Fat Pads

poundaproblem wrote:I am a certified tact switch technician now lololol. I finally got fed up and changed them all. Its a shame that on a machine that is designed to get pounded on continuously, would be shipped with mediocre components.


But I still love my 1k lol.

Yeah, i'm glad I moved back into the MPC fold after a few years in the 100% software wilderness. Feels good.

I haven't even used a soldering iron since '96 though, so hopefully I'll be able to pick it back up ok... Actually, I'm surprised MPC Stuff don't have a $300 tact switch replacement kit with a soldering iron and their logo on a bit of sponge!

Jungleman wrote:Try cleaning them first, before more drastic measures. There's been some discussions on the subject.

I'll definitely look at deoxit before I start trashing my MP!


So far it's only one of the bar buttons, but it's annoying because it doubles up as a zoom in button in trim.

Someone posted some tact switches that were a lot more heavy duty on here at one point. Anyone know the ones I'm talking about? If I can find em, I'll just replace all mine with better ones. I don't mind spending a bit more money for what I want. Hell, I've already replaced the old pads before the fix, as well as after... Speaking of spending, and bringing this sucker back on topic: Would it work to get two orders of the fat pads and slice them down the middle? You wouldn't have to attach them in any way... Might work.

Ok im looking real hard at the pics and I cant even see the logo. It must be very small and hard to see, I dont see why having a tiny logo is bad anyways if its so unoticable, most brand name products have a logo on them unless youre shopping in china town.

anyways the real question is not the looks but the feel, my stock pads feel great already like an mpc should, is there any reason to switch to thicker pads? do they give a quicker response? better sensitivity? or is it all looks and the soft feel for heavy fingers out there? I'm not convinced at all yet, someone convince me

I just got a chance to play with the ones I put in my 1000, fantastic. MPC Stuff has outdone themselves with these. I've always felt my 2000XL had the best sensitivity of the MPC's I have (also 2500,4000) and the sensitivity I'm getting off the Fat Pads is identical to my 2000XL, heavenly! So far no trouble with double triggers, wrong pad triggers and the like, but I didn't go too crazy on them yet. It's literally a different machine now. I'd say for 1000 users these are as essential as the Akai padfix kit. Not feeling the logo, but that's the only negative for me. I really don't even notice it, but like others here I'm irked at principle of it.

^^^ thats what im saying!! i got em for my mpd32 and it now feels sooo nice. there is no logo on the mpd pads, thank god!!!

inflict3 wrote:^^^ thats what im saying!! i got em for my mpd32 and it now feels sooo nice. there is no logo on the mpd pads, thank god!!!

No doubt man. I put a set in my MPD 32 myself, I was pretty impressed too. Far superior the sticker fix I used previously. On 1000's and MPD's these joints are a must.

Would it be possible to scrape off the logo letters with a knife?

I have them for my 2K classic and the logo it is not in the pads them self, the logo it is in the thin part of the pad sheet, and that part going under the case so actually after you install them you are not going to see the logo anymore... IDK how it is in the 1K but I don't think they would put the logo in to the pads... should be just like the ones that I have...

Edited: I just Zoom in in to the pics that mpcstuff have in there and I noticed the logo, it is on PAD 16, in the bottom of the pad... that shit doesn't bother me at all but they should not do that shit... anyways... like I said, in the 2K classic the logo it is not there... it goes under the case after you install them so you never look at the logo after you put the case back...

Nym wrote:regarding tact switch sale markups, here's something i learned -

ya gotta make a buck, and you gotta charge more the more work 1 man puts in....mpc-stuff is 1 dude and he got his parts from AKAI, not from (much, much cheaper) 3rd party sources. those parts are $$, even to distributors like VST and MPC-stuff.

corx - while the "gap fix" is easily imitated at home, some folks don't have the DIY blood to do the silicone gap fix, record cardboard gap fix, etc. pad corx are the ONLY commercial option available for these people. in my opinion, you SHOULD have to pay a little premium to compensate for your lack of ability in this case - you're paying for the idea almost, which is totally cool. and i say that having been probably the first to do any "gap fix" at all

lastly, a thought i had on the logo.
how many of you are, right now, wearing clothing with some company's logo on it?
how many of your products still prominently and proudly display their logos, or a little apple symbol?
this is not a hosedown but more of a sobering look at how much advertising we are inadvertently and unintentionally doing for other people. if you do a cool thing and you're wearing a Nike shirt, Nike gets a little vicarious coolness. IMO that's not right but it is business and you can't knock it.

now, if the pads are thicker AND softer AND have a built in gap fix, they are scientifically and inarguably going to be better for finger drumming than the thinner, harder pads. this is physics, and it makes you wonder who the helllllll picked the rubber type for the AKAI pads. softer rubber is not really more expensive in my experience.

making/contracting a rubber mold is a lot of hard work. props for getting this done mike

I like the fact that I can buy parts from them instead of "well.....we will have to take a look at it, charge you for that, the part, and then any other labor and "things" we find wrong". I would rather pay a small mark up and support a great service to the mpc community than ship my machine out, wait 2 weeks, pay at least $300 for something stupid, when I could have paid half for a slightly marked up part and just done the work myself. Also, you should be buying the pads for the purpose that they serve. No one but me(and an occasional friend who doesn't care) see's my MPC anyways, so why does it matter what it looks like? I would rather have good pads that improve the feel of the machine than give some other dude an e-boner because of a better looking boner. All I'm trying to say is, in my opinion, it really does not matter.