Frequently Asked Questions
Availability:
Q: Any estimate when will they be in stock again?
Q: Do you have a rough estimate on when it will be sold again?
Q: Is there an estimate when the Gecho will be back in stock?
A: In these times it is even harder to estimate things than normally. Once there is any news or a date, it will be mentioned in the shop page. You can subscribe for the newsletter to get notified about the next batch.
Q: I subscribed for the newsletter but never received anything, and now they are sold out again!
A: Some emails are never delivered, as they contain typos or are otherwise invalid. I can fix somedude@gmial.com if it bounces back but not much to do about 1337@catmail.tu for instance. A lot of them surely end up in your spam folder or under "promotions" tab - please check there from time to time. Also, it helps to use something else than Hotmail, their servers notoriously block our automated emails.
Q: Can I reserve one?
Q: Can I pay now and have it shipped when ready?
A: Unfortunately I do not have capacity to manage reservations, and holding to your money for too long time complicates our accounting & VAT returns.
Models:
Q: I am not sure which model is this.
A: There are two models, v1 from year 2016 (check the legacy shop to see how it looks) and v2 from 2019 (check the new shop). As 2nd hand units, both may be available in various enclosures (or without one), either built by us or by someone else from a DIY kit with varying level of success. Colour of the circuit board, or top panel (if any), may vary too, but the picture below lists features by which they can be told apart reliably. We are happy to provide support and repair for 2nd hand units by individual agreement.
Troubleshooting:
Q: I've pressed a few buttons and it does not work anymore, after power on there is only one blue LED glowing.
A: Try to key in 4321-SET after powering on, chances are that a persistent setting has been triggered that blocks normal operation. Also (this applies to v1 model), if you are powering the unit from USB, make sure the PWR switch is at ON position before plugging in the cable (as explained here in "Powering On" paragraph).
Q: I am getting a lot of interference / hiss / buzzing from the line input.
A: Try to disable AGC, it may amplify the signal to unnecessarily high level and produce interference even if there is no signal at input, check the "Input Levels" paragraph in the manual. It often helps to lower the sensitivity at Gecho side and raise volume at the other device's output. Also, depending on what is on the other side and how are both devices powered, a small but effective gizmo called "mpow ground loop noise isolator" helps a lot. I cannot recommend any particular seller to buy from but it's easy to Google it up.
Q: I am getting a lot of hiss / noise when recording output from Gecho to another device, surprisingly it is not audible in the headphones at all.
A: Yes this is a common issue with digital recorders (e.g. my Tascam-DR40 does this too). It helps to lower the sensitivity at the recorder's side and raise output volume in Gecho. If you plug your headphones to the recorder's "monitor" output instead of the other Gecho's output, you should hear precisely what is going to be recorded and it will be easy to adjust the levels.
Firmware:
Q: Where to get latest firmware and how to install it?
A: It's easy to do with a SD card - just follow instructions in this article.
SD Card:
Q: Recording does not work, holding SET results in strobing red LEDs. The card should be good, 32GB and is formatted, shows up OK in my PC.
A: Maybe it just isn't inserted well? Please check "Inserting SD Card" in the manual and also this thread.
Q: Is it a requirement to use a micro-SD card for operation?
A: Not at the moment but in future there will appear channels that do not work without it, as they need more temp space or use samples from SD (downloaded or previously recorded material).
Q: Which micro-SD card size, speed, brands are recommended?
A: Branded Class 10 (or U1) SDHC cards work great (for example SanDisk). Maximum supported size is 32GB, as larger (SDXC) cards use a different file system. A non-branded Class 6 may work reasonably well too, apart from an occasional glitch (for example when a block of sectors needs to be erased here and there and it takes longer than expected). Older cards such as 1GB Class 4 are too slow.
Q: It seems it's not included?
A: No it isn't.
AA Batteries:
Q: My unit has 3 slots for batteries, can I use rechargeable batteries?
