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Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

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Fixing buttons - DIY

Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-21 by gutman75

Hi all,

I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
center is my only option.

thanks in advance!
Boris.

Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-21 by Mauricio Balma

Well, my Stop and Pattern buttons died long time ago. maybe for overusing them, also, they are not so good quality.  
  What I did, was to replace them with two of the buttons that I don't use frequently.  I had to open the unit. 
  Just be carefull when taking the board that is directly under the buttons, 'cause you could  have a button mess everywhere, they are loose. 
   
  

gutman75 <bgutman@...> wrote:
          Hi all,

I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
center is my only option.

thanks in advance!
Boris.



                           

       

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-21 by Aaron Eppolito

They're really small microswitches.  I'm not sure there's anything you could do other than desolder the offending ones and replace them.  The button caps (the black pieces you see) are not the switch themselves, they're simply a cover that snaps onto the little switch which is a sealed thing about 2mm square.

Maybe someone better than me with hardware might know what you can do with those microswitches...

-Aaron

PS. here's the best I could find on google for a pic.  the ones we use have a post to attach the black button instead of the red disk.
http://roleepolee.com/products/roleepolee/microswitch6167a.jpg
Show quoted textHide quoted text
----- Original Message ----
From: gutman75 <bgutman@...>
To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:25:41 AM
Subject: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

Hi all,

I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
center is my only option.

thanks in advance!
Boris.

Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-21 by Mauricio Balma

They are very easy to replace for any average electronic technician.  These microswitches can cost $0.05 each one on radioshack or similar stores, they are exactly the same switches that come on cheap chinese DVDs and other consumer electronics, you can even take them from a broken DVD. 

Aaron Eppolito <synthesis77@...> wrote:
          They're really small microswitches. I'm not sure there's anything you could do other than desolder the offending ones and replace them. The button caps (the black pieces you see) are not the switch themselves, they're simply a cover that snaps onto the little switch which is a sealed thing about 2mm square.

Maybe someone better than me with hardware might know what you can do with those microswitches...

-Aaron

PS. here's the best I could find on google for a pic. the ones we use have a post to attach the black button instead of the red disk.
http://roleepolee.com/products/roleepolee/microswitch6167a.jpg
Show quoted textHide quoted text
----- Original Message ----
From: gutman75 <bgutman@...>
To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:25:41 AM
Subject: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

Hi all,

I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
center is my only option.

thanks in advance!
Boris.



                           

       

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-21 by Bob S.

Is there maybe a titanium spring, gold contact version that we could use that would last a few years longer ?  I would had having to go in more than once every few years to replace these....

Bob
El Segundo, CA


-----Original Message-----
Show quoted textHide quoted text
>From: Mauricio Balma <balmaproducer@...>
>Sent: May 21, 2008 5:12 PM
>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY
>
> 
>  They are very easy to replace for any average electronic technician.  These microswitches can cost $0.05 each one on radioshack or similar stores, they are exactly the same switches that come on cheap chinese DVDs and other consumer electronics, you can even take them from a broken DVD. 
>
>Aaron Eppolito <synthesis77@...> wrote:
>          They're really small microswitches. I'm not sure there's anything you could do other than desolder the offending ones and replace them. The button caps (the black pieces you see) are not the switch themselves, they're simply a cover that snaps onto the little switch which is a sealed thing about 2mm square.
>
>Maybe someone better than me with hardware might know what you can do with those microswitches...
>
>-Aaron
>
>PS. here's the best I could find on google for a pic. the ones we use have a post to attach the black button instead of the red disk.
>http://roleepolee.com/products/roleepolee/microswitch6167a.jpg
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: gutman75 <bgutman@...>
>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:25:41 AM
>Subject: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY
>
>Hi all,
>
>I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
>most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
>to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
>center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
>there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
>fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
>mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
>buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
>might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
>for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
>buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
>at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
>center is my only option.
>
>thanks in advance!
>Boris.
>
>
>
>                           
>
>       
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-22 by Bob S.

I just checked....those little cheapie pushbuttons (called tactile switches) are rated for over a million pushes.....that's a lot of pushing....

Bob
El Segundo, CA


-----Original Message-----
Show quoted textHide quoted text
>From: "Bob S." <tttsystems@...>
>Sent: May 21, 2008 5:44 PM
>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY
>
>Is there maybe a titanium spring, gold contact version that we could use that would last a few years longer ?  I would had having to go in more than once every few years to replace these....
>
>Bob
>El Segundo, CA
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Mauricio Balma <balmaproducer@...>
>>Sent: May 21, 2008 5:12 PM
>>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>>Subject: Re: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY
>>
>> 
>>  They are very easy to replace for any average electronic technician.  These microswitches can cost $0.05 each one on radioshack or similar stores, they are exactly the same switches that come on cheap chinese DVDs and other consumer electronics, you can even take them from a broken DVD. 
>>
>>Aaron Eppolito <synthesis77@...> wrote:
>>          They're really small microswitches. I'm not sure there's anything you could do other than desolder the offending ones and replace them. The button caps (the black pieces you see) are not the switch themselves, they're simply a cover that snaps onto the little switch which is a sealed thing about 2mm square.
>>
>>Maybe someone better than me with hardware might know what you can do with those microswitches...
>>
>>-Aaron
>>
>>PS. here's the best I could find on google for a pic. the ones we use have a post to attach the black button instead of the red disk.
>>http://roleepolee.com/products/roleepolee/microswitch6167a.jpg
>>
>>----- Original Message ----
>>From: gutman75 <bgutman@...>
>>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>>Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:25:41 AM
>>Subject: [xl7] Fixing buttons - DIY
>>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I have an MP-7 on which several buttons have stopped working (the 
>>most used ones are Save and trigger #6 - because it's direct access 
>>to the filters in patch edit mode). I thought of taking it to service 
>>center, but since it's in another city, I never have the time to go 
>>there; besides, being E-Mu official service, they probably charge a 
>>fortune. I'd never venture to open the device myself, but Aaron 
>>mentioned in a recent post that it should be possible to take out the 
>>buttons without taking the case apart. This got my hopes up that I 
>>might be able to fix the buttons myself, but first I'd like to ask 
>>for advice from this fine community. Assuming I manage to take the 
>>buttons out, how do I clean the contacts? Is there anything to clean 
>>at all? I mean, if the contacts must be replaced anyway, service 
>>center is my only option.
>>
>>thanks in advance!
>>Boris.
>>
>>
>>
>>                           
>>
>>       
>>
>>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>

Re: Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-22 by gutman75

Thanks for the replies, folks!

If soldering is involved, I'm not doing it ;)

@Bob - I don't know what pushbuttons they used in the Command Stations, 
but they break after far less than a million clicks.

Re: [xl7] Re: Fixing buttons - DIY

2008-05-22 by Atom Smasher

On Thu, 22 May 2008, gutman75 wrote:

> Thanks for the replies, folks!
>
> If soldering is involved, I'm not doing it ;)
======================

i think my XL7 saw very little use before i recently came into possession 
of it, but the buttons are still flaky. i haven't tried it yet, but i 
suspect that some contact cleaner (into the micro-switches) will fix them. 
those switch-buttons are so tiny, a little spec of dust could make them 
not respond well.

in my experience, only the nasty non-eco-friendly contact cleaner is worth 
using. last time i tried the tree-hugger citrus cleaner stuff, it worked 
great at first, but after a few days there was a sticky residue that made 
it worse. i quick splash of the nasty stuff fixed it.


-- 
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