Broken buttons

Grey · Post by **Grey** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:14 am

I have to add that I break buttons pretty regularly on my PA1X Pro. Maybe I do hit them hard, I don't know. By now I'm used to it. About once in 3 months I had to bring the keyboard to the service center with at least one broken button (usually Fill-Ins). It is never the actual switch. It is always a part of a plastic cap. Now I want to learn how to change the buttons myself as it looks like an inevitable occurrence. The only arranger keyboard I owned that this never happened to was Korg i3. It was built like a tank.

I'm pretty good with fixing things myself. Do I have to take the entire instrument apart in order to change those plastic button caps? Does this require any special tools and how easy it is to put everything back together?
Thank you!

pauli · Post by **pauli** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:58 pm

Hi Friends,
Please do yourselves a big favor and go buy the Korg foot pedal
It has 5 independant pedals to control most button functions
Save wear and tear on your start/stop button at the least.
Using my Pa1x pro for 3 yrs now and never had to replace any buttons yet
The cost is under $100. USD...well worth it!

Happy holiday to all

benok · Post by **benok** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:21 am

i like to know what are the buttons there for then ??

benok

pauli · Post by **pauli** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 pm

If you need an explanation then here it is....
Buttons on the korg are for activating certain functions,just as the buttons on a tv are for activating certain functions....controlling volume,changing the channel and adjusting picture controls.Now you can either press the buttons on the tv set to control the functions or you may use the remote control to do this.Seems to me if you are a professional musician you use both hands to play the instrument therefore your feet are free to use the foot control to activate and/or change functions,To answer your question,
the buttons on the korg are there if you care to use them.For me,my both
hands are busy playing music so I choose to use the Korg foot pedal to start/stop/change varaitions etc.....You do whatever you want.

Good luck

benok · Post by **benok** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:07 am

i am so glad that you know now what these buttons are for, now as mentioned before, if one can change these the broken ones one self ? my stop/start is gone after 4years,one needs it for playing songplay, sequencer 1&2 and mp3 s & recording and there is no one qualified in my area who can do this , benok

kjeld · Post by **kjeld** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:53 pm

We have said it before

it´s only a "Q" before it happens

very, very Bad plastic)

I have never seen so bad construction before

and we have NEVER heard from KORG about a solution)

Anybody who wants to buy my "NEW" PA1XPRO? It´s for sale

I will never ever buy KORG with such a bad support

I am sorry to say, but BöHM, ROLAND and YAMAHA have much better support

benok · Post by **benok** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:00 pm

i am in agreement with you, i guess korg better pull their socks up, me i will be looking else where in the future, maby i can find a roland man to fix my board, have,nt got my button yet, benok

kjeld · Post by **kjeld** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:12 pm

I think it was better to use the original posting for this problem

Wings · Post by **Wings** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:25 pm

Dear Kjeld and Benok.

Please rest assured that Korg will never offer a solution for this problem, and "why?" you may ask...

Well guys...if you both produced 10.000 units of a product, and somewhere down the line (let's say 6-12 months) a part of this unit got broken. Maybe already at first in the productionline you all anticipated that this COULD happen MAYBE SOMETIME, but using the specific supplier reduced the cost of your unit by e.g. 3%
Well, a handfull of people complained, and even though you might have suspected that this might happen, your automatic answer is "No, this never happened before, and it is not an general error".
And why this answer?

Well, honestly said...it would cost you all a heep (pun intended) of money to replace all the 10.000 parts for free to the customer. And you all would have to replace all of the parts, not just the ones to those few that complained about it...

So the question now is; do we complain some more about it, or do we just accept that this is the way it is, and buy some more buttons to have in spare?

No offence intended...

Wings.

benok · Post by **benok** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:58 am

well wings,what i have to say is this, their service sucks, so ther fore i will think twice before i will buy another korg product, best regads ,benck

Wings · Post by **Wings** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:59 pm

I do understand and respect you opinion Benok...honestly.
I'm quite disappointed at this problem myself, but instead of flogging a dead horse I try to use the buttons with ease, and replace as needed.

Charley Brown · Post by **Charley Brown** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:44 am

Regarding “Broken Buttons”

This topic continues to surface time and time again. Sooner or later your buttons will break. I have received several private emails from various members regarding the availability of the buttons and the procedure for installing them.

