MPC3000 DIY Repair and Service

Hello,

As you know I have just bought an MPC3000LE on eBay, sold as 'spares or repair'

Using this forum and other sources of information I am servicing it with a view to using it myself. I thought it might be of some use if I documented my experience, so that others could learn from it.

Please let me know if this is useful.

Background.

Sold as not working, for spares or repair. Here's the picture off eBay:



I collected it, and was obviously keen to try it out so I took it to a session I was running with some young musicians that afternoon. I arrived early and managed to get it working within 20 minutes. Had no disks, so had to test using a mic to record in sounds. Worked well enough for us to base the session around it for 2 hours, but the buttons were very sticky, the unit dirty and the pads horribly sticky - unpleasant even.

OS 3.11

Haven't yet worked out the Ram in it - can someone please tell me how to check this from the operating system? - Can see 2 chips and the original board inside.

First approach was to strip, clean and rebuild it. In the process I intended to do the 'electrical tape' mod to the pads (is this correct - a way to improve sensitivity by compensating for wear on pads I believe?), clean pad sensors and clean all switches in the hope that they might improve - possibly avoiding replacing the tact switches.

MPC in pieces:



Pads drying after a good scrub with an old childs toothbrush using washing up liquid - then rinsed thoroughly. The brush head was black with grime afterwards.



Underside



Some of the buttons drying, again having been scrubbed with a toothbrush in mild detergent and rinsed



Case drying



Encoder, and VERY worn encoder knob



Nice clean sensors - used switch cleaner



Clean boards, all tact switches cleaned with switch cleaner



My 6 year old daughter helping to put it back together (believe it or not she loves doing this, and helped throughout. Has a real knack for this, and music tech.)

Re-assembled, this is what she looks like presently:



Status report:

On first impressions the pads seem better for the electrical tape. Full velocity is achievable without having to hit too hard.

Screen - I think I need to replace the backlight, as the display is a little dim.

Switches - they've had it. The cleaner has stopped them from being sticky, but they are worn out. All functions work, but some switches need quite a bit of persuading to work at all. So next is another strip rebuild to address this. I have researched this on this site and others, and, not wanted to buy 'MPC parts' as they are so expensive, I am trying to source OEM tact switches. It seems to me that the links I have found (can't find them right now) for the mouser switches are no longer available. Just ordered a couple of TS-044 switches off eBay to try http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/22124979 ... 108&ff19=0 If these work I can get 100 for £4

If anyone has any guidance on better or different switches I would be very grateful.

Also any help with the right screen backlight to get, at the moment I am considering this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REPLACEMENT-B ... 338d60c151

Ok - that's it for now. More when I have parts and am ready to dive in again...

It tells u the RAM on bootup and in OTHER -> INFO.

Well done with the maintenance.

Here's a couple of MPC3000's that I repaired, fixed up and added new pad sensors, all new tact switches, Vailixi, an internal SCSI Compact Flash card reader, max RAM and a new backlight.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 583&type=3



I managed to get the original ALPS tacts but I'm sure there are Omrons out there that are just as good or better.

Saint_Baz is a fella local to me. Top bloke and knows his backlights so yes, good choice.

I also bought a new rotary encoder from mpc stuff but it turns out that I fixed the old one with some alcohol and then some switch lubricant.

Also, I prefer the action of the old, original pad sensors to the new mpcstuff ones.
The original pad sensors have a better dynamic range. You have to hit them harder for the higher velocities, whereas the new sensors... you just have to breathe on them and you're at full velocity. I hate that. I want to be able to hit my pads normally for full velocity, not tap them lightly.
I've kept the original pad sensors in my own personal MPC3000 for this reason, but I'm sure there are people out there that like the 'light-touch' sensors too.

Also, a tip; check the solder under the capacitors in the power supply and add a bit of fresh solder to them. I had dry joints on one capacitor in one of mine that caused the Mute Relay to sometimes not work on power-up, which meant that the audio wasn't switched-in. It would work fine for a week or so, then suddenly my audio wouldn't work one day... then it'd work again for a while! Glad when I finally fixed that issue.

Thanks Jimmie! That's something to aspire to...

