SP-404 Pad Problems! URGENT!

[Ralph_DeVille]

Hey,

So i sold my 404 about a year ago feeling that i out grew it, and tried moving to a NI Maschine.

Terrible Mistake! The 404 was my first sampler/sequencer and my music making and motivation to create went seriously downhill without it.

BUT the guy i sold my SP to, posted it back for sale recently on kijiji and i baught it back ASAP! I forgot my headphone adapter however upon purchase and was not able to try it out when i purchased it back. I baught it anyways because it was my origional piece.

When i got home, i realised that the #1 pad (top left) has to be pushed really hard to trigger! THIS SUCKS!

so i opened it all up and took it all apart and realised it was really dusty and a bunch of dust managed to get underneath, so i cleaned it all out and thought i solved the problem when i put it all back together

UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT!

can anyone help me out?

is this an electronic issue? or the pads themselves need to be replaced? how can i distinguish?

Thanks so much in advance for any info.

[sleepy eyes]

my pad 1 and 11 do the same thing, most 404s have at least one dead pad i think it has something to do with sensors.. but i dont even know

[LAZER BEAR]

Open it up again and try putting some electrical tape between the pad and the sensor. If its just a matter of the pad not being sensitive enough this should work, it may take multiple layers. Think of it like this... the sensor is undersensitive so when you strike it, you have to apply a lot of pressure, but the electrical tape acts like a buffer and puts more pressure on the sensor. Hope this makes sense.

[lowcey]

yo i have my 404 for 3 yrs of continual use.. everyday almost and my pad 1 is also not as sensitive as the rest... but i also used a new 404 before and the pads felt diffrnt than my 404 when i had it new.. mine was like brcks and it felt good to hit them hard.. this other new one feels weak. maybe each 404 is built diffrently. i dont know.. but u get used to it i thnk in the end.

[roygbivs]

yeah i got one pad that i use for hats a lot and its starting to go out. ill hit the fucker but no sound or light then try again and it works. just moving to a new pad