Using a midi device in place of unresponsive buttons.

Hello, I was hoping I could get some advice, so I'm on a 2500 running jj os2xl. I totally love it but the 2500's buttons are starting to fail me. I read in the manual ( jj os manual ) that you can hook up another midi device and select one of its buttons to operate an mpc function. Is this the case? If so, could anyone recommend a cheap and small midi controller or something? It only needs 5 buttons, it's probably going to be a temp measure until I have the confidence to de solder and solder to fix the switches myself. Thanks!!

do yourself a favor and buy a used Launchpad. 80 buttons to control your MPC.
you can use it to trigger macros, too - midi files to complete multi-step functions in jjos.

launchpad buttons are of the sort that will never fail, too. plus you can customize the lights.

if you're not using a computer and need straight midi, get a small thrift shop keyboard.

+1 on Launchpad, dirt cheap relative to other things out, and if you use software at there's a bunch of other things you can do with it. I'm still thinking of a second one.

If you want faders with recall this is great-



http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BCF2000.aspx

And there's iOS apps that you can get where you could make your own touch control layout if you have an iPad as another option.

Also remember the option of fixing the buttons. MPCs are easy to open up and you could first try Deoxit to clean up the tact switch underneath each problematic button. If that doesn't fix it, consider replacement tact switches (soldering skill required...).

Thanks very much for the quick and good replies!! I'll look into the launchpad for sure and will also look into the deoxit.

Have a good weekend!!

+1 on deoxit! true magic...

Sounds like I best give the deoxit a whirl first ( : I'm Sure there'll be a how to YouTube video out there somewhere.

Thanks again.

Metatron72 wrote:If you want faders with recall this is great-
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BCF2000.aspx

+1! the beauty of the Behringer stuff (bcf/bcr2000 & bcn44) is that they can be used & even programmed without needing a computer around.

I have a BCN44 (4 push encoders, 4 buttons) for my MPC, nice & compact.

Old Evolution (pre m-audio) controllers (UC-17 etc.) are also good for this.

Yeah the UC-33 came up in another thread, and I forgot about those cool little BCN44's. I always liked stuff like that, Faderfoxes were cool too for being so small.

But no doubt on the BCF2000's ability to program all your MIDI stuff on the unit, would be quite easy to just dial in the CC's. Kind of wondering why I'm not doing it right now.

What buttons are you missing?

Transport buttons?

Drum pads?

They have Akai trigger pads that have almost all of the same face buttons.

But honestly,
you've got a 2500 and you dont want to use the buttons?

Sell it and get a daw.

Get an mpc Renaissance.

ThobRom wrote:What buttons are you missing?

Transport buttons?

Drum pads?

They have Akai trigger pads that have almost all of the same face buttons.

But honestly,
you've got a 2500 and you dont want to use the buttons?

Sell it and get a daw.

Get an mpc Renaissance.

Tact switches under every button. They die, easily. He wants to prolong their lives, that's basically it. JJ provides a method, he wants to utilize it.

Just buy a good soldering iron and train yourself. It will be useful for the rest of your life

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=166080

Metatron72 wrote:Tact switches under every button. They die, easily.

Do they?

I dont want to encourage naughty behavior,
but I've made a mild button respond like a whore with a dab of WD.

Metatron72 wrote:He wants to prolong their lives, that's basically it. JJ provides a method, he wants to utilize it.

That didn't sound like the jist of "it".

But that sounds like a good one.

I agree with you.

le rat wrote:Just buy a good soldering iron ...

Soldering Irons rule!

Metatron72 wrote:

ThobRom wrote:What buttons are you missing?

Transport buttons?

Drum pads?

They have Akai trigger pads that have almost all of the same face buttons.

But honestly,
you've got a 2500 and you dont want to use the buttons?

Sell it and get a daw.

Get an mpc Renaissance.

Tact switches under every button. They die, easily. He wants to prolong their lives, that's basically it. JJ provides a method, he wants to utilize it.

That's exactly right! All I want is a few buttons that I can press that I can use in place of the unresponsive buttons on the mpc. I'm thinking the harder and more aggressively I have to press the buttons on the mpc to make it work is doing more damage in the long run. So, if I simply use a bust up computer keyboard I'll have to buy an adapter of course for the midi hook up... Are there any makes I should avoid?

Thanks again people for all this help.