[sdiy] ARP Soloist touch sensor not working

[Gene Stopp]

Hey I got one of those, but my wood end blocks are flat unlike the ones in
the picture. It's a cheesy little beast, differing from the Pro Soloist in
the following ways:

a) physically, of course, as shown in those pics

b) has resistor-string keyboard and a real VCO, unlike the Pro which has a
digital selection matrix funky PLL-based staircase doohickey which actually
works surprisingly well

c) does not have the "alternate" voices like Telstar and such (which
sometimes seem to just be the same voices with the VCF Q turned way up)

Mine currently suffers from cleaned-keyboard-contacts-last-about-a-week
syndrome. The touch sensor I believe is just some kind of CMOS foam like you
used to get with your CMOS chips. There are several "grades" of this stuff,
and I think the kind that works is the kind that acts similar to, hmmmm
let's see, an almost-dry new kitchen sponge?

I remember when I got mine the touch sensor did not work. There is a
discrete VCA which controls the mod depth based on the CMOS foam voltage. I
wuz all proud of myself for replacing the bad transistor on the first shot
without a schemo. :)

- Gene



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of Tim Parkhurst
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 4:22 PM
To: 'envis exit'; synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: RE: [sdiy] ARP Soloist touch sensor not working


> -----Original Message-----
> From: envis exit [mailto:envisexit at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 2:48 PM
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: [sdiy] ARP Soloist touch sensor not working
> 
> Good day.
> I need some advice for repairing an ARP Soloist.  It's the early white
one,
> NOT the Pro-Soloist.  The touch sensor is not working and I was told the
> foam had degenerated and was no longer present.
> Is there anywhere one can get this foam?  Any guidance would be very
> helpful.  Thank you.
> 


Hi Envis,

To tell you the truth, I never even knew there WAS an ARP Soloist. I'd heard
of the Pro Soloist, of course. So for the benefit of group education, here's
a link

http://www.vintagesynth.org/arp/prosoloist.shtml