Calm down, after close inspection it turns this isn't an LED backlight. It's an EL just like the one that it came with
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/331275852023?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/161209107330?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649I read "LED alternative for Akai sampler" as this being an LED alternative to EL. Turns out they mean using EL as an alternative for LED. Which is weird because I've not come across another LED backlight.
Either way, US$14.43 to replace the backlight and inverter has kept me happy.
It's pretty easy to do. Firstly, I removed the cable from the power supply to the existing inverter. I used my multimeter to confirm that the cable with the red lines on it is negative and the other is positive.
I cut the cable, soldered the new cable from the new inverter and used a little heat shrink to protect it.
The backlight plugs directly into the inverter.
There's a little switch on the side of the inverter which has three positions: off, flash and on.
Unscrew the display PCB
The existing EL slides out nice and easy
Slide in the new one
Screw the PCB back into the housing and my display is nice and bright now