apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Discuss Live-ready controllers other than Push.
mihai
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Location: Los Angeles, California

apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by mihai » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:15 am

i've had my apc for a year and a half out of which it's only gone out to two gigs and generally just looking pretty on my
desk with the occasional transport use. around the beginning of the year i've noticed that whenever the 4th fader is at the
very bottom, the channel volume read -65.4db but going to -inf if i just nudged it up a tiny bit.

just now i boot up live and i see the volume of the 4th channel just going up and down, constantly oscillating by a few db
with it only stopping if i turn off/disconnect the apc. all the other faders and knobs are fine, no issues whatsoever.

has anyone else had this happen? again it's really weird because it just sits on my desk most of the time. never dropped it,
spilled anything, etc. just the occasional bit of dust that settles down.

Theo Void
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Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by Theo Void » Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:29 pm

Yep. This just started happening to me also except mine is on channel 2 and it does the same thing except mine is when the volume is UP. I had it mapped out to Traktor and was using it live for basically the whole summer. It just randomly started doing this. Like, if the fader is all the way up, the volume fader in the software is slightly down and kinda twitching there. I have to grab the APC40 fader and turn it down a little to find the sweet spot where it keeps the software fader to full on!!! Fucking annoying, especially live. I was hoping it was a mapping issue but I checked and same thing happens in live with the same fader. I've since started using a different setup for my Traktor live stuff but I still love my APC40 for producing in Live. Oh well, looks like it's staying in the studio now. Maybe there's some dirt or something in there.

Khazul
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Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by Khazul » Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:32 pm

Similar with mine too - 4th fader seems to have become non-linear now as well as bounce around etc.
Nothing to see here - move along!

JuanSOLO
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Location: Shreveport LA, sometimes Dallas/Ft Worth TX

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by JuanSOLO » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:11 pm

it happens a lot to APC40's little after a year or so. For me it's been fader 7
I bought some replacement faders from MPCstuff, still havent put them in. Maybe this week, I'll report back when I do.

I find it funny when I see people recommending it by saying it's got great build quality.
Anyone who says that has never opened one up or had it for over a year.

JuanSOLO
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Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Shreveport LA, sometimes Dallas/Ft Worth TX

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by JuanSOLO » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:16 pm

side note:
I am beating this shit out of this old Vestax PMC 06, it's got many years on that APC40.
works great!

stoersignal
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Location: vienna

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by stoersignal » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:51 pm

same problem but with the crossfader :?

JuanSOLO
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Location: Shreveport LA, sometimes Dallas/Ft Worth TX

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by JuanSOLO » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:52 pm

the cross fader is the easiest part to replace

stoersignal
Posts: 500
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Location: vienna

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by stoersignal » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:56 pm

i know! but actually i got this problem only since 4 days

stoersignal
Posts: 500
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Location: vienna

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by stoersignal » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:57 pm

the only strange thing is that i almost never used the xfader

h3rtz
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Location: Beijing

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by h3rtz » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:55 am

Same problem here with device control encoder no. 2.

I emailed akai hoping it might be an issue i can fix myself. Thought its a software problem first. But even if it was, as a user u cant even update the firm ware!

Anyways, the akai guy told me to get it serviced. Might take up to 6 weeks where i live :(

mihai
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Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:46 pm
Location: Los Angeles, California

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by mihai » Thu Oct 25, 2012 6:16 am

i see. yeah, i read on other sites of people experiencing similar issues with their apc.
what frustrates me is that it's only been sitting on my desk... just sitting there. yay akai.

i'll just replace the fader soon enough with fingers crossed nothing else goes south with it.

Image

subsynth
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Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by subsynth » Thu Oct 25, 2012 1:03 pm

This happened to me as well.

You can buy replacements on mouser for much cheaper than mpcstuff.



688-RS45112A400G
RS45112A400G
ALPS Slide Potentiometers
10 KOhms 20%

You'll want a fairly high wattage for your soldering iron too.

Q&A
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Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by Q&A » Thu Oct 25, 2012 1:14 pm

!!!This is DYI will probably void warranty!!!:

My master fader was doing that. First i sprayed a tiny bit of contact lube into the fader...seriously just use a tiny bit, i'm of the understanding that you shouldn't use that stuff on some equipment. the problem immediately went away after that, but the fader had a metal on metal feel when sliding it.

Next i used the slightly blunted end of a broken toothpick to stuff dielectric grease into the fader slot.

Smooth fader again, problem fixed ever since.

I wonder if just using the grease instead of spray contact lube would work too...

JuanSOLO
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Location: Shreveport LA, sometimes Dallas/Ft Worth TX

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by JuanSOLO » Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:47 pm

Q&A wrote:!!!This is DYI will probably void warranty!!!:

My master fader was doing that. First i sprayed a tiny bit of contact lube into the fader...seriously just use a tiny bit, i'm of the understanding that you shouldn't use that stuff on some equipment. the problem immediately went away after that, but the fader had a metal on metal feel when sliding it.

Next i used the slightly blunted end of a broken toothpick to stuff dielectric grease into the fader slot.

Smooth fader again, problem fixed ever since.

I wonder if just using the grease instead of spray contact lube would work too...
good advice for sure, THANKS.
However, my warranty is long gone as well.

mihai
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Location: Los Angeles, California

Re: apc40 channel 4 fader issue

Post by mihai » Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:06 pm

my warranty is expired anyway. with the new ableton stuff i might just get the new push so that something else won't work on an expensive piece of gear.

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