Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
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By Coz Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:23 am
Bomber4000 wrote:So hence my question, will the usb keyboard allow you to take control of the jogwheel aswell or just the up,down,right and left cursor keys (that are surrounding the jog wheel) ?



I haven't got an additional numeric keypad on mine where I believe the page up and down buttons act as the Block Cursor. So it essentially controls the letters (naming and jumping between Modes), Cursor and F Keys. No Jog Wheel control as far as I know, although you can use F12 as the Window key to change the different values. It's in Sample Trim where editing waveforms would be painful without a working Jog.
By Bomber4000 Sat Oct 26, 2013 7:46 pm
EXTRA EXTRA ... READ ALL ABOUT IT !! :popcorn:

I hooked up a keyboard and you CAN replace the encoder.
With the '-' (minus) and '+' (plus) on the keypad you can scroll through the options. :-D

As you already know all the menus have shortcuts too and the cursor keys are also cloned by the keyboard cursorkeys and ofcourse the Function keys like F1 F2 F3, etc.

So, you can pretty much control the MPC with the keyboard.

Especially for people with a wonky jog encoder can get by with just a keyboard and compensate for normally all the downtime you would have before the MPC is fixed.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
By Bomber4000 Mon Nov 25, 2013 7:26 pm
ANYBODY in Europe selling these Rotary encoders ?
Obtaining stuff from the USA is getting harder each year with shipping prices going through the roof (i can tell, i have been on Ebay since 1998 and have shipped half a house the past decade).

They end end up costing another $50 just for shipping and import taxes which is kinda crazy.

Anybody ?
By Bomber4000 Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:20 pm
Update:

I obtained an encoder and today i had the nerve to replace it.
Opened up the 4K and that went pretty good actually. I then detached the encoder assembly and i was surprised of what i saw. :hmmm:


Image

Image

Image

As you can see this butchered encoder isn't from the factory. :?
It was grinded down to fit the encoder wheel and lots of welding going on eventhough 3 actual connections are made to the encoder itself.

The new replacement encoder has 6 pins

Image

The question: Who can show me the actual factory assembly with the printboard that shows how the connections actually run ?
It's obvious that not all the pins are connected as the wiring harness only uses 4 wires.
Most likely only 3 actual connections are needed.

Anybody know where i could find technical data on the encoder as to what each pin does ?

EDIT: also, my old broken encoder (with all the soldering and resistors) has a pressing action that was not stock, eventhough at first i thought it was.
That was very confusing when i first got the 4K.

Any help is welcome as i'd like to put this baby back in 1 piece and finally start using the 4K with a working encoder :mrgreen:
Last edited by Bomber4000 on Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By MPC-Tutor Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:51 pm
Bomber4000 wrote:As you can see this butchered encoder isn't from the factory. :?
It was grinded down to fit the encoder wheel and lots of welding going on eventhough 3 actual connections are made to the encoder itself.
also, my encoder has a pressing action that was not stock, eventhough at first i thought it was.


Did you get the encoder from MPCStuff? To my knowledge, Mike has done nothing to the encoders he ordered, they are 'as is' from the factory and the exact same spec as the original encoder from the MPC4000 service manual. Pretty sure mine didn't have any pressing action either.
By Bomber4000 Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:07 pm
Didn't get it from Mike.

The old (butchered) encoder had a pressing action, not the fresh one i currently have waiting with the 6 pins.

Could you supply me with a High Quality picture of that one picture on page 4 where a hand is shown holding the encoder assembly.
If i have a high resolution picture i can simply retrace what pin goes to what wire by following the lines on the PCB.
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:37 pm
No idea if this information is the same for the encoder you have.


This is the encoder pinout from the MPC4000 Service Manual...

Image


The datasheet for the encoder part number, as shown in the Service Manual, is here...

http://www.inter-elink.com/Pic/File/REC16&RES16.PDF


In the MPC4000 Service Manual, as in the image above, the part number for the encoder is for a non-switched version of the encoder, but the pins for the switch are still there and are not connected.

A compatible encoder that does include the switch could possibly be used, for a backlight on/off switch, if the MPC4000 doesn't already have one?
Last edited by SimonInAustralia on Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:39 pm, edited 5 times in total.
By Bomber4000 Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:51 pm
Your a lifesaver Simon ! 8)

It just confirms the scheme i saw at Allied electronics:

Image


Most likely i will solder them on tomorrow and report back.
If this works i will make a Plug and play solution for once and for all for all 4K users that have illworking encoders in the future.

Keep yáll posted.
By dustymaestro Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:01 pm
What keyboard are you using?

Bomber4000 wrote:EXTRA EXTRA ... READ ALL ABOUT IT !! :popcorn:

I hooked up a keyboard and you CAN replace the encoder.
With the '-' (minus) and '+' (plus) on the keypad you can scroll through the options. :-D

As you already know all the menus have shortcuts too and the cursor keys are also cloned by the keyboard cursorkeys and ofcourse the Function keys like F1 F2 F3, etc.

So, you can pretty much control the MPC with the keyboard.

Especially for people with a wonky jog encoder can get by with just a keyboard and compensate for normally all the downtime you would have before the MPC is fixed.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:





After you get the encoder fixed youll be good. :nod:

I tried installing ram on mine, it only showed 16 mg. I tried putting back the old ram it still only showed 16 mg. Pffff, I sent it to the shop. It cost me 200 bucks. :Sigh: