Pads Wearing Out?

My Pads - 1 and 2 are also in need of repair.
I don't really think I use this piece of kit enough to warrant a repair at this point. What the heck? The whole point of the MPC is THE PADS.
Otherwise we'd all be tappin' our tunes out on a KEYBOARD.
Did they subcontract the pads out to Roland or something?
I realize the MPC1000 is their "low-end" MPC but you'd think the pads would last longer.
I recently checked out very well used MPC2000 (original) that had been on the road and used for YEARS. All the pads worked fine and felt really nice.
Go figure.
So AKAI, how many times a year should I budget for broken pads and downtime for repairs? Or is the MPC1000 just sold as a disposable piece of gear? Luckily I bought my from American Musical and they tacked on an extra year of warranty!

each pad is seperate in the 1000 so you can swap them around if you are always using some pads more than others.
they are each connected by wireing to the pad housing so could be something to do with that.
i had one pad that triggered without being hit sometimes or would trigger like ten times when you hit it once. i swapped round some of the pads and havent had the problem since.
i had already taken 1 unit back to the shop because of that problem (wasn't the only problem i had with that one though) when i got my second box, after a while it was doing the same thing. i decided to swap the pads around to see if it was the pads or the machine itself and it seemed to sort it out.

Im Curios,, can you give me a better description of how the pads are connected , i dont quite understand what you saying

are they normal tact switches or more like a remote contol of a TV with Graphite under the rubber that make contact on the pcb with graphite as well ( usually its black paintish like looking , that shows you know its graphite usually )

Im just curios cause i cant see how they go faulty, the only other way i see them going faulty is that the actual rubber deforms from heat and normal use and thus its closer to the mainboard so it "auto triggers" but i can be wrong as i dont know how the mechanics of these pads.

Let me know becase i fix a lot of electronics but im not gonna strip mine down becase it has no faults but maybe there is some quick fixes for these pads

DJDREW wrote:

cyklops wrote:

cyklops wrote:i opened my 1k and looked at the pads and i think it may be that they just move off center inside ,, i didnt go further cause my pads are still cool but i have also noticed that pad4 is hyper sensitive compared to all the others and i also play "touch" but some nights after some good Hydro i get very bangy and enjoy hard playing , i expect the rubber to get softer and "break in" but i repair alot of electronics and from my experiences usually things like this just need some maintaince but once again im not sure of the design of the sensors , if someone can open up one of there old faulty sensors and post some pics we could determine what the problem is becase there is a few ways they could have designed them ,some easier to fix than others and depends how much mechanics they used in a sensor

Fuc.k no replys here knowbody interested ?

These type of sensors can be cleaned but usually with little success. These pads are simular to the ones on a soft switched remote control and has no actual tact switch. for $8.00 you can get a brand new one, that seem to me the most logical thing to do. It would be some what difficult to take the pad completely apart and clean the section of the PCB and assemble the pad again, then to find out a few days later it is acting up again.

Anyone that need help with there 1000 let me know I have dissassemble mine several time and very comfortable with explain repairs over the phone you will need patiendce and soldering skills though. I will note that I am not a Akai repiar technician but I work for B&W speaker and Rotel Hifi as a Service technician. So I have some creditability LOL

Ahh ok i missed this post so they use the graphite like material on these pads ?

If so i would say that heat causes them to malfuntion as the graphite in my experiences is not that great as it wears out , i seen some old mobile phones that have been left in the sun and they used the same technology in them at the time and when the i opened it it was smugged all over the PCB., and the 1K does cook up after a while so i wouldent be suprised,

but let me know what you think ,, the reason im saying all this is i would rather avoid a faulty pad than constantly replacing pads as im in SA and even 8usd can become a expense after a while as we have to import them from the states ( No Akai here )

i just want to know one thing, if my pads started **** up all i would need is a new set of pads and it would be fixed and work like new?

Criteria wrote:I've had my MPC1000 since about January, and I play it a lot, but not too much. I'd say I use it for over an hour maybe only 2 or 3 times a week (since I'm waiting to buy more equipment).

The thing is, I always program my kicks and snares to pads 1 and 2, and I've noticed that these pads seem to be getting worn out. I have to hit them increasingly harder to produce the full sound.

Are the pads breaking and is there something I can do?

Thank You for the Help

are you increasing the pad sensitiviy in the other menu, or just pounding harder and harder?

had mine 10 months and PAD 1 and PAD 13 are near enough Dead!!
Have to press dem slightly harder than usual..

Which reminds me I must contact the UK Cust Serv!

havent really banged on my pads hard enough for them to show wear and tear like previously mentioned. (guess its cause i use the full level and velocity most of the time) the 1000 pads are hella expensive compared to the other sets of pads. like the 2000xl,3000,4000 ones at vst.

can someone with dead pads please vouch that they tried to raise the pad sensitivity in the mode+other>pad screen???

all that touch sensitivity adjusts dont make no difference, so when peeps say "ah just turn it up!" dats bollox cause they them selves aint yet had the problem!

My 1st (and no old) 2000XL I have had since 2002 (ish) still works fine!! (no longer in my possession) I have had my 1000, 10 months and two pads are defective!! and I know its nothing to do with how hard I hit the pads, cause there is no reason to beat them so hard, hence the term touch sensitivity!!

Its just bad manufacturing!! and I intend to contact Akai about this matter and have something done about it.

thanks penfold, appreaciate it.

well then im gunna keep working in my pads and not fear thta thier life is being lost.

recentlt, ive been working my pads in as i sit at my computer, and they are getting softer and softer. very nice feel to them. i have kept 2 default pads to compare to, and what a difference.

man u guys are scaring me lol , i want to get a 1k but no if the pads suck that bad. So what do you do to fix them, can you just buy new pads. will that make them work again like new or is it some other type of problem? I consiedring getting the 1k, so if someone could answer that i'd appreciate it.

studio hermit wrote:man u guys are scaring me lol , i want to get a 1k but no if the pads suck that bad. So what do you do to fix them, can you just buy new pads. will that make them work again like new or is it some other type of problem? I consiedring getting the 1k, so if someone could answer that i'd appreciate it.

Let me ask you a question......You aware of of your consumer rights arnt you?
If so you dont need to ask any what you do when your pads wear out. You either take it back to the store you purchased it from or contact Akai and demand a replacement. FAULTY IS FAULTY!!! You have the right to get a replacement or a refund.

maybe email akai about it. newmark is pumping up the akai line, maybe they wil fix that grip come the new series of 1k;s

i doubt it, but try.

all pads will fail, it sjust a matter of time, and use, practise. if you bacng hard, its mro elikely to happen sooner. and if you are, change your practise. be easy.

but im softening up my pads now, and i notice a big different. just work em while its off or whatever, they soften right up.

I can definitley vouch that the pad sensitivity dont change s**t when your pads is dying. My pads 1 and 2 are dying (kick and snare, seems to be the case with most people) and I know for a fact I aint been playing um harder than necessary.
Its to late for me to return my mpc, but someone at akai should straigten that s**t out. Perhaps if enough people buy em and return because of the pads then numark will start listening.....