Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By thebeatmaker Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:44 pm
Hello,

I read a lot of message on MPC-Forum.
A lot of people have the same problem and nobody had a solution .

I boot up the MPC and the screen is clearly on but is blank also all the lights are on.

removed ram and hard drive. checked every pushable stuff.
same result : blank screen.
reseated ram : same result.
removed cd drive, same result.
reseated everything back, same result.
I bought a new flex cable for connect the screen . same result

thank you


Charles
By labcoats Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:59 pm
I experienced this with an MPC4k I purchased off Ebay. it arrived like that. I read everything I could find on the subject and tried everything you did but still I got nothing. Eventually I came to the realisation that something had probably happened to the motherboard. I know this is of not help and obviously isnt great news if that is the case because replacement motherboards for the 4k are very difficult to find. In the case of the Ebay one I had it was the exact same thing happening as you describe, except all the lights stayed on until I pressed them and then they went off. A specialist in Akai repairs in the states suggested to me that because that was happening the MB was fried. If yours isnt doing that it might be ok.

The many suggestions out there such as disconnect the hard drive and the CDRW never really made that much sense to me. The Ram one and the replacement flex screen are always worth a try though, but you have already done that.

Im not saying for sure the MB has gone on your machine. I really hope it hasnt and you find a solution.

I do worry about this area with the 4k because of the lack of replacement parts.

good luck
User avatar
By Coz Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:38 am
It seems like the UK ended up with a batch of dodgy 4k's, because I bought one a few months back with a similar problem to what the OP has.


viewtopic.php?f=2&t=149848
By labcoats Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:20 am
Interesting Coz.

I presumed this information Im about to give here was common knowledge, but perhaps its not.

Just before the MPC 4k was released, the communist dictators at the EU in Brussels decreed a particular substance/material which just happened to be used for making electronic components/boards was to be banned with immediate effect. This meant Akai were hurriedly forced to change bits in the 4ks already manufactured destined for Europe. I was informed by a tech at Cimple Solutions in London it was a bit of hurried job and could be the cause of many problems found on 4ks, and i think he mentioned that the Akai fix makes the mobos prone to easily short out. It just struck me just now that ones destined for the US wouldn't have needed to be changed.

its interesting becasue many posts I have read form people with 4k issues from the states usually just have to fiddle with a cable and it springs in to action.
By labcoats Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:39 am
Coz,

I read your thread. You state is P***es you off when you dont know the final results in these type of thread discussions. You havent made a final staetement on what happened in your thread. I'm Peed off :twisted:

Did you ever get that 4k fixed?
Who did you end up sending it to?

Regarding Cimple Solutions. I notice they came in for a hammering on that thread. I dont doubt the MPC60 story but when I was dealing with them about the second broken 4k the guy was pretty good spending time on the phone with me discussing all sorts of stuff and possible causes. But, I never sent it to them so I dont know what would have happened.

DOH!!! :roll:

I see that your thread is just below this one so your obviously still dealing with this. I presumed it was an older thread. So disregard. Im going to post on your Blue 4k thread
By szr Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:10 pm
Shine a flashlight into the LCD.. If it looks like normal besides the backlight being out... then it could a dead inverter.. This was the case in mine, but I measured it with a multimeter while it was running before I ordered the 20$ part from mouser... wouldn't recommend a novice do it as the inverter puts out 900v ac from I think 5v dc source.

My 4K is a white european version, besides the fx unit being f*cked, I got it back to 100% working state. Got it cheap as a fixer up.
By thebeatmaker Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:20 pm
Thank you for your answer,
I come back with good news.
My mpc is repaired.
I contacted a good guy , he's a specialist for repair the mpc.
For this guy, it's a problem with the motherboard's MPC.
the motherboard don't send the informations for the screen.
2 solutions : change the bios of the motherboard >> very difficult, only professional can do it.
or
Change the motherboard

Finally, I bought a motherboard on mpcstuff.
After 2hours for repair , it's long but it's easy for to replace the motherboard .
the screen of my MPC was OK .

Warning, If you upgrade your memory or your hard disk, the flex cable for the screen can remove.
Disconnect all , if you reconnect this cable. beware for the electricity. the electricity can stay on the mpc. wait some time.
By adrian Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:30 pm
labcoats wrote:Interesting Coz.

I presumed this information Im about to give here was common knowledge, but perhaps its not.

Just before the MPC 4k was released, the communist dictators at the EU in Brussels decreed a particular substance/material which just happened to be used for making electronic components/boards was to be banned with immediate effect. This meant Akai were hurriedly forced to change bits in the 4ks already manufactured destined for Europe. I was informed by a tech at Cimple Solutions in London it was a bit of hurried job and could be the cause of many problems found on 4ks, and i think he mentioned that the Akai fix makes the mobos prone to easily short out. It just struck me just now that ones destined for the US wouldn't have needed to be changed.

its interesting becasue many posts I have read form people with 4k issues from the states usually just have to fiddle with a cable and it springs in to action.



The guy at Cimple Solutions gave you total rubbish. All MPC4000 were made the same. In an effort to cut cost AKAI shipped all units without drives or memory upgrades. In the US, we installed drives, memory and did a quality control test on them prior to shipping to customers. Preventing defective units from reaching customers.

Since other countries sold units as is with no drives... defective units made it out to customers.
By labcoats Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:13 pm
thebeatmaker wrote:Thank you for your answer,
I come back with good news.
My mpc is repaired.
I contacted a good guy , he's a specialist for repair the mpc.
For this guy, it's a problem with the motherboard's MPC.
the motherboard don't send the informations for the screen.
2 solutions : change the bios of the motherboard >> very difficult, only professional can do it.
or
Change the motherboard

Finally, I bought a motherboard on mpcstuff.
After 2hours for repair , it's long but it's easy for to replace the motherboard .
the screen of my MPC was OK .

Warning, If you upgrade your memory or your hard disk, the flex cable for the screen can remove.
Disconnect all , if you reconnect this cable. beware for the electricity. the electricity can stay on the mpc. wait some time.


To me thats not good news. It meant your 4k was unrepairable unless you dished out for a new 4k motherboard which are in fact not noew, but come from another MPC4k. As 4ks older, especially Euro models this is going to happen a lot I think and 4k motherboards are a spit away in price difference from a SH working model. Sorry, that's not a result in my book,

BUT OK you got a working 4k which probably doesnt have a Euro motherboard so it should last. With every cloud n all that 8)