Scratchy pots, sliders, and switches.

  • Thread starter Thread starter AllenM
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AllenM

AllenM

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Hey there!
How would I clean the tape/source switches on my Teac a-3340s?
Some of the switches are scratchy or dont connect well. I have deoxide.
Also how would I clean my mixer? A ton of knobs are scratchy and the monitor knob has a poor connection. Would I open up the mixer and just spray everything? Also what about the teac recorder?


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You are going to have to take both apart enough to get to the pots/faders shown. I was able to get some of the pots and switches on my 3340 very easily by taking the bottom panel off although I could not get all of them.

The mixer will probably require more taking apart. Spraying the De-Oxit into the small holes on the sides of the pots from the inside is often enough to get them nice and cleaned up. after spraying you should toggle the switch or slide the fader, pot etc quite a bit to help clean it off on the inside. Sometimes it has to be done twice in my experience. The faders should have the resistant material sprayed. It's a dark dark reddish brown color. I'm not sure If those faders can be sprayed without taking them out. I've never had to take mine out.

Make sure both are off and unplugged while you do it. and wait ahwile to turn it back on. I have forgotten to before and nothing went wrong but you can never be too careful :)
 
on the Mixer or on the Deck? For the mixer It would probably require you to take all of the caps off of the knobs and faders, then If the pots are held in by 1/4" nuts like they usually are those would also have to be removed. However, I think you miht be able to get away with taking off the botttom panel of the mixer instead to save some time. The pots will be easier to get to.

On the deck I was able to clean a few of the switches and pots from the bottom of the deck. You would probably have to take it apart more to get to all of them though. get little dixie cups to keep all the different types of screws in so you dont mix them up or lose any. :)
 
Try taking off the knobs and spray some deoxit, move the pots and spray again. You might get enough down their to revive them.
 
I just spent 2 days cleaning my console.

Pulled each channel group...disconnected all the wires...put it on a bench, sprayed the knobs/pots *from the back side* and then worked each one for several turns (my fingers are raw).
Pulling the knobs off the top and just spraying, rarely does anything more than make a mess. If you pull the knobs, in most cases you will find a nut that holds the pot in place....there's NO way to get any DeOxit past that and actually down into the pot where it's needed.
Not to mention...many decent quality pots....are sealed! They are not like typical guitar/amp pots that have small holes in the casing so you can spray in there easily.

If you can get to the back of the pots, instead of spraying...use a brush and tab some DeOxit around the tabs that hold the pot together and the edges of the pot...and some of it will get in there. Spraying just leaves a mess.
I took my can of DeOxit and just sprayed it into a small bottle until the can was empty...no I just dip the brush and go from there.
You can also buy DeOxit in a bottle.

AFA the faders, my console has Alps faders and pots, and likewise, spraying from the top crack doesn't really do the trick. The Alps faders actually come apart after you remove them, and you can clean the carbon tracks with a Q-Tip. Caig Labs has a specific cleaner for that....D-100.
You don't want to use any old "DeOxit" spray...'cuz it may mess up the action of the fader.

Anyway...it's a time consuming PITA...but now my console is all fresh and shiny :) and ready for action.
Though I still have to do maintenance cleaning on my patchbays and other gear.
 
miroslav said:
I just spent 2 days cleaning my console.

Pulled each channel group...disconnected all the wires...put it on a bench, sprayed the knobs/pots *from the back side* and then worked each one for several turns (my fingers are raw).
Pulling the knobs off the top and just spraying, rarely does anything more than make a mess. If you pull the knobs, in most cases you will find a nut that holds the pot in place....there's NO way to get any DeOxit past that and actually down into the pot where it's needed.
Not to mention...many decent quality pots....are sealed! They are not like typical guitar/amp pots that have small holes in the casing so you can spray in there easily.

If you can get to the back of the pots, instead of spraying...use a brush and tab some DeOxit around the tabs that hold the pot together and the edges of the pot...and some of it will get in there. Spraying just leaves a mess.
I took my can of DeOxit and just sprayed it into a small bottle until the can was empty...no I just dip the brush and go from there.
You can also buy DeOxit in a bottle.

AFA the faders, my console has Alps faders and pots, and likewise, spraying from the top crack doesn't really do the trick. The Alps faders actually come apart after you remove them, and you can clean the carbon tracks with a Q-Tip. Caig Labs has a specific cleaner for that....D-100.
You don't want to use any old "DeOxit" spray...'cuz it may mess up the action of the fader.

Anyway...it's a time consuming PITA...but now my console is all fresh and shiny :) and ready for action.
Though I still have to do maintenance cleaning on my patchbays and other gear.
Click to expand...

Ya, your 100% right. In my case I have a Mackie and had some scratchy pots and was lucky enough to spray around the sleeve and got enough in to stop the scratchy noise. I did take it apart enough to spray the connecting wires and things. So far so good. Your method is the best tho.
 
miroslav said:
I just spent 2 days cleaning my console.

Pulled each channel group...disconnected all the wires...put it on a bench, sprayed the knobs/pots *from the back side* and then worked each one for several turns (my fingers are raw).
Click to expand...

I know the feeling... haha By the time I was done with my mixer It was almost as bad as picking up a steel string acoustic with heavys on it after not playing for a while :)
 
on those 80's tascam mixers i think most of the pots have little indents with holes on both sides of the indent -with the little deoxit straw inserted in the indent it seems to go right in through both sides without getting anywhere else - :cool: - just a tiny little "chshsht" should be good. as I understand it, you should be using the deoxit 'faderlube' for this as well (I wouldn't mind more consensus on that though... or if anyone knows what the real difference is between the DeOxit D5 & DeOxit 'faderlube' - or if anyone's used Radio Shack "control/contact cleaner and lubricant" - sells for 10$ at my local Shack).

I don't know for sure on the m-208, but you might be able to get to the pots from the back of the machine without taking out each channel strip (like samth3mancgp mentioned) this would indeed be much less time consuming.
 
you want to use "little bath" or faderlube because it will lubricate AND clean the pot--with deoxit you rinse out the lube and lose the smooth action of the pot/fader. bad idea.
 
LUNE said:
...or if anyone knows what the real difference is between the DeOxit D5 & DeOxit 'faderlube' ...
Click to expand...

A couple of years back I spent some time on the phone with Caig Labs asking the same questions as I wanted to clean my TASCAM M-3500 faders, which are Alps faders.

They said to use the D100, which is 100% cleaner/conditioner...VS...D5 which is the 5% version with a lot of propellant.
The D100 has NO propellant. If your faders/contacts are full of crud...the propellant in the 5% helps flush the crud away, so it may be better for pots where you can't get in there...but the propellant leaves some residue.
With the kind of faders I have that can come apart...the D100 is the better choice as you can apply it with a Q-Tip directly to the carbon strips, so no need for propellant..you end up with a clean, smooth fader.

They said NOT to use the Fader Lube..which seems kinda contradictory...BUT...some types of faders can't have any kind of lubricant, and my Alps are those. I even asked TASCAM and they said NO lube.
The D100 will provide enough lubrication on its own.

Call Caig Labs and discuss your particular cleaning issues and they will tell you what's best.
 
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