Dead key on my synth, please help!
Hey everyone. I bought a new synth a while ago and one of the keys did not work when I got it home. I opened it up and noticed that the traces were rotted leading to the contact for that key. I have no way of jumping them because the traces are rotted right to the contact. How would you suggest I fix this problem?
Last edited by dominic_909; 6th June 2009 at 09:26 PM.
Solder a think piece of tinned copper wire where the trace is broken?
Please post a picture so we can see exactly where it's broken.
I do not answer private messages asking for help because no one else can: benefit from advice I may give or correct me if I'm wrong.
Please ask on the open forum if you have a question and I'll be happy to help, if I know the answer.
If its new didn't you get a warranty?
"When in doubt, LIGHT IT ON FIRE AND SEE WHAT COLOR OF SMOKE IT CAN MAKE!" -- tcmtech
Heh, I guess I should've mentioned that it's an Akai AX-80... I called Akai's customer support and they had no idea what an AX-80 is...
I'll post again with some pics.
SO have you learned anything about buying cheap junk in order to save a few dollars?
"When in doubt, LIGHT IT ON FIRE AND SEE WHAT COLOR OF SMOKE IT CAN MAKE!" -- tcmtech
lol oh, im very pleased with my cheap junk purchases. the synth is still very useful because i usually just midi it up, but it'd be nice to have all the keys working. i find it better a lot of the time to buy cheap slightly broken stuff, it's usually an easy fix and i save hundreds.
Last edited by dominic_909; 7th June 2009 at 05:59 AM.
Draw the traces back on carefully with some silver loaded paint.
You can get this from any decent electronics supplier, or perhaps your local car accessory shop in a pinch as it's quite often used to repair heated screen connections.
rgds
Silver paint is good stuff but it's really expensive. It probably cost more for one tiny bottle of silver paint than the synth.
I do not answer private messages asking for help because no one else can: benefit from advice I may give or correct me if I'm wrong.
Please ask on the open forum if you have a question and I'll be happy to help, if I know the answer.
Great, that's exactly what I was looking for. Is it really that expensive? I saw a pen filled with silver loaded paint on ebay for $20 with apparently 100 ft of repairs.
Conductive Silver Paint in a PEN - eBay (item 270222098146 end time Jun-15-09 14:00:33 PDT)
I think he was exaggerating, it IS expensive, but you only need a small amount, which is generally what it comes in. I don't think you can buy pint tins?Originally Posted by dominic_909
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk
It is expensive as paint goes, but like Nigel said...it's a tiny thin line so won't require pints of the stuff. Maplin here currently sell a small bottle with 2 or 3 grams of paint in it for £7.99 for example. More than plenty for 20+ repairs of this type.
If the switch current is really really low, and the synth can cope with a fairly high switch resistance, you may even get away with just drawing it on with a good graphite pencil!
Anway...it's food for thought...
rgds
the AX-80 is a great old synth...well worth a little TLC.
do you mean a key on the keyboard, or one of the buttons on the front panel?
feel free to join us at Vintage Synth Explorer
the silver paint may well be tha answer.
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