Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Forum for the JD-XA.
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Myrk-
Posts: 329
Joined: 19:45, 27 August 2016
Location: Bristol, UK

Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by Myrk- »

Arg! My right arrow button on my JD-XA isn't responding unless I really smash the button quite hard... A we all know those arrows are kinda essential for navigating, and the amount I need to push to get the button to respond is something that I'm sure will cause more damage in the long run.

Thinking of opening it up and giving it a spray of contact switch cleaner, as I think it's a humidity problem from when I lived in Hong Kong (where Roland only do 1 year warranties due to humidity!)... any other suggestions or advice for buttons that don't activate well? Sending it to Roland is a no go... it's out of warranty and Roland will no doubt charge me for a whole new control board PCB, which for the cost I could half buy a new JD-XA!
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Myrk-
Posts: 329
Joined: 19:45, 27 August 2016
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by Myrk- »

Ok so I had a chat with a servicing agent guy who used to work for Roland, as Roland UK has no engineers (!). His recommendation was not to use switch cleaner - apparently it would just make the problem worse! Only solution is to change out the little push switch which I have to buy from Roland spares department (these switches break all the time on old Roland gear - my issue was no doubt accelerated by the humidity of Hong Kong)... on that note, anyone got a copy of the Service Manual for the JD-XA yet? Would be really helpful for changing out the switch, otherwise I'll be relying off Markus Fuller's dismantling video from youtube haha!
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Myrk-
Posts: 329
Joined: 19:45, 27 August 2016
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by Myrk- »

Got the parts... ordered 2 as I might change out both directional switches just for consistency, or at least have a spare if I somehow manage to break one. Tomorrow will be a scary day of opening it up using the service manuals they sent to me... might film it all and put it on youtube to help document it all for other users!
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Myrk-
Posts: 329
Joined: 19:45, 27 August 2016
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by Myrk- »

All fixed! Took 1.5 hours to get in and replace the switch - I did a video of the whole thing which I'll edit down and get onto youtube. I realised after that I could have done with zooming in a bit more, but it shows the gist of what I was up to. I'm not a synth repair expert, but quite trusty with a soldering iron (I chipped an Xbox way back in the day). Whilst it was very scary opening this synth up it wasn't too hard - most components are ok to de-solder, and the hardest part was actually just getting all the way to the part with disassembly. Definitely worth doing it myself over the repair quote I was given (700GBP as they wanted to just replace the PCB!)!

I'll link the video in a day or 2 when it's up. If anyone needs the service manuals give me a shout and I can email over the PDF's which have a bit of dissasembly, parts list, and full technical PCB circuit diagrams for the whole synth... Maybe there are some people out there who can hack it and work out some upgrades ;)
bigmuz7
Posts: 67
Joined: 13:04, 5 January 2016
Location: Glasgow Scotland

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by bigmuz7 »

Nice .. I love a good cheap fix and run one of my forums for construction plant with the same ethos www.plantandconstruction.co.uk .. also use my JDXA regularly and good to know an easy fix for any up and coming issues is close at hand.. well done for evading a main dealer fix at much higher cost :D
ambientcomplexity
Posts: 2
Joined: 21:57, 24 January 2022

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by ambientcomplexity »

Hey, I just bought a used one in quasi mint condition but it arrived and the enter button is not working... I figured out which button I could use, the original switch isnt manufactured anymore, it would be the same with double actuation force (2,6n instead of 1,3). Could still work for the enter button. Does anyone have the service manual? Would greatly appreciate it.
ambientcomplexity
Posts: 2
Joined: 21:57, 24 January 2022

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by ambientcomplexity »

Alright I also found the service manual and the replacement part. The OG part is out of production tho, so you need a replacement-replacement. If anyone needs the manual, you can write me.
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Myrk-
Posts: 329
Joined: 19:45, 27 August 2016
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Button not responding unless smashed hard! eeek

Post by Myrk- »

Find it hard to believe Roland spares department has no more of this switch... I'd do some more digging m8 - maybe find out who made the switch for Roland.

This all being said, at the end of the day it's a switch, can replace it with anything really, it will work.
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