A: You have the most common model which runs on three AA batteries. You can use rechargeable AA batteries (Ni-Cd, Ni-Mh, Ni-Zn) but they will not be charged inside the device when plugged to USB (as it does not "know" what batteries were installed or if they are rechargeable at all). You need to take them out and charge in a dedicated charger.
Q: My unit has only one position for AA battery, not sure what to do.
A: You have a model that runs on a rechargeable 14500 Li-Ion cell instead (see below).
Li-Po Cell:
Q: What kind of Li-Po should I install?
A: Any 3.7V will do, ideally 1000-1200mAh. Even 800mAh is enough, Gecho's power consumption varies between 70-110mA, that should give you 6-7 hours of play. Just make sure the cell has built-in protective circuit as shown at the end of this article, and follow precautions in the assembly guides (please ensure that you are looking at v2 model guides, for example this one concerning the "acrylic sandwich" version).
Q: Where can I get such battery?
A: I got mine from eBay but cannot recommend any particular seller as the consistency / quality of what is arriving varies - and these things are a potential fire hazard. You should have no problem finding a suitable one in Sparkfun, Adafruit, Conrad... Or a R/C model shop if you have one nearby.
14500 Cell:
Q: How many 14500 batteries does it need?
A: Just one. However if you need to ask this question, chance is that your unit is not compatible with 14500 (because it has 3 positions for standard AA instead of 1). We stopped making the model with 14500 support in late 2019. If you bought it 2nd hand and you're not sure, please email us.
Q: My unit has a holder for a single 1.5V AA battery...
A: Yes the 14500 lithium-ion battery looks exactly the same as AA, but works at 3.7-4.2V. The 14500 refers to dimension (14 x 50mm), there are also larger and smaller form factors of the 3.7V li-ion cells (e.g. 18650 or 10440).
CAUTION: Do not confuse rechargeable Li-Ion with non-rechargeable "primary lithium batteries" with Li-SOCl2 chemistry that work at similar voltage (e.g. 3.6V), such as Xeno Energy XL‑060F or SAFT LS14500. The unit will power up but attempt to charge such non-rechargeable cell can be very dangerous.
Q: The cover panel mentions that protection circuitry needs to be in place if a rechargeable battery is used. Can I be sure that this is in place? Is there anything I need to do? I don’t want to blow up this beautiful unit! :-)
A: The protection circuit is already installed, if you peek sideways from the slot you can see the wires going up and then later down to the board, the circuit is at the other side of the bottom panel. So it will be safe with any battery whether it does or doesn't have its own protection. The stored energy in such cell is minimal in compare to some other common rechargeable devices and the enclosure is made of flame-retardant material but just in case, don't leave it charging unattended e.g. while you're away from home (that's a good rule to follow for every electronics device anyway).
Shipping:
Please note this information is outdated as the shipping currently does not work well to all countries.
Q: Do you ship to [a country]? How much is the cost with shipping?
Q: How long to ship to [a country]?
Q: Is shipping included in the price?
A: Worldwide shipping starts from 20 Euros depending on parcel weight, our post office is cool (but it does not mean it ships everywhere - see the next question). You can check estimated delivery times for some countries. So far Gechos found their new home in: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. Hoping to add new destinations to the list! :)
Q: Would they be available in [a country]?
A: As long as it is not blacklisted, yes. It's illegal to ship Gechos into some countries as the CPU is powerful enough to drive an ICBM.
A: They arrive from Ireland, and Europe is no problem - no customs, and very quick.
Q: Whats the price with shipping to the [country] in [our local currency]?
A: Our website only accepts payments in Euros (enabling other currencies brings a whole lot of technical issues). The exchange will be carried out by your credit/debit card issuer, please look up today's rates to get the idea. There might be a processing fee on top of that. If you wish to use bank transfer, we can agree on amount in your currency via e-mail up front.
Customs and taxes:
Q: What would the taxes be for someone buying a kit in the US?
