The goal of this web page is to help you understand how to service and maintain the Vestax PCV fader, and contact faders in general. I’m going to go step-by-step through the process of striping down and cleaning a PCV fader that resides in a Vestax PMC-07pro. You should also get a greater understanding of the Vestax PMC pro series, by virtue of the exercise.

In addition to cleaning the PCV faders, I’ll go over some basic mixer maintenance and customization.

Disclaimers and what not
I am providing this information only as a guide. A skilled technician should always preform mixer maintenance. Some of this work might void your warrantee, damage your fader, and possibly kill you. Proceed at your own risk.

Getting Started

Gather the tools you will need to service your mixer.

• A good Phillips screwdriver
• A box cutter or razor blade
• A Sharpe marker, industrial strength if possible
• Sidecutters or dykes
• Q-Tips
• Caig CaiLube MCL 100% droplets
• Air duster (canned air)
• An alcohol and water solution (30/70)
• A soft cloth (micro fiber if possible)
• Optional: Caig CaiLube MCL 5% Spray
• Optional: Break-Free Lubricant/Preservative
• Optional: DeckPlatez black 07pro fader plate

Some people prefer to clean their fader with Caig MCL 5% spray, and some prefer to clean with an alcohol and water solution. I find the MCL spray works very well, but is messy so I usually use the alcohol solution on a Q-Tip. This all comes down to personal preference.

The process

1 - Unplug the power from your mixer. Don’t forget.

2 - Remove the fader knobs. When pulling the knobs of the cross fader and line faders, move the fader all the way to one side, and then pull. This will help keep the rails from getting bent. Put the knobs aside, remembering which knob came from what spot.

3 - Remove the four plate screws, and put them aside in a safe place. I arrange them in a manner so as that I will remember which screw came from which spot.

4 - Remove the fader plate and place to the side. Now is an ideal time to clean the fader plate. Spray with a non-abrasive surface cleaner like Glass-Plus, or a mixture of alcohol and water. Wipe your fader plate clean with a non-abrasive rag. Cotton is ideal, a paper towel is not. There are small pieces of fiberglass implanted into paper towel.

5 - Remove the screws that hold the cross fader in place. These are the outside screws, not the ones marked with the “X” marking. Again, try to keep straight which screw went on which side.

6 - Lift the cross fader out of the mixer and detach the white plug from the PCB.

7 - Use a pair of side cutters or dykes to cut the pin on the fader cover that is soldered to the PCB. If you’re the handy type, de-solder the connection. ATTENTION: This pin is the one on the opposite side from the white plug. Don’t fuck with any other pins.

8 - Use a box cutter or razor blade to pry the cover from the fader.

9 - Once the plate is off, familiarize yourself with the parts of the fader. The rails are the silver, well, rails that the contact block slides on. The strips are the black strips under the contact block. The contacts are under the contact block (the piece that moves when you move the fader prong.)

10 - Use some canned air and blow the dust out of your fader.

11 - Clean the strips on your fader. Use either Caig CaiLube MCL 5% or a solution of Alcohol and water. I use a solution of alcohol and water, which I keep in a Discwasher bottle, but actual Discwasher D4+ fluid will work, as well. Put a drop on a Q-Tip and wipe the strips clean.

12 - Use some Caig CaiLube MCL 100% to lube the strips. Put a small amount on a Q-tip and apply a thin coat over the strips.

13 - Work the action of the fader. It should be mad crazy smooth.

14 - Snap the fader cover back on and connect the white plug from the mixer to the fader. The plug is keyed.

15 - Screw the fader back into the mixer. Place a very small amount of gun oil onto a Q-Tip and lightly lube each screw. When screwing the fader back into place, be careful not to strip the screws. Hold each screw straight up and down and back it up to the starting point (turn the screw driver counter-clockwise until the screw clicks into the thread.) Be sure to center the fader in the mixer. A good way to do this is to alternate tightening each side. Screw in one screw loosely, and then screw in the other. Shake the fader a bit, centering it, and tighten the other screw. Repeat until each side is tight and the fader is centered.

16 - Repeat the process for each line fader.

17 - Now is a good time to change the orientation of your line/phono switches. A lot of people like their switches to go from left-to-right instead of up-to-down. Left-to-right is a more natural, cross fader-like motion, and changing the orientation of your switches can improve your transforms. To change the orientation, remove the screws and rotate the switch. Replace the screws.

18 - Place the faceplate back on your mixer. Put a small amount of gun oil on each screw. Again, be very careful not to cross thread the screws. Put the same screws in the same holes they came out of. Start with the screw in the bottom left corner, then the top right corner, then the top left, then the bottom right. Don’t tighten them down immediately, loosely tighten each one and then go back again. This will center your faceplate automatically.

19 - Extra Dork Points: Take a Sharpie Industrial Marker and color each screw head. This will fix the marring that the screwdriver inflicted upon the screws. Ahh, perfect. (that’s the mixer with the black DeckPlatez plate on.)

20 - Put the fader knobs back. Fresh.

discussion thread

written by mr.smashy