The Korg Kontrol is a MIDI controller on the cheap. Unfortunately, the build quality is not perfect and after plugging in and disconnecting it a number of times, the mini-USB port can break. When this happened to me, I decided to fix it with a spare USB cable and decided to document this as I could not find any others who had done something similar.
To start out, get a clean work area and supplies. As can be seen in the below picture the USB port has broken making this nonfunctional.
Begin disassembly:
When the mini-USB port broke on my Kontrol, the traces seen above "COM1" were damaged. I would assume that the same would be true for other cases of broken USB connections. This damage removed the possibility of attaching the USB cable directly to its old connections.
In order to attach the USB cable, it will need to be stripped and then soldered into the board. Before soldering make sure to put it through the bottom housing, so the Kontrol can be resealed.
In order to get the board running again, the four lines from the USB cable need to get reattached. The easiest location for ground (black) was the upper left hole for COM2. For the data pins, connect white to R2 and green to R3, making sure no bridges between them are made. For +5V (red) connect to L1. Once +5V and ground are attached, you should be able to plug the unit in and see the power turn on momentarily. It will not stay on until the data lines have been connected. After all wires are attached, verify the unit powers up correctly.
Once the electrical connection is made, it needs to have some mechanical strength. I used drops of hot glue, which worked effectively for a while. As a warning, my attempt of providing mechanical support gave out not too long ago, after a bit of abuse. I advise you to do a better job at hot gluing than is shown in the photos.
Now all that is left is to put everything back together.
