Replacement display for an Elka MK76

[Hugh Robjohns]

FFS.... tame experienced tech, proper parts. Job done. Please don't skip a perfectly serviceable and mendable bit of kit.

[The Elf]

Well it's more than my time is worth. If anyone wants it let me know. Everything I removed is inside the case.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

But it's a Poly AT board! If I was on the same island I would drive to you to collect it. I'm sure someone will.

Pity you didn't wait a little bit longer, posted pics of the innards etc. we could've helped I've done a few displays so I could help. My Akai MX-1000 has an iPhone 6+ backlight in it (common thing people are doing with Akais of that era) the Casio FZ-1 has something similar, and I'm just doing a Quadraverb now.

Replicating the wiring is easy- use a smartphone and make a video as you remove it. Displays with backlights come in two kinds- displays where the backlight is glued/ manufactured in (so it breaks as you discovered) and displays where they are not

[The Elf]

I'm still licking my wounds right now. In a few days I may bring myself to take it to the local repair shop, but at the moment I'm utterly p£$%ed off with it.

It was only 80 quid, so no complaints in that respect. It's done me fine for a while, but to throw any more time and money at it? Hmmm... Not convinced.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

I know the feeling!! I had a few issues with the MX-1000, it was sitting on my bench for 6 months. But it was more annoying not having a decent weighted keyboard so I got there in the end. It's a beautiful bit of design, sleek curved aluminium case. And it's a rather neat MIDI controller. The 4 sliders work great for the 4 macros in Arturia.

This should be straightforward for any tech who works on hifis or phones or computers.

On a related note, I was not a fan of poly AT when I tried it on a GEM Equinoxe. But I am really starting to love the ROLI Seaboard Rise 49. Obviously this board is worth it to you, as a Poly AT controller. Put it away for a while

[The Elf]

On a related note, I was not a fan of poly AT when I tried it on a GEM Equinoxe. But I am really starting to love the ROLI Seaboard Rise 49. Obviously this board is worth it to you, as a AT controller. Put it away for a while

Poly aftertouch is addictive - once you 'get' it, you don't want to be without it. In my case I have the Hydrasynth - easily the best feeling aftertouch in my studio - and a Roli Seaboard 25.

I'd love a Roli Seaboard 49. I've had two, both of which arrived faulty from new. If I could find a fully functional secondhand one I'd leap on it!

[fatbenelton]

Shame, but put it to one side rather than skip it. Prob a easy fix for somebody with more experience!

Incidentally, you may remember my issue with Poly AT on my MK88. Well, as it’s working fine other than that I just left it but decided to open it up and have a look a few weeks back as I’m convinced it’s just a loose wire.....Anyway, couldn’t figure out how to open it up so gave up!
How did you do it?

[The Elf]

I'm glad it's not just me!

Look on the outside ends of the case - three screws on one side, two on the other. Then there's one more middle back. Remove these, then ease up the main panel.

I was scratching my head for a long time on that one!

[fatbenelton]

Great - thanks! If it’s visible I’ll take a pic of how the display should look!

[Folderol]

It's quite common for this type of display for the connections to be made to the actually screen itself via conductive rubber (the current is microamps, it's the voltage that twists the pixels). Unfortunately the positioning has to be absolutely perfect

On a number of occasions I've found the best way to get a 'replacement' backlight, is to find a transparent edge, and line up a strip of LEDs to it.

[James Perrett]

On a number of occasions I've found the best way to get a 'replacement' backlight, is to find a transparent edge, and line up a strip of LEDs to it.

I think that's how the modern LED backlights work anyway - whereas the old ones had a fluorescent layer. There's a Facebook group dedicated to replacing displays on music gear - reading all the posts it seems that most of the time a standard display drops almost straight in.

However, I have a piano module that I've been trying to fix for someone for a while that needs a very narrow 2 line display and I've not found anything that will physically fit.

[The Elf]

It's quite common for this type of display for the connections to be made to the actually screen itself via conductive rubber (the current is microamps, it's the voltage that twists the pixels). Unfortunately the positioning has to be absolutely perfect

Yep, that's my guess. I think even if I could get a replacement light strip I'm dead in the water.

[Folderol]

Do you still have the replacement unit undamaged? If so, it would be worth trying to solder it into the board pin-for-pin one at a time.

[The Elf]

Do you still have the replacement unit undamaged? If so, it would be worth trying to solder it into the board pin-for-pin one at a time.

I took the replacement apart to swap its (non-existant, I now discover) backlight. So I have *two* displays in pieces and no backlight!

[Folderol]

Do you still have the replacement unit undamaged? If so, it would be worth trying to solder it into the board pin-for-pin one at a time.

I took the replacement apart to swap its (non-existant, I now discover) backlight. So I have *two* displays in pieces and no backlight!

Oops
If you send the replacement one to me I might be able to do something with it, but it's a bit of a long shot - depends on whether I can find the pinout connections.

[The Elf]

Thanks, Foldi, that's very much appreciated, my friend , but I don't want to waste anyone else's time. After all it is still going to need a backlight, even if the screen can be restored to health - and I have no idea where I will get one.

I'm going to leave it in the garage for a few days, take a deep breath and decide how to proceed. If I do feel it's worth doing I will take it to my local repair shop.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

I'd love a Roli Seaboard 49. I've had two, both of which arrived faulty from new. If I could find a fully functional secondhand one I'd leap on it!

I got mine used. It refuses to connect via Bluetooth to the desktop or laptop, but works fine with the smartphone app. Which is fine, I can use USB cable.

I looked into it, and the Elka display uses an EL foil for the backlight. It slides in behind. You could buy a new EL foil but they burn out, and the inverter supplying power tends to whine with age (like most of us )

Better to replace it with a backlight from a smartphone, carefully cut to size. Replace the old whining inverter with a DC-DC converter to give it 18V instead of hundreds of V. This is exactly what I did with the Akai MX-1000. instructions here.

Total cost of parts €6, but the soldering is delicate since a smartphone backlight is not designed to be soldered to two wires, it's a snap-in type of connector. Oh, and don't short the DC-DC converter by mounting the wires insecurely like I did first: the short kills it. But luckily they're cheap.

Sounds like you'll need to buy another display though?

PS master keyboards will have a lot of screws because they're big and the screws provide rigidity. To open the MX-1000 so you can access the display it's 15 screws (pic from service manual).

[Hugh Robjohns]

PS master keyboards will have a lot of screws because they're big and the screws provide rigidity.

There is that... but also most gear uses a lot of screws these days because they are necessary in achieving a good electrical 'seal' around openings for meeting the EMC regulations, to stop all the nasty high-frequency digital signals rattling around inside from leaking out and causing interference to other gear.

That's why so many rack products now hold the lid on with 12 screws when previously three would have done the job!

[The Elf]

Well the Elka only had 6 screws holding the main panel on. I think that's pretty frugal! It seems very well made.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Well the Elka only had 6 screws holding the main panel on. I think that's pretty frugal! It seems very well made.

Yes as Hugh says, it does the job fine. Frugal is the word whereas the MX-1000 is all crazy curves, fully weighted keys so it weighs 20.5kg. For some mad reason the last time I did a gig I brought it... ended up carrying it about 2km through fields because I didn't trust the 15 year old festival volunteer with the 15 year old van