A: Sorry I don't know (neither for any other country). Please check with your local authorities. Parcels are shipped via post office or couriers - sometimes the customs intercept, sometimes they don't.
Q: Can you declare it as "prototype" with a value of 40 USD for customs?
Q: Is it possible to mark the package value under 35 EUR so I don't have to pay so much tax on it?
Q: Can you send it marked as a gift?
A: No. You are asking me to engage in an illegal activity just so you can save a few bucks? I would be risking having the goods seized or even getting banned from shipping to your country again. Please let me know if you prefer to cancel your order.
Distributors:
Q: How soon is availability on Amazon?
Q: Do you have plans for dealers?
A: No plans. It's the same amount of work for me to ship to them as to you directly.
Please note the information below is concerning v1 Gecho (made in 2018 and earlier), however most of it still applies.
Inputs and outputs:
Q: I'd be plugging a [recording device] into the 3.5mm out...
Q: Saw this on BoBeats YouTube channel. Can't wait to sample into my Digitakt!
Q: Do the headphone out's also serve as line out's to be fed into an audio interface, and thus into a DAW for recording and further manipulation/looping/editing?
A: Yes, the outputs are capable of driving low and high impedance loads - from 16-64 Ohm headphones to 10k Ohm line-level inputs.
Q: I want to run my violin through this!
A: Great idea! Never tried it, but if it works with guitar perhaps it will work with violin. The input takes quite a broad range of voltages - from piezoceramic or electromagnetic pickups to line-level sources. Input gain can be controlled digitally.
Q: Do you have a spec on the line input. Like the input sensitivity in dB. Is it mono or stereo line in. Also does the DAC have a frequency response?
A: Input is stereo, with LMV324 pre-amp and it is using MCU's internal ADCs which are 12-bit only (that's why I call it a "lo-fi in, hi-fi out" machine). Op-amp's gain is controlled by two 1M trimmers, and out of the factory set to the middle of the range. Not sure about how to express this in dB to be honest, haven't done necessary calculations yet. The DAC is CS43L22, same as on STM32F4 Discovery boards, but I am thinking of replacing it with TLV320AIC3104 in the upgraded version, so we can have 16-bit inputs and proper line-in (already tested it on some of the prototypes and it works very well). More info about architecture and also the schematic is here. The DAC is running at 22.050kHz in most channels (a trade-off between sampling rate and polyphony), but can go up to 96kHz. New DAC will have the same range. You can find details about the frequency response in linked datasheets.
DIY and MIDI:
Q: Is there any manual of how to solder it?
A: Sure, it's here and also check out the rest of the resources.
Q: Would adding MIDI be a complicated deal (have no experience in electronics)?
A: It requires assembling some 0603 SMD components and an IC. They are at the edge of the board, so not many things around to damage, but using a practice board first is a good idea. If you want to get into DIY electronics, this might be a motivating challenge. Otherwise it's better to wait for the next production run that will have MIDI assembled, and probably a 3.5mm connector for break-out cable.
Q: So I would need to hack for midiout?
A: Current version - yes, the guide is here.
Q: These are very cool looking kits, and I would love the chance to assemble and play with one!
A: Cool! That's why I am not giving up supplying DIY kits, although they don't make too much sense economically (it takes almost the same time to pack them as to mount, and often they are even harder to program and test).
Q: Are all the components added in the #3 kit, or do I still have to scramble some parts from an electronics dealer?
A: Recently these kits were packed with absolutely everything necessary, but not updating website just yet in case there won't be time to do this in future. The remaining components are only required in very small quantities and you should have no problem finding them in a universal SMD kit from eBay. It's a good thing to have at hand anyway.
Q: Any tutorial video for the master kit? And an compereson video what is included what is not...
A: Sorry, none at the moment. Master kit can take days to weeks to complete, plus there are various ways how to solder it (not only for passive components but those finer IC packages too). I am in no way expert to teach you the best practices, there is plenty of great videos on Youtube.
