[sdiy] Roland DEP5 no sound... any service manual (DEP5 or DEP3) ?

[Gordon JC Pearce]

On Sat, 2011-03-19 at 06:57 -0700, Gil W. wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I have a Roland DEP5 multieffect processor which sounds great but has a little problem - 
> it won't always play audio out... You can see the input meter flashing as it should,
> but not always passes sound via the output jacks. It seems to be intermittent as sometimes it will work ok.
> 
> I tried cleaning the +4/-20db switch using cleaning spray and it didn't seem to help,
> I also noticed that when I push it in or out it will play for a short moment and then the sound disappears...
> 
> Any suggestions of how to determine the source of the problem ? battery is new...

Is the fault "tappy"?  That is, if you tap the back of the PCB around
the switch can you make it come and go?  Use the handle of a screwdriver
to gently tap the board and connectors.  You may find the switch is Just
Plain Broken, or it may have dry joints.

I had an interesting one a couple of years ago with a friend's
Sequential Sixtrak which he'd owned for around 20 years - the MIDI
sockets were intermittent.  In all the time I've known him (only
slightly less than the time he's owned the Sixtrak) they were never
great, but they had become particularly bad.  It turned out that
although the sockets were secure on the board, the pins had oxidised
under the solder and no longer made contact!  A bizarre form of dry
joint.

What I did there - and what I've had to do a few times with similar
things - was remove the sockets, clean and tin the pins, and then
resolder them.  Hopefully they'll last another 20 years.

Gordon MM0YEQ