Hi. So… I’ve owned the AK for almost a year now… and it mostly sits collecting dust in my studio.
It’s not that I don’t want to like it… I was just cursed with poor eyesight. I thought I could get along with the tiny screen on the analog keys, but I can feel my eyes giving out after spending more than a half hour programming on it. I love the way it sounds… I love the workflow… just not the pain I feel after using it for extended periods of time. The orientation and placement of the screen makes using the Analog Keys much more difficult than my machinedrum or monomachine.
Has anyone attempted to install a larger screen on the Analog Keys? Would anyone know if it is possible to do? I’m OK with a soldering iron, but have no concept of what parts I would have to order, or how to change it out correctly.
My goal is to have a larger screen, hopefully on an angle, either on the blank space to the right of the synth, or angled where the original one is.
Any ideas from helpful DIYers?
Zymos
2
What about mounting a magnifying lens above it?
huuper
3
I would just use a magnifying glass. Alternatively you could mount and point a webcam to the Analog Key’s screen and have the image displayed much larger on a computer monitor.
But I really would just use a magnifying glass…
i would think that the A keys should have a bigger screen… however think over bridge will really help in this case as well as the other suggestions
Thanks for all the advice.
I’m going to explore the magnifying glass option first, as this seems like it won’t void a warrant or potentially damage my precious AK. Great idea!
The reason why I thought a larger screen may be possible is because I’ve seen similar mods done to other gear, notably the Akai MPC 2500 and 5000s. I think MPCstuff.com used to sell or sells a kit that upgraded the screen to a huge tilting one.
If the magnifying glass doesn’t work, I’ll contact customsynth or maybe even mpcstuff and see if they could do a custom job for me. That tiny screen is really the only thing holding me back right now.
Thanks for the suggestions!
cube48
6
If you’ll go the LCD modding route, you should start with figuring out the display controller chip of AK. It’s normally part of the LCD. Just find the specs of it somewhere. Might be tricky as service manuals can be hard to get sometimes. Then search for compatible LCD with the same controller and resolution but bigger in size. This will be tricky too. I wish you good luck and let me quote Sugru’s slogan: Hack Things Better.
Thanks for the knowledge! I’m going to contact Elektron and see if they will provide the info or suggest a reputable repair guy to help my blind ass out. Elektron seems pretty friendly to people who have modified their gear, so hopefully I can get this worked out somehow.
BTW… still searching for rectangular angled prisms that would fit over the screen and magnify everything… not having much success yet… Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
kind of… problem is, I have it on a keyboard stand’s 2nd tier… there is another synth on top of it… not sure if that option would work…
Saw those when I searched though.
Emailed Customsynth… they can’t do it.
Maybe MPCstuff? I’m not giving up yet.
If I remember correctly… for the bigger LCD screens on an mpc…
you also need custom firmware (they provide it) else it doesn’t work.
lemons
12
I would also like a larger screen for my AK. There is a lot of free space in the AK, I wish they would have used a bigger display. It would be great if we could somehow connect AK to an Android tablet or ipad via the USB connection in order to mirror the display to the tablet display… I guess it should be doable with all the Overbridge functionality coming out anyway.
Webcam could also work as a workaround, but it would need a proper stand to keep the webcam in right position to the screen and also a proper stand for the display device. Something like a cheap webcam and Android tablet and an app like this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=infinitegra.app.usbcamera
I also wonder how Elektron has done the display view in their Workflow video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5warlElCCI …the screen is projected much larger into the video. Do they have a camera towards the display or do they have some other way to capture what the display shows? If so, maybe this solution could be given to customers too?
I have no issues with reading the screen but I wish it was OLED or tighter DPI.
I think the main issue with the display is the fact that it’s low contrast. Is there an OLED alternative - or something like users are retrofitting on the Akai gear like in the pics below…If the A4 and industry standard display size?
The last image shows the original nasty LCD on the E-mu
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REPLACEMENT-BACKLIGHT-for-AKAI-S1000-S2800-S3000XL-SAMPLER-by-RETROILLUMINATION-/321625308423?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Samplers_Accessories_CV&hash=item4ae25cbd07
Contact this guy “saint_baz” on eBay if you wanna go the custom screen route - he’s based in UK, super helpful, and while he may not be able to supply the screen himself, he’s definitely got the knowledge and the supplier info you need to go DIY.
Automux
15
Gene
16
