REPAIRING AFTERTOUCH ON THE
AKAI MX1000 MIDI MASTER KEYBOARD

by Lynxxx

The Akai MX1000 is simply the best master keyboard I have ever played. It's relatively cheap nowadays (second hand), has a trillion options and custom user settings, and supports multiple zones with individual midi outputs, velocity and channel pressure (aftertouch). Unfortunately, like all older equipment it sometimes requires maintenance...My MX1000 developed a display problem and a crappy aftertouch response. The display was very easy to fix, using replacement EL Foil from MIDI-Rakete.de. Below is my small guide to DIY aftertouch repair for the MX1000.

I've been looking for info on how to repair aftertouch on an Akai MX1000 EVERYWHERE. So far Akai Professional has not been helpful at all. None of their service desks returns any email and the Dutch service center wasn't very willing to help, let alone provide ANY information whatsoever. But.. I found a small guide for aftertouch repair on the Roland JX-8P which inspired me to write this one after I finished this little project. I hope you will find this useful.

Problem: Aftertouch on my Akai MX1000 Midi Master Keyboard is not working (at all)

Possible cause 1: Aftertouch cable disconnected.
During transport, the flat plastic strip that connects the aftertouch pressure sensor to the internal printed circuit board may have shaken loose. Gently insert the strip back into the connector.

Possible Cause 2: Aftertouch cable worn.
When the cable has been jammed into the connector roughly a couple of times, the leads on the cable may have worn. You can try cleaning them with a qtip and some alcohol. If the leads are damaged, cut a few millimeters of the cable and reinsert it.

Problem: Aftertouch on my Akai MX1000 requires extreme pressure on the keys

Possible cause: Aftertouch pressure sensor strip corroded.
After some years, the leads "inside" the aftertouch pressure sensor strip will start corroding, forming a thin non-conductive layer that degrades aftertouch performance.

Solution:
See the procedure below to fix this:




Open the Akai
Remove the upper row of screws from the back of the Akai MX1000. Remove the screws holding the top cover down. There are three screws located on the right in a mirrored L formation and five more on the left that are also in a (normal) L formation. You may have to remove the two screws above the small rim underneath the board too. You can now gently open the upper part of the Akai MX1000 which will expose the internal circuitry and keyboard springs etc. (I will add pictures of this procedure later)

Disconnect and remove the keyboard
Disconnect the flatcable on the mainboard. Rest the top cover against something so it cant fully flip to the other side once we remove the wire holding it. Remove the four screws holding the small metal support in the middle of the Akai (that has a ground wire on it holding the top cover). You need to remove this in order to be able to take out the keyboard. Remove the large screws on the bottom of the Akai that have rings around them. These hold the keyboard itself in place inside the MX1000 casing. Remove the remaining screws on the left lower side of the akai that are supporting the left side-panel of the MX1000. You can now gently move this section (including the mod and bend wheels) a few inches to the left, allowing you to lift up the keyboard from the chassis.

Remove the keys
Remove the springs. Gently insert a screwdriver in the back ring of the spring and remove it. Be careful. These little bastards will easily hit you in the eye if you don't pay attention. Now remove the keys. Start with the white keys first, then do the black ones.The first key on the left is the "E", marked with a double "EE" sign to signify the first key (last key is signed "GG", all others have single letters).You can remove the keys by slightly shifting them towards youand then lifting the ends. If they get stuck, give the little white plastic hooks inside a little push.

Store the stuff
Make sure you keep all the keys and springs together in the same place. Parts are hard to find, so you don't want to lose anything here.

Disassemble aftertouch strip
Once all the keys have been removed you will be able to gently remove the upper layer of the aftertouch pressure sensor. This is the white felt strip on the front part of the top. The top layer consists of a felt strip glued to a plastic strip with some white conductive material which is glued to the bottom layer with a sticky Post-It like glue. You can easily remove this layer and press it back on later.

Clean the pressure sensor
Once you have removed the top layer of the strip, you should be able to see the two metal leads that aqre causing the problems. use a q-tip with some alcohol to remove the thin black film on top of the grey/silver colored leads. YOu may have to repeat this proces a couple of times until the strip stops coloring the qtips. Don't force it though. If you rub it too much you will damage the strip beyond repair :-(. Gently rub the strip with some dry cotton qtips to make sure everything is properly cleaned. Note the difference between cleaned and corroded area in the picture. Wait until everything is completely dry and free of any cleaning alcohol. Now gently press the top layer back onto the pressure sensor. Check the cable (see above) and reinsert the keyboard into the Akai MX1000 case. Reconnect the flatcable, insert all the screws into their original locations and close the cover.

Test it!
Select the System Menu and press Transmit. The display will now show all outgoing midi data. If you press a key a little harder than normal you should see the aftertouch messages scrolling by. You can now assume your Mighty Marvel Pose #38 :-).