Post your questions, opinions and reviews of the MPC1000. This forum is for discussion of the OFFICIAL Akai OS (2.1). If you wish to discuss the JJ OS, please use the dedicated JJ OS forum
By elmacaco Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:59 pm
I just replaced my Blue MPC's tact switches after doing the deoxit trick to fix some of the less responsive ones, but I felt like doing a little more after reading the better feel of the higher quality buttons.

I got the Omron B3F-1020 for the small tact switches, I got the wrong ones for the Play Record stop Play Start Overdub and Tap Tempo buttons, the right ones are coming now (Model B3W-4000 for the big ones).

Man, I can't believe how nice these buttons feel, less clacky, makes me feel more connected to the machine, they respond faster (less pressure needed to trigger I guess.). If anyone is thinking about it I can highly recommend it. The older buttons didn't bother me, but now it is so smooth.
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By ThobRom Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:55 am
That sounds beautiful man.
I wish I had the confidence to start soldering away on my circuit boards.
(Not with my party-joke luck.)

My switches were a little stiff when I got my machine, I blopped em with sewing oil and now they're better then they were.
But man these butter ones your describing sound amazing.
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By sciguy Sat Feb 15, 2014 2:47 pm
New switches definitely changes the feel of the machine. Much smoother, and orders of magnitude more durable. I did all of mine a while back, except the play/stop/rec buttons, which are a different type of switch, and never felt as bad as the other tact switches.
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By bliprock Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:15 pm
I put bicycle tire inner tube rubber in-between the tact switch and button, so feels pro compared to normal. Will have to try those other tact switches though soon
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By medearis Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:02 pm
@Blip - That is a f*cking awesome idea. Think I may give that a go next time my MPC is open. Thanks!
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By sciguy Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:34 pm
bliprock wrote:I put bicycle tire inner tube rubber in-between the tact switch and button, so feels pro compared to normal. Will have to try those other tact switches though soon


I bet the better switches make the rubber layer unnecessary. (never tried it though, the proper Omron/alps switches feel good enough for me)
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By ThobRom Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:13 pm
bliprock wrote:I put bicycle tire inner tube rubber in-between the tact switch and button, so feels pro compared to normal. Will have to try those other tact switches though soon


That sounds intriguing, affordable and low risk.

Can you describe this in a little more detail?
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By ThobRom Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:58 pm
What do you do?
Cut a little square?
How do you anchor it in place?

I suppose I could just get in there and futz around but it seems like it would be easier to just do what other people do.
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By bliprock Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:51 am
Im trying to dig up photos but fear they are on my old iMac hard drive that died :|
I have mentioned it on my Facebook and some peeps i kinda know around town have also liked it to. It feels amazing, like a whole new level of switch. I love the feel of it and was blown away about how they feel. Hard to describe really, but if you do it you will feel it to and won't want to go back to old set up.
At your own risk of course, but I will explain and yes as Thobrom has it pretty much.
Get a thin rubber inner tube, though I did it first with whats called a thorn proof and this was too thick and made putting on the case a bit problematic.
I cut out little squares to cover tact switch and glue them to the plastic button, not tact switch. I used super glue and placed the rubber on the buttons where they contact the tact switch. Let it dry first though. Don't want to glue your MPC tact switches or PCB.
then after they dried I put it back together and go wow.
Its simple, its cheap, and I believe it mitigates the blow that the switches get from pushing the button into them. It spreads the pressure evenly I think. So to me, it really makes the switch last longer to as it protects them from the inherent bad design of the buttons contact surface area which to me seems to be the cause of failure. well that and they are cheap ones with a low cycle rating.
Good luck. I will call it the blip rock tact switch fix lol, send me 200 bucks and i will do it for you to hahaha
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By ThobRom Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:27 pm
Awesome.
I'm gonna try that.

It does sound like it would not only feel more satisfying but also better for the switch then banging the plastic button against it.

Thanks for the heads up guys.