This is assuming that you did purchase your product from Sweetwater of course :-) You certainly can return a product if it's not working with your system, that is if you bought it from Sweetwater. Please call your Sales Engineer and let him know what has taken place and we'll get this taken care of for you.

[bigmoz]

First, Brad, thank you, but no thanks... My issue is with companies who peddle off responsibilities onto other companies. The issue, is with midimans driver, for XP. It does not work. I have read on several other websites, including harmony central... similiar complaints from people about the midisport, and xp. They recieved the same error that I did. Why would I call sweetwater for support, even if I purchased it from you guys? You didnt write the driver, so IM POSITIVE, that you would just tell me to check with the manufacturer of the product, who would be midiman... How could a technician for this company tell me to change the IRQ settings in XP? Does he not know how XP is designed? If he doesnt, why is he talking to me? Why not put on somebody who knows the OS? Forget about the loud music in the back, and the unprofessional nature of the support... the guy just clearly didnt know what he was talking about... and since he had a simple mind,,,,, i.e. "just uninstall and reinstall," which any halfwit could suggest, I have no respect for their company. Sorry to be calling names, but IM out 400 dollars, simply because my 30 days ran out from GC, and there is no physical problem with the unit.... Once again, I have no issue with sweetwater... you guys are a great company.... I just want all prospective owners of MIDIMAN products to be well aware of their product, as well as their support, before they shell out so much money on a product.

[BradLyons]

With all due respect, if you know that Sweetwater is a great company... why did you purchase this product elsewhere?? I know this MIDI Interface works perfectly fine, we've sold many. And those that have problems installing, we either get them up and running with our tech support staff or replace the product. The problem here really is not M-Audio, it's the fact that you bought it elsewhere.... It does no good to post messages like this across the net. The best thing to do is demand your money back at GC because it's not working and give us a call for a new interface.

[bigmoz]

Brad, your replies are getting silly... ITS NOT GUITAR CENTERS FAULT, that midimans drivers dont work. I purchased this product at the local GC because of convenience. Its close by my house. I dont want to pay for Shipping and handling and wait a week to recieve my product in the mail... and if I have problems I have to send it back in the mail, which costs me MORE MONEY. Please dont tell me your tech support would get my midiman up and running. You guys didnt write the drivers. You would just tell me to contact midiman, or other wise tell me to "uninstall and reinstall the driver." Or the everpopular, "reinstall your operating system." I dont mean to sound angry but your posting is implying that a third party, such as sweetwater, would solve the problem that a first party (M AUDIO) has with their drivers...Im posting these messages across the net to warn prospective buyers of M AUDIO about their products and support. Its not to degrade Sweetwater at all... I would love to call you infact, and speak to you on the phone, because you are so confident in your companies support...

THANKS!!!

[bigmoz]

And by the way, the interface worked for me in W98SE, an OBSOLETE OS, which MIDIMAN continues to support as its main OS (for drivers)... but the unit still had race issues, and would fall out of sync, time wise...Dont kill the messenger

[BradLyons]

Wouldn't convenience be purchasing the product from a place that will support you? :-) I'm not trying to be argumentive here, but I think it's very poor taste to use our User's Forum to vent your frustration with a vendor on a product you bought elsewhere, and that place you bought it from will not help you.... Even though it's been more than 30 days from the date you bought your interface and it's not working, that is still no excuse for the retailer not to take care of you. To me, that is inconvenient. As for our support guys, they are the best in the business... I'm not saying we could solve the driver problem if indeed it is a problem... but our whole goal is to take care of our clients no matter what. If that means getting you a new unit or taking back the old one and replacing it, that's what we do. :-)

[bigmoz]

Well Brad, perhaps your company is more considerate to its customers, than GC... I understand what you are saying about posting on this forum, about a product I purchased elsewhere, however, my postings, are not to bash GC, or Sweetwater. Its to discuss the product I purchased, and the manufacturer of the product. I assume that your forum is not solely dedicated to people, and products who were purchased directly from your company. My belief is that if someone wanted to purchase a midi unit with 8 ins and 8 outs, beware of MIDISPORT, their product and support. There is none. They can opt to purchase the MIDEX 8 from Steinberg, or the MOTU MIDIEXPRESS XT. Both of these competitors products are sold by your company, so its not as if Im saying dont purchase products from sweetwater.

I guess Ive been promised so many things, from companies who just turn away after recieving my cash, your promise (sweetwater), sounds just as empty as everyone elses. Sorry, its just a sign of the times...

[BradLyons]

Well, hopefully you'll get up and running soon....

[Ted]

>I guess Ive been promised so many things, from companies who just turn away after recieving my cash, your promise (sweetwater), sounds just as empty as everyone elses. Sorry, its just a sign of the times...

Try us out, you'll be surprised.

In this particular case, our tech guys may or may not have been able to help you out (oftentimes we know ways to get things working even the manufacturers don't, especially when it comes to getting one company's products to work with another's), but if we couldn't we would have certainly taken care of getting your interface switched out for another one that would actually work with your setup...even if it had been thirty-one days since you made the purchase.

-Ted