I’m not a tech authority on the procedure and I usually defer to forum member Kjeld who lives in Denmark. He supplied me with the procedure for disassembly and reassembly along with some very helpful photos. I kept the instructions and photos and would be glad to pass them on to anyone who needs them.

I live in the USA and so I contacted Korg USA in attempt to obtain the buttons.

Korg USA
KMV Websales,LLC
316 S. service Rd
Melville, NY 11747
Telephone 1-631-390-6500

I spoke with a Tech Rep at Korg USA and he told me that the buttons had to be ordered thru ~

Antique Electronic Supply
6221 S. Maple Ave
Tempe Arizona 852283
Telephone 1-480-820-5411

I encountered a cumbersome procedure in ordering because Antique Electronic Supply does not actually carry the buttons in their inventory. Instead, they have to back order the buttons from Korg USA located in Melville NY. I could not obtain the buttons directly from Korg USA Melville NY which is about a 250 miles from my home. I was told that the buttons had to be shipped to me from Antique Electronic supply, Tempe Arizona located 2500 miles away.

Hence in order for me to obtain the buttons from Korg USA (which is close bye to me) they would have to ship them West past my house to the other side of the USA to Antique Electronic Supply Tempe Arizona 852283 only to be shipped back East to me. Thus making a 250 mile delivery into a 5250 mile delivery.

After discussing this mater with a representative at Korg USA, he felt that the system for obtaining the parts was awkward and slow so he made an “exception to the rule” and sent the buttons directly to me. I received them in a couple of days. Please note: that was 1/23/08. Hopefully they are still available.

If you contact Korg USA to obtain the buttons you will need to know the Item/Part Number. There are at least 5 different sizes of push buttons on top of your Pa1x. Don’t expect them to know which ones you will need. The red one is easy to describe but the grey ones come in different sizes and different width. Some have an LED window and some don’t.

Below I have described the various buttons and sizes and have provided the corresponding Item Numbers. I ordered two of each type to have on hand just in case.

Desc: 19MM RED LED BUTTON ~ PLA 0001148 Parts Stock 11-40-85-00

Desc: 19MM GRAY LED BUTTON ~ PLA0001141 Parts Stock 11-37-19-00

Desc: 19MM GRAY WITH OUT LED ~ PLA0001142 Parts Stock 11-12-79-00

Desc: 17MM GRAY LED BUTTON ~ PLA0001139 Parts stock 11-39-60-00

Desc: 17MM GRAY WITH OUT LED ~ PLA0001140 Parts Stock 11-40-28-00

In addition, I recommend that you order the little round black plastic spacers (which have a small screw hole in center) that are used to mount the circuit board as these are easily lost during disassembly. I do not know the part number for the spacers. *Note ~ Not all of the mounting screws require the spacers.

Good Luck ~ Charley Brown

kjeld · Post by **kjeld** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 6:02 am

Hey Charley B.

Good job you have made here

Yes, KORG have realy a bad service system

I remember you have made a very good correction of my "Word" instructions sheet, will you please send it again to my E-mail

Best wishes
Kjeld, DK

Wings · Post by **Wings** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:07 pm

Tnx alot for the update Charley, and for the parts-list.
I doubt that the numbers can be used here in Europe, however measurements and colour is plenty helpful.

It's just too bad that this is an issue at all.

Cheers.

Giner · Post by **Giner** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:51 am

I'm sorry to hear of the various woes of breaking buttons that some of you have experienced, a real P.I.T.A. for sure.

That said, I guess I must've been lucky with Korg as, in almost ten years of having an i30 and now a Pa1XPRO, I've never experienced a button failure - and I do lay into them at times - but as many of you say, I am doomed to run into this problem sooner rather than later it would seem.

The only switch failure I have experienced was about three years ago in my EC5 pedal. Korg Canada (benok, they're called Jam Industries in Montreal) were pretty swift on this and sent me a replacement switch, plus even a couple of freebies for any future breakage - which hasn't occurred to date. I'm a certified klutz and replacing the switch myself was a breeze. Fingers crossed.

Cheers all,
Giner