MIDI Fighter 64 - disassembly / teardown

DJTT Gear & Custom Mods Midi Fighters
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1

Hello!

First of all, thank you for making a device as fun as the MF64!

Being a tinkerer and hacker I’ve been prototyping a pretty substantial modification to the MF64; in particular, I’d be swapping out the PCB with a completely custom-made solution mounting a whole new circuitry. I’d be reusing the buttons and the shell, only replacing the electronics.

My problem comes with the disassembly: I’m far too afraid to experiment and try, but I also cannot figure out how (or if it’s even possible) to get to the point where I can have the following separated:

  • PCB with LEDs
  • Buttons desoldered from the PCB
  • Plastic shell

I’d be happy even just taking away the shell for now, but I don’t want to desolder 128 points (yet) since I’m afraid of melting the buttons from the inside; but I can’t figure out how to take the shell out, if not by this way.

Would you be okay with sharing some tips or a small step-list on how to take it apart safely? I’d like to keep the existing components and shell 100% unharmed!

Thank you!

2
  1. Place the unit upside down resting on a towel or microfiber cloth to prevent the buttons from scratching
  2. Remove the 16 hex screws that hold the bottom plate in place.
  3. Desolder all 64 buttons, that will release the PCB from the rest of the case.
  4. Each button is held to the case via two tabs on the clear ring, you need to press both simultaneously so they can slide out through the other side.
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Intrested to hear where this project is headed :slightly_smiling_face:

3

Hello!

Thank you a lot for your response. I suppose I’ll have to take extreme care not to overheat the plastic shell holding the metal contacts of the buttons in place, while desoldering the 128 joints.

Do you happen to have any guidance regarding the sizing of the PCB? As this will be a drop-in replacement, I need to get the dimensions and spacing perfectly right :slight_smile:

Also, super glad to hear you’re interested in this journey! So far, I have finished designing the first prototype for my new PCB, mounting a STM32 G491RE MCU. I’ll then be writing the firmware entirely in Rust with the Embassy framework. Also, a USB-C connector will be used instead of the current USB-B one.

The motivation behind this is to try make a lightning-fast, 2026-era mechanical grid controller for live Launchpad-like performances, where light effects can often get so quick that the current MF64 may struggle to display them in time.

4

This should give you a solid starting point

MF-64-PCB.stl.zip (43.5 KB)

Re: USB-C
This is on the table for a future revision since it would allow us to run the LEDs brighter since USB 2.0 on the B connector can only do 500mA

5

Thank you a lot! That will definitely help me make my PCB replacement accurate! :yellow_heart:

Also, it’s lovely to hear the MF64 has a revision planned :slight_smile: hyped to see that!