Pad problem on KP3

[dave_felix]

I bought a Kp3 second hand on e-bay, which seemed like a great deal, but now only 2 months after receiving the unit, the pad has stopped working. Specifically the pad itself, the whole unit turns on and everything else is fine, but the pad just wont register finger motion. Is this a common problem, or a setting i might have accidentally hit? I have only used it a handful of times, and even the times i did use it, i was very careful not to be too aggresive with the pad. When it stopped working, it was connected via usb to my laptop as i was loading on some samples. Anyway, please help, cos i'm freaking out!

[xmlguy]

Look for any debris along the edges of the pad.

[dave_felix]

Hey I tried that unfortunately with no avail. Would it be worth trying to take the screen out, like take all the screws out and give the pad a bit of a wipe down.

Ive noticed, if it helps at all, that every time i press hold, the part of the pad that all the different patches are stuck on is the very bottom left.

[xmlguy]

Try a cotton swab with a small amount of rubbing alcohol along the edge in the bottom left corner. Yes, it's telling you were the problem is when you hit HOLD. Do you see any indentations on the pad? If so, the pad will probably need to be replaced because physical damage like that would not be fixable. Don't open it if it's still under warrantee and there's no apparent physical damage, but otherwise, you've got nothing to lose, right? (so long as you can put it all back together again correctly)

[dave_felix]

It started working again temporarily after i took it all apart. its not under warrantee i imagine as its second hand. how long are kaoss pad warantees anyway?

[xmlguy]

The warrantee depends partly on where you live and whether warantees are considered transferable by law. Glad you got it back working, even temporarily. Look for anything that may be putting pressure on the pad around the bezel.

[E-Mo]

The touch pad on My Korg KP3 only lights at the top two rows horizontally with three not lighting towards the left side, and all the lights and sensors not responding below the first two rows.
When toughing the screen regardless of where i put my fingers along the y axis, going left and right along the screen, the affects and lights only work on the top half. so , if I'm going along the x axis on the bottom of the screen it is affecting only the top of the pad, very strange, since i haven't dropped it, or mishandled it in any way. there is no problem with the lights when the thing turns on, when there is text, and when the light randomization turns on, which leads me to believe that its a sensor problem, any one have an idea of what to do?? Thanks.

[E-Mo]

its seems to be the same prob you're having Dave. Mine failed suddenly too, I wasn't doing anything special before i touched the pad. I've since tried a factory reset, touchpad calibration (doesn't get past first corner), unplugged everything, and tested with and without inputs and outputs.. what i havent tried is using a different power adaptor, or taking it apart, I'm ready to take this thing apart, but you're saying it only worked temporarily when you did it. wondering if a screen replacement is the answer, wouldn't want to change it to get the same prob.. cant even find a replacement screen anywhere online.
hope we can get these machines working again, im sure you love yours as much as i love mine. its very lonely without me KP3.

[dave_felix]

A man gets lonely without his sampler. It hasnt worked now since that message. I took it completely apart (very carefully) and gave the screen and its surrounding components a bit of a wipe. I also havent tried using a different power supply, however, I dont know if that would have any effect on the screen. I emailed korg about getting a repair and they said:

"Hi David

Many thanks for your email. The costs are as follows:

Labour = £60 pr hr
Carriage & Handling = £15
Parts used will be charged as additional.

Please contact our Returns Dept on 01908 857170, so they can book your unit in and give you a RAN No. Please also have serial number and fault description ready when you call. Our Engineers will carry out an initial inspection, we would then forward you an estimate for the cost of the repair. However should you decide to decline the estimate, it would be a £30+ VAT charge for the engineers time and the carriage back to you."

How reasonable is that... .....

I am going to see if the nice people in my local guitar shop (which also sells studio gear, kaoss pads and the like) could help me fix it.

[xmlguy]

That repair estimate seems reasonable to me. You assumed the risk of a unit that wasn't working properly when you bought via feeBay. If you wanted a unit that was working and covered under warantee if not, then you could've bought locally from an authorized dealer and any repair would've been free to fix any manufacturing defect. Hopefully the price you paid via the auction was low enough to more than cover the repair cost, otherwise you overbid. I don't pay a penny more than 50% of retail for anything on feeBay, since I normally can get at least 25% off retail with no shipping by using sales and competitive matching offers.

[E-Mo]

ouch, seems like they're rather not deal with it. cheaper to just buy another one if thats korg's approach, its really sucks how difficult they make it to get a replacement screen though, I've been shopping around for a new screen because I'm convinced that its one of two things, either the screen itself, or the input for the (screen-ribbon) that's attached to the mother board, i can only attempt one adjustment there through, im not about to start re-soldering motherboards, i mean the thing still works for the most part, everything besides the screen, here's a video i put up on youtube to show what's going on,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsbdgiHsyTk

the prob is obviously with the touch screen, unless someone can point something out im not taking into account, a screen goes for $30, but good luck finding when with everybody on a kick trying to turn their guitar whammy's into kaoss screens..

but im not gonna rest until i try another screen in place on the one I have.