Q: How can i buy it with the midi connections already on and no box?
A: Next batch will definitely have MIDI assembled straight out of the factory (no way I am soldering one more damn opto-coupler :) The no-box option will be available too. Currently it isn't as equal number of boxes and boards were made, but in future we can plan this according to actual demand.
Q: How do I also order the midi bits? (Planning to order the adept kit)
A: As long as "adept" kits last, MIDI bits can be added in the order form (SMD elements and a pair of DIN5 connectors, hope you can source the wires for cables easily, also decide what kind of "break-out" connectors works best for you).
Portability:
Q: Saw the BoBeats video. It looks like a great go anywhere device. I would love to get one.
Q: I really into the portability of musical devices and this has my mind firing on all cylinders.
Q: I love to play outdoors with a battery powered speaker.
A: Yes it is great to take it outdoors, it works best in not too loud areas (unless you plug a good noise cancelling headphones). Forest with birds is probably most interesting. Plugging into a loudspeaker will cause feedback loop, but after some experimenting owners were able to set it up to their satisfaction.
Pre-orders:
Q: I'd be glad to pay a deposit.
Q: How can I preorder this piece of insanity?
Q: It looks really cool, and I'm sad I missed the Kickstarter!
Q: I'm excited to order one and be a part of your exploration into sound!
Q: No questions im just super hyped about this
A: Great! There might be another Kickstarter, or pre-orders on the website. Working on it! :)
Features:
Q: Will there be new versions with additional features?
A: Software versions - adding bits and pieces all the time, updates are released at random but usually every 2-3 months. Hardware is evolving too, I have some prototypes under construction - but more on that later ;)
Q: Could tell me the difference between the used wood for the sound ?
A: There is no difference. It's actually the same wood, just finish or paint is different.
Q: Are you working on a product that can be controlled via bluetooth keyboard?
A: Not right now, only the good wavelengths are allowed in Gecho ;) One of the prototypes uses ESP32 which has BT and WiFi peripheral; however, FCC / CE certification of such device is a lot more expensive than if it is just an "unintentional radiator". We could build such synth and leave those features unimplemented, so you can hack it and make it work the way you want. I felt that wireless is not really useful here, but might be cool for a DIY project.
Q: will there be a Mac app to do the firmware update?
Q: Is the Mac compatibility planned this year ?
A: Unfortunately I can't promise anything right now because I am not familiar the platform - it is one of the very few things that is not in my power to do in the scope of this project, so it needs to be outsourced. If the user base grows and there is funds for it, then by all means - support for other platforms (Mac and Linux) will happen. For now, Mac users have been successfully updating the firmware using Gecho app in Windows running in a virtual machine, also there is a way how to do it with a Python script. Hope this works for you.
Other:
Q: Are YOU a human or a robot?
A: I'm a lizard-person.
Q: What should I do for a living when I grow up?
A: You should become a hardware engineer. But only if you can grow up quickly. Machines will obsoletize us soon. But we need to build them first. That could be your job.
A: I'm sure it can put you into an alpha state or such. Prolonged use also causes auditory hallucinations, significant loss of time and elevated mood for no apparent reason. Quite like a dream.
Q: Have fun with building new devices.
A: All the time! :)
Q: I need one, please make more
Q: Please make them quicker :)
Q: Please email me when more units are available
Q: I want one they sound immense
Q: Please make more like Doritos!
A: Working on it! As for emailing, will do on regular basis. However, Internet overlords haven't yet acknowledged this website for a legitimate source of emails - if you don't receive anything in a while, maybe peek into the "spam" folder.
A: Yay! This one turned out very well. But every time I add a new channel, it feels like it's more fun than all existing ones.
A: LOADZ FUN. KTHXBYE!
Captcha: Obviously a robot phshh, who isn't??
A: Totally! We are all Cylons after all...
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