PADS WEARING OUT???? HERE'S A SOLUTION

granted wrote:Akai must offer the "entire" pad assembly as replacement part. The entire assembly seems only to be connected by a power and data cable. It seems like a perfect part to be replaced as a "whole" not just a pad at a time. Does anyone know if the entire assembly is a replaceable part?

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=38639
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=38986

Thank you for those links. I've read those posts before.
I'm not looking for a "call VST" answer. I'm really just looking for a part number or a freakin' service manual.
There has got to be a service manual in PDF format for this thing.
Someone POST a link to a PDF service manual. (no, not the user manual.)

Yea its like those clamp/hinges that used on some mixers for the X-fader after 4 repairs the clamp/hinges break ,,

got my thermal grease in the mail

and i must say this is MUCH more difficult than it initially sounds like. everything went fine UINTIL i had to bend back the black grips which hold the pads to the pad frame. enigma, how do you get it to grip the frame like it did before? no matter how hard i tried, mine will constantly jiggle as i can't bend it perfectly back to its former shape.

however, the pad works better now - a lot of double triggering, but better. i'm still gonna order a new one from vst but this was a good experiment.

any ideas?

correction - when i posted that i had not put my mpc all the way back together and tightened all the screws

when you do so, it negates not being able to pinch the pad clamps back down with machine precision.

having done so, my mpc is now as enigma had stated - damn near new.

this is definitely a tedious process, and a scary one. pulling wires from my mpc was frightening. although i am a good guy with computers and built my daw from a dell shell, it still scared me.

however, the end result is definitely worth it.

the issue i saw was not that my graphite pad had worn down, but that it had actually MOVED from the center of the pad. the saudering glue they had used had lost its grip and the graphite had slid off, hence the pad triggering poorly/only on one side of the pad.

So how did you glue the graphite square back in place?

didn't really glue it, just applied thermal grease and stuck it there

Well I repaired my pads 1 and 2 with this stuff:
CircuitWorks Rubber Keypad Repair Kit (thanks for the info Spiral!)

If you void your warranty or screw up your MPC1K don't blame me it's your fault not mine. You have been warned.

1. It was a pain in the a$$.
2. When the instructions say it takes 24 hours to dry then it takes 24 hours to dry!
3. It was worth the tension and stress.

I only did the repair because I called VST and it seemed pretty
easy to just buy some new pads ($16 each) if I messed them up so I figured what the heck.

I chickened out on my first attempt because the little black tabs looked fragile but I figured if Antonym could do it so could I!
At first I thought I destroyed my pads but it turned out I didn't let the Keypad repair gloop listed above enough time to dry! After a solid 24 hours my pads really are just like new!

Even if you buy new pads you still have to take some of your MPC1k apart. If you are not the kind of person who likes to take things apart and be happy even if you break or destroy something then don't bother and have a shop fix the pads.

*NOTE: The repair gloop was listed as HAZMAT and only ships ground.

I just wanted to post that i found another source for the button repair kit, just in case you are having issues ordering it, or if the price is more elsewhere.
http://www.web-tronics.com/rukerekitc.html

If you are spending the time to disassemble each pad, to me it makes sense to use the actual contact material which will last AT LEAST 500,000 presses vs. a thermal grease which has no known longevity and may in fact get squeezed off the pad with each press, have detrimental effect on the traces, or may get deposited on the traces and create a constant contact. Arctic silver has silver and other metal bits suspended in oils. While the silver does create a contact, it may also ooze onto the contacts.

The circuit works kit is basically a carbon paint which dries to a flexible coating which will last a very long time when painted over the worn carbon pad.

If anyone else has pics of the surgery i'd love to see them.