The place to share knowledge about upgrades, mods, customisations and all other cool DIY projects for MPCs and other music equipment.
By LZ Roberts Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:40 am
JVC wrote:
Replacing tact switches is a tedious work, but it is worth it! Desoldering is hard part, and this is when people damage PCB board (me included.) I strongly recommend practice de-soldering, before you go on your beloved MPC.

There are many useful online tutorials for soldering and desoldering. Also, tools are important, don't go for cheap tools.
Personally, I prefer not to use lead-free solder, because it doesn't melt and stick well, so it is harder to solder. Use rosin core solder, which is standard solder.

Here's a good tutorial:

https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/106


https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/106

From the thread
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=168602

:-D Excellent Link JVC :-D
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By peeping tom Thu Mar 24, 2016 1:19 am
not to dig up the dead, but this thread was mad handy when fixing tact switches, props to all, especially LZ.
Managed to use all the info and swap two working switches from my Q link pcb and replace my shift and left cursor buttons (deoxit wasnt doing the thing anymore).
Learned to de-solder and solder too.

If anyone is a bit skeptical about it, i grabbed a 25w solder iron and just went for it, wasnt as hard as i had thought.
By michaelkevin Sun Sep 01, 2019 6:10 pm
I JUST HAD A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT ON MY MPC 3000 TACT SWITCHES BY CLEANING THEM WITH De-oxIT

this is the exact de-oxit i ordered off amazon yesterday:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000 ... UTF8&psc=1

I had 4 primary problem switches. One of them had just become effectively dead, as it would only work about 1/15 presses (most of which were very hard, totally inconvenient types of pressing).

For 3 of them, I used the technique you see in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuAfjKWqIhk) , where you press some sort of tube down on the circuit board, over the tact switch, and then spray a LOT of de-oxit into the tube. This effectively immerses the switch in a de-oxit bath. While keeping the tube pressed down so that the de-oxit does not leak out, use a small pen or anything clean to press the switch button up and down a bunch of times. This works deoxit into the switch and seemingly works dust/grime/oxidation/etc out of it.

For one switch (Pad Bank), it was too close an the edge of the circuit board to use this tube/deoxit bath technice, so i just really sprayed it down into the switch from every angle while pressing the switch button up and down.

I tried this yesterday with CRC Electrical Grade QD Contact Cleaner, and it didn't really help at all.

So glad I tried the de-oxit. I literally bought an Elektron Model:Samples last night because with the MPC down I would have needed another sampler for an upcoming performance. I started learning the MS last night but now that the MPC is back up I am SOOOO happy that I can use this beloved instrument rather than learn the MS in a crunch.

I will say, the de-oxit is NOT quick evaporating like the CRC QD Contact Cleaner. Have cotton swabs and paper towels on hand to clean up the mess you'll make on your circuit board.

Now if anyone has found a new way to acquire replacement BUTTONS for the mpc 3000, pleeeease do share.
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By JUKE 179r Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:57 pm
michaelkevin wrote:Now if anyone has found a new way to acquire replacement BUTTONS for the mpc 3000, pleeeease do share.

Actual MPC3000/LE buttons are very hard to find. You can use the smaller buttons from the 2000/XL and 4000. They are a shade lighter and not concave like the 3000 buttons.
I've done it this way on several of my client's 3000 with broken/missing buttons.
By pedro_oliveira1993 Fri May 19, 2023 4:16 pm
I just picked up my golden shovel to dig up this thread.

Doesn't really make sense to start a new one.

Bought a 2500. Perfect condition. Yeah, right.... The switches were dead.

So, deep thank you to all the users who posted here .

Never messed with a soldering iron. Did everything myself and it went perfectly.

Run from MPC Stuff for this. Absolute rip off.

Stay calm, don't be hasty, take your time. There's a bunch of really detailed videos of guys repairing MPC's. Youtube it.

It's way way way easir than it looks!