Still struggling with the ram, looking in both those places and not seeing a figure, only free seq memory.

I'll see how I get on with the pads then, I can always take the tape off.

Switches? Spec seems fairly standard, the problem is getting the two wire versions. I'll report back on these eBay ones when they arrive. And I'll grab that backlight.

Thanks for the detailed response.

G

Oh, and I'll def add some solder to the capacitors on the power board!

triggerfinger wrote:Oh, and I'll def add some solder to the capacitors on the power board!

I don't know what ur soldering expertise is, it might be top notch, but yeah, just be quick and neat... keep ur iron clean and don't overheat the pcb and lift tracks.
Use lead solder if u can because it has a lower melting temperature.

Ok re: RAM I think this is me sorted: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12032&p=75802&hilit=ram+amount+check

Using the sample time method i reckon I have about 10mb RAM - I'll be upgrading that too then!

jimmie wrote:I don't know what ur soldering expertise is, it might be top notch, but yeah, just be quick and neat... keep ur iron clean and don't overheat the pcb and lift tracks.
Use lead solder if u can because it has a lower melting temperature.

'Improving' would probably sum it up Thanks for the support! I have a temp controlled iron, any suggestion on temperature? I normally solder at about 330 Celsius if memory serves.

triggerfinger wrote:
Switches? Spec seems fairly standard, the problem is getting the two wire versions. I'll report back on these eBay ones when they arrive. And I'll grab that backlight.

I've used Omron B3F-6022 switches which are available at Mouser and other electronics suppliers. If you buy them in bulk they are very reasonably priced and probably a better quality than their Chinese counterparts.

MPCHunter wrote: I've used Omron B3F-6022 switches which are available at Mouser and other electronics suppliers. If you buy them in bulk they are very reasonably priced and probably a better quality than their Chinese counterparts.

Amazing, thanks so much, these are perfect.

jimmie wrote:It tells u the RAM on bootup and in OTHER -> INFO.

Well done with the maintenance.

Here's a couple of MPC3000's that I repaired, fixed up and added new pad sensors, all new tact switches, Vailixi, an internal SCSI Compact Flash card reader, max RAM and a new backlight.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 583&type=3



I managed to get the original ALPS tacts but I'm sure there are Omrons out there that are just as good or better.

Saint_Baz is a fella local to me. Top bloke and knows his backlights so yes, good choice.

I also bought a new rotary encoder from mpc stuff but it turns out that I fixed the old one with some alcohol and then some switch lubricant.

Also, I prefer the action of the old, original pad sensors to the new mpcstuff ones.
The original pad sensors have a better dynamic range. You have to hit them harder for the higher velocities, whereas the new sensors... you just have to breathe on them and you're at full velocity. I hate that. I want to be able to hit my pads normally for full velocity, not tap them lightly.
I've kept the original pad sensors in my own personal MPC3000 for this reason, but I'm sure there are people out there that like the 'light-touch' sensors too.

Also, a tip; check the solder under the capacitors in the power supply and add a bit of fresh solder to them. I had dry joints on one capacitor in one of mine that caused the Mute Relay to sometimes not work on power-up, which meant that the audio wasn't switched-in. It would work fine for a week or so, then suddenly my audio wouldn't work one day... then it'd work again for a while! Glad when I finally fixed that issue.

The 3000le is what everyone loves, but I think I would take a Clean
OG 3000 Like that one over the LE any day! Nice work!

Yes that is a VERY nice MPC...

Hello again!

Firstly apologies for being missing for a year. 2 small children and some very large work projects have taken over my life somewhat.

Anyway good news is that I have just (today - as in right this second) completed the refurb. The tact switch swap out is amazing - took about 5 hours I would say in total (strip MPC, desolder old switches and solder in new ones) - I used the Omron B3F-6022 switches as listed above. So far looks like they all work first time.

32mb ram installed too. Also new backlight.

I am now just hooking it up with a small rack for a completely 'non-computer' sequencing setup. Well tracking to computer as I don't have space for a desk, but as near as I can get.

Thanks again to all who have helped me, it is much appreciated.

Now to bed - and soon some beats