Cleaning a mixer ... any advice ?

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cjacek

cjacek

Analogue Enthusiast
Hi all!

Still awaiting the arrival of my m-308B mixer and am wondering with what I should clean the mixer, switches, inputs/outputs, faders, wood side pannels etc etc ..... ? I'm not too sure if you can take the front off easily to clean inside a bit as well but what would you recommend I'd do if I wanted to really do a good restoring, as in thoroughly cleaning, job on the mixer ?

Thanks a lot!

Daniel

PS: You can rest assure I'll post some high def pictures when the 308b arrives! :) Keep your fingers crossed that it'll arrive in the "excellent" condition that I was promised.
 
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I have come to rely on products from Caig Laboratories for all of my switch, contact and potentiometer cleaning needs.

www.caig.com

For cleaning the mixer electrically, two products from them should cover it.

Deox-it for the jacks, switches and rotary pots and Calilube MCL for the 100mm faders that slide back and forth.

As for cleaning the top surface of the mixer, a mild soap and water solutions applied by a very slightly damp and well rung out wash cloth should work fine.

For cleaning the knobs, pull them off the shafts and put them in the same solution of soap and warm water and let the soak in there for a while, then use an old toothbrush to scrub off the grime and DNA evidence from the previous owner that settles into the ribbed surfaces.

Qtips also come in very handy for cleaning the push button switches and any other tight spots where the wash cloth can't get into.

The "Wood" panel sides are not actually real wood veneers. They are made out of vinyl veneer and can be cleaned with the same good old soap and water solution.

The "soap" can be hand dish-washing soap, by the way.

Good luck with the clean up job!

Cheers! :)
 
One last question Jeff ... What about the residue that might reside within the tight confines of the faders and knobs, you know, just below these and unreachable ? Is is easy to take the front off and just clean inside there ? I know with my 246 I had immense problems with taking the front panel off (and on) and would certainly not do it again. See, the problem is that, on the 246 at least, you can't just unscrew the top and take it off. It's a hugely involved process, as you may very well know. Tell me it's easier with the m-308. :confused:

Thanks,

Daniel
 
For the faders a quick shot of the Caiglube right in the fader throw will do. You have to work them a lot and give a second shot to ensure maximum cleaning. For the knobs here's a trick a pro told me. Shoot some caiglube into a glass container and use a toothpick to drip a drop or two into the spot where the turning actually happens in the rotary knob. Then work it about fifty times through it's entire range of motion. '

You don't need to take every peice apart to clean the potentiometers.

Worked great for my console.
 
Ok, thank you very much guys! One thing tho ... On their site, the CaiLube MCL is sold in different solution percentages and types of bottles etc ... Which exactly is the one YOU use ? Now, I don't wanna buy out the most expensive size either ;) . Please help me out.

http://shopping.netledger.com/s.nl/c.ACCT113328/sc.2/category.183/.f

Same thing for the DeoxIt:

http://shopping.netledger.com/s.nl/c.ACCT113328/sc.2/category.188/.f

Which of these, exactly, do I need ? I need to be led by the hand here, ok ? ;) Thanks again for the help!

Daniel
 
cjacek,

For the Cali-lube MCL, order the "CaiLube MCL, #MCL100S-L2" Which is the 100% solution, 75ml size. It looks like a spray can.

For the Deox-it, order the "DeoxIT Power Booster, #DN5S-6" Which is a 5% solution, 200ml size. It too, looks like a standard spray can.

As to getting inside the M308B, the easiest way is through the bottom panel which comes off in two sections, the first is near the front to get to the 100mm channel faders and the second panel covers access to the rest of the board from the underside.

I would consider going inside of the unit if you are experiencing a specific problem only. Otherwise, all the pots and switched can be cleaned by dripping a few drops of the Caig products down the shafts of the pots or into the switches from the side, as the button goes below the top panel and work the controls in as Jake suggested to you.

The only real air flow access points on the mixer are through the back panel where all the jacks are. There, there is some air slots for keeping the power supply ventilated and there are few controls in that immediate area inside anyway so, I wouldn't sweat opening the mixer to clean the dust in there unless you are really anal about that kind of thing. Otherwise, as the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Cheers! :)
 
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