I've had the Maschine Mikro Mk3 since August 2023 and have been finger drumming with it ever since. This morning, I found PAD# 8 wasn't triggering properly. It didn't feel stuck or sticky and the MIDI input signal in the Control Editor app showed it was getting triggered but sporadically. After adjusting velocity values and trying different pressure settings, I accepted this was a hardware issue that needed to be repaired. There's a few videos on YouTube showing how to repair the Maschine MK3, but couldn't find a tutorial or guide on repairing the Maschine Mikro MK3.

Non-responsive Pads

Repairing Native Instruments Maschine Mikro MK3 pads involved opening the enclosure to clean the contact traces on the PCB, sensor pad and rubber elastomers with isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip to remove debris (mostly cat hair).

This playground note will walk through the device teardown and cleaning the contacts and rubber elastomer pads.

Tools Needed

• Phillips screwdriver
• Spudger or prying tool
• Precision Straight Tweezers
• Cotton Swabs / Microfiber cloth
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Vacuum with nozzle tip

Remove Bottom Panel screws

Start flipping the device over with the bottom panel facing up. Then, use a Phillips screwdriver to remove 14 screws from the bottom panel.

Lift the bottom panel off from the main enclosure and set it aside. Keep the 14 screws together in a group and set aside.

Remove PCB Screws

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove 11 screws from the PCB. The screws are highlight in blue circle in the photo.

Disconnect Ribbon Cable

Unplug the ribbon cable located near the USB port on the upper right of the PCB. Theres two black plastic tabs that are pushed to the right to release the ribbon cable from the connector.

Remove PCB from Enclosure

Using both hands, lift the enclosure and push the various buttons inwards to release the PCB from the main enclosure.

There was a piece of tape near the upper edge of the PCB that held onto one of the plastic button housings. Peel it off to remove it so it's out of the way, then place the button housing back into the main enclosure.

Inspect PCB

With the PCB removed from the main enclosure, take a moment to inspect the surface and components, making sure everything is intact.

Cleaning Time!

Use a cotton swab with a few dabs of isopropyl alcohol to gently clean the traces on the PCB, the carbon contacts on the sensor sheet and the rubber elastomer pads.

Hair and dust seem to stick to the silicone rubber, so alcohol soaked swabs will wipe the surface clean.

If there's a lot of debris (and cat hair), use a vacuum with a thin nozzle tip to carefully suck up any dust.

There's a bit of noticeable black residue on the copper traces of each pad. This is most likely carbon from the pad sensor sheet. Using a cotton swab with alcohol to clean them removes the residue and brings the traces back to it's shiny copper glory.

There was a fair amount of dust and cat hairs in between the pad sensor sheet and the rubber elastomer pads. Carefully remove the pad sensor sheet from the elastomers and use another cotton swab with alcohol to thoroughly clean them.

The pad sensor sheet has matte black carbon coating that interfaces with the copper traces on the PCB. Over time this coating might deteriorate and fade, but mine looks OK so I don't think I need to replace it anytime soon.

Remove the rubber elastomer pads from the main enclosure. Then, thoroughly clean the in between rubber pads as using a cotton swab soaked with alcohol. 

Reinstall Pads and Sensor Sheet

With all three components cleaned (PCB traces, sensor sheet and rubber pads), they're ready to reinstall back into the enclosure.

Start by placing the rubber pads into the enclosure. Then, lay the sensor sheet on top of the elastomers, with the matted carbon side facing up. Ensure the various pins are lined up properly with the corresponding holes on the pads and sensor sheet.

Reinstall PCB

Carefully lay the PCB back into the enclosure, making sure all of the components remain in place. Use tweezers to pull the ribbon cable (near the USB port) out so it can be reconnected.

Gently press the PCB down to allow the 4 header pins to pass through the socket header. It should be lined up so the pins can poke through the socket header.

Insert the ribbon cable into the connector and lock it in place using the tabs.

Insert and fasten the 11 screws for the PCB to secure it to the main enclosure.

Place the bottom panel back over the enclosure and reinstall the 14 screws to secure the enclosure back together.

Final Result

After careful cleaning and putting the device back together, I plugged it into my desktop and was awarded with the LED boot sequence (it's a great visual test!). I tested all the pads (especially PAD #8) and everything worked as expected!

It was a fairly easy repair, with thoughtful care and consideration. I'm very glad I documented the process as I needed to reference the screw placement during the reassembly. I hope this guide is helpful for anyone who might need it.