APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

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geddy
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APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by geddy » Mon Apr 06, 2015 4:40 pm

Hello all!

My APC40 hardware has recently started moving its encoders entirely on its own. This appears to only be happening to the dials and not the sliders. I have attached a video below which demonstrates it in action.

Video link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By_akj ... sp=sharing

Does anyone know how I can fix this, or what the possible problem may be?
Thank You,
geddy

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mrobare
Posts: 115
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Location: chicopee,ma,usa

Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by mrobare » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:20 am

I have the same problem
i have turned of the apc40 then back on
still move randomly
the only way i have found to stop it is
to close and reboot the pc
really weird

devobtch
Windows 7 64bit I7 970 3.2 Ghz
12 GB 8 TB storage ASUS 6970 video card
ASUS Rampage Extreme motherboard
Ableton Live 9 Suite Komplete 7 Mach 5 3
Garritan Jazz and Big Band FL Studio and numerous
FL plugins Ozone 5, Autotune 7 Gibson SG
Fender Strat APC 40

geddy
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Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by geddy » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:08 pm

mrobare wrote:I have the same problem
i have turned of the apc40 then back on
still move randomly
the only way i have found to stop it is
to close and reboot the pc
really weird

devobtch
Mine appears to be a more physical hardware issue which is really annoying.
Thank You,
geddy

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alpertt
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Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by alpertt » Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:05 pm

It may be because of dust. Open inside APC40 and spray with contact cleaner.
spray on problem pots and turn left-right couple times.
If that doesn't solve, pots need to be replaced.

h3rtz
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Location: Beijing

Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by h3rtz » Wed Apr 08, 2015 9:58 pm

Didn't watch the video but i think i had the same problem with an encoder jumping to random values. The apc40 is known to have issues with faulty faders and knobs. In my case the encoder was replaced by professional service. It's possible to do it yourself but you'd better be versed in soldering directly on boards. You can get spare parts here: http://www.mpcstuff.com

Schmidi
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Location: Seattle

Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by Schmidi » Thu Apr 09, 2015 4:36 am

I had the same problem and found a relatively easy fix. It is indeed dust or some sort of interference in the encoders, that must be cleaned out.

The fix: Deoxit f5! http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-F5S-H6-CAIG- ... =deoxit+f5 Stuff is a miracle!

Basically, I opened up my APC (which wasn't too bad, but do keep track of where the various screws go, or take pictures). Spray a little of the Deoxit at the base of each rotating shaft and turn them for 15-30 seconds to work the stuff in.

It WILL alter the smooth (grease) so you will feel them have a faster play afterwards. This quicker feel dissipated on mine after a few weeks, but there has been no recurrence of the phantom midi signals for over a year now.

Good luck!

chrissobo13
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Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by chrissobo13 » Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:17 am

I also had that issue, cleaning all out with a can o' air, and all was well. Then my landlord redid my bathroom, and got tile dust absolutely everywhere. Of course I forgot to cover everything... you can guess phantom MIDI was going crazyyy

geddy
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Location: England
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Re: APC40 MIDI Phantom - Dials Moving On Their Own!

Post by geddy » Wed Apr 29, 2015 4:43 pm

Just an update. I cleaned the pots with contact cleaner and they all appear to be working now!
Thank You,
geddy

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