Korg Forums

Broken Buttons ~ What actually breaks?

I recently replaced the Start/Stop Button on my Pa1x. I did it my self with the kind advice and guidance of Forum Member Kjeld.

I was curious as to the specific break point hidden from my view. I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I found that it was the plastic push button cap, not the electronic switch underneath.

The plastic button looks similar to a miniature set of steps leading to the front door of your house, but with only two steps. The top step is the one that you can see and press with your finger. The bottom step is the one that you cannot see. In a sense, the top step and bottom step are two separate pieces with no Z Style side pieces to hold them together. The top and bottom pieces are connected only at the vertex by a tiny thin plastic tab which is no thicker than your thumb nail. This is where it breaks.

The thin plastic tab which connects the two halves flexes each time you push down on it. After continual use and over time the thin tab will suffer flex fatigue and break into two halves.

A credit card, for example, is nearly indestructible, but if you were to bend it over and over again in one specific spot, it will eventually break in two halves. The main cause for the credit card to break in half would not be velocity or excessive force but the result of flex fatigue caused by repeated bending in one spot.

It is possible that the flex design was intended to offer stress relief, acting like a shock absorber, to protect the electronic switch underneath.

The bottom line is that, the thin fragile tab which connects the two halves will likely break after extensive use. The good news is that the buttons are relatively inexpensive and easier to replace than the electronic switch which they appear to protect.

I love my Pa1x. We all love our Pa1x’s. It is truly an incredible instrument. For those who rely on their instrument for live performance and to earn a living, dependability is important . My hope and prayer is that Korg will continue to make the buttons readily available and, if possible, find a more durable plastic material.

Charley Brown

Hi Charlie and all members,
A suggestion for all.......
Avoid using your hands to push buttons while you are performing.
Constant tapping or banging on plastic buttons isnt healthy for any electronic key device.I use the Korg EC-5 pedal for starting/stopping,
intro's,etc..it frees my hands up and makes it easier to concentrate on playing in live situations or recording.Does anyone else use the EC-5
controller pedal?

Hey CB...sorry to hear that.
It seems that you have suffered an identical problem as I suffered a while back.
What I did was to open up the Pax and "fish" out the red button part. This is not attached to the button itself, it just floates on top. Mine I was able to "crazy-glue" back together, hopefully you'll be able to do the same.
The problem as I see it is that the "spring-like" part that is designed to pop the button back out after being depressed (yeah, got it) is also made out of plastic, and is actually an integrated part of the red (white or grey) button that we actually push. When this breaks (and it will) the button kinda submerges as you say.
It's really a big P.I.T.A. but for the time being it's the only option.

Hello Wings:

Thanks for the insight regarding "Broken Buttons". Yes I think you're right about the pupose of the spring-like part of the plastic tab. It makes perfect sense that it is designed to pop the button back out, and as you say, when it breaks it will not pop it back out.

Most types of plastics become more brittle with age. I'm sure that Korg must have put this mechanism thru rigorous flex testing, however a brand new flexible plastic material will withstand rigorous testing better than old brittle plastic, but even the most durable plastic will break down if flexed back and forth enough times. It is also possible that they received a bad "run" of plastic and maybe some of us got it and some didn't. Who knows? That's anyones guess???

I' am very happy to say that the Korg distributor here in the USA supplied me with all of the buttons that I needed and also dupicates for spares. I received them in "only two days". Excellent response time from Korg USA!

Life is good. With music its even better. Enjoy ~ Charley Brown

Dear friends,

this subject is like a nightmare!

Although this problem did not occurred yet to me, I'm very worry about that, mainly considering the money we paid for this (beautifull) keyboard.

I had a simular problem with the i30 (after 5 or 6 years); took it at Korg service in Rome and let them replace most of the buttons (many where not FAST to operate). Atthat time I spent about (actual) 150 Euros...

My question is: by having SPARE buttons, is it easy to replace the broken ones, or it requires some technical/electronic skill?
In that case (availability of SPARE buttons), what is the fixing process?

Kindest regards,

Angelo

Hello Angelo.
Well it's quite easy to change the buttons, however I notice that not all members get spare-parts from their respective dealer, and aside from the fact that the buttons break; this is the real tragedy.

When you ask if you need some technical/electronical insight...well, I would say that electronic insight is not nescesarry, but if you're unable to perform simple operations with smaller parts, I would suggest you go to a dealer and have them fix this.

The trick is that this involves dissasemble of smaller parts, ig the button.
But all in all it's not all that difficult. But check with your dealer first to make sure this operation will not affect the warranty of you PAX.

Dear Wings,

thank you for your prompt reply, and more for the sense of responsability in giving your advise.

Kindest regards,

Angelo

No worries Angelo, I'd just hate to find that your warranty would be void due to my advice.
But honestly; ask your dealer first.
Being that this is really one of the easy repairs on the PAX, it should not cost too much.
Let me in on how you progress...we'll solve this one in either case.

Im having a problem with my start stop button. Just today after playing, it because loose all of a sudden. Now it still works. but the button is now a little loose. Is there a way to fix this.

Would you recommend getting a spare start/stop button, or just do the fix myself.

Thanks.

Gflow, you have to get a new one (or two - 1 for spare to next time)

Good luck

Kjeld

kjeld wrote:Gflow, you have to get a new one (or two - 1 for spare to next time)

Good luck

Kjeld

Thanks.

So would this be a job that I'd be able to do myself if i got the replacement parts for it, or would you recommend me taking it to a korg service center and let them do the fix. Just to add on, the keyboard is no longer under warranty.

I do not know if you can If you are a handymann, yes you can
Kjeld

hello!!!

at 12 Nov 2006 i have posted a topic called "broken buttons" that i think that was a problem of my keyboard (it was what the seller has told me)... one year and a half has passed and, unhappyly, i found more people with the same problem. I guess that are some colleagues in these forum that are more close to korg that have presented this problem to korg, but we didn't have any response ,,,, yet.....

i've have bougth the EC5 pedal that help to stop the broken buttons and i'm sorry that the EC5 have only 5 switch comparing to the 13 switch that i had in ketron (solton) pedal.

i hoppe that korg answers to ower questions and do not continue to avoid this problem...

good musics to all

Hi everyone.

I have now again in stock "Start/Stop" Buttons. If anyone need one, you can contact me by "PM" and I will be happy to help a friend

Kjeld

This topic has recently been discussed again under "here goes the buttons" Refer to discussion > "here goes the buttons"