Dead pads

[kel]

Nobody ever takes my advice... I would get the caikote, I have 3 404s and they all function perfectly after applying the stuff. Costs like ten bucks to fix

I also tried aluminum foil, metal tape, everything

[Crane]

Nobody ever takes my advice... I would get the caikote

Kel - as you can see the people responding didn't take the time to read anyone's advice.

I have always used the graphite and recommended the graphite because if the pads are not fully cleaned (any remaining oil residue) the caikote will slowly flake and peel off, any one of those fallen flakes can float around the unit and cause a short or worse fry the board.

Painting on the graphite will create no more than the dust that the original pads have created over time.

[zukken]

Nobody ever takes my advice... I would get the caikote

Kel - as you can see the people responding didn't take the time to read anyone's advice.

I have always used the graphite and recommended the graphite because if the pads are not fully cleaned (any remaining oil residue) the caikote will slowly flake and peel off, any one of those fallen flakes can float around the unit and cause a short or worse fry the board.

Painting on the graphite will create no more than the dust that the original pads have created over time.

I've used Caikote previously and have had the same issues with flaking regardless of how clean the carbon-pads are before application. I'd strongly recommend the graphite fix as well since it's not going to cause damage like foil can, won't flake like Caikote can, and will also provide a protective barrier on the carbon pads themselves to prevent further degradation. It's also like $8 on Amazon currently so it's not like you're breaking the bank.

[zindan]

bump

has anyone else ever tried the method that one guy mentioned about just using a fuckin #2 pencil to draw the graphite back on to confirm its efficacy?

last time i used my 303, one pad was too worn to use, and another was getting there
i just knocked it off a fucking table, and when i turned it back on, those two pads were super fucking unresponsive (have to press like a MF) and only about two of them feel decently usable now (i wonder if the fall did it or just the time it's been sitting since i last tried to make a beat with it, but i seriously doubt that considering it hasn't been very long)

can someone tell me how to take off the knobs? i don't want to break anything. do i just yank them shits off?

[kwwundo.]

yeah man i think you just yank em. seen a video of a guy just pulling em off.

[TGN]

Instead of sending it to get repaired, use this stuff called Caikote. Take the rubber pad thing out and paint Caikote along the edges of the buttons that aren't responding, just make sure not to connect the paint between any two buttons or they might interrupt each other. I used this stuff to fix my 404 when a bunch of my pads weren't responding. good luck

Great advice, thank you kel! Works great! My og404 is like new!
you just have to work carefully so that the caikote does not get on the pcb or the rubber mat. Otherwise it can affect the conductor paths. But with alcohol, it can also be easily removed there.