Rhodes Chroma Polaris

I just recieved my Chroma Polaris this week. The headphone jack is
quite noisy and when I do a number of functions, there is this sound
that comes out. The headphone jack noise is not just hiss but sort of
pitched. Imagine a 60 cycle hum tuned up a whole lot. That is the best
way I can explain the noise. And the sound that is produced when I do
certain functions is sort of like "ditditditdit"; almost like the
computer is processing and you can actually hear it. The output jacks
do not work at all which I know is not normal. All of the buttons and
sliders work fine. Does anybody have any ideas about the strange sounds
from my machine? It was supposedly checked out and working with no
problems. Perhaps it was damaged by UPS? There is no physical damage to
the outside of the machine but that would have been almost impossible
as it was shipped in a flight case. Any input would be helpful.

Thanks, Chris

> The headphone jack is quite noisy and when I do
> a number of functions, there is this sound
> that comes out. ...

Everything is relative - but the headphone output does generally have some
'digital' background noise. I seem to recall that there was a HW mod on
most/all Polarii to help improve on this (i.e., a separate ground wire run
to the little board near the output jacks). Even with that, it doesn't
completely go away.

All things being equal, the noise should be considerably lower than any
sounds actually made by the synth itself (i.e., easy to hear if there's no
output - but once you start to play, it should pretty much be swamped by the
intended output).

> ...The output jacks do not work at all which I know
> is not normal...

A few ideas ...

If the keyboard looses it 'calibration data' (for instance, if the internal
batteries are totally dead - which to be honest, I've never seen in a
Polaris - or if the panel sequence is executed to do a 'computer reset'),
then you won't get any meaningful sound out of it until the calbration
procedure is executated again.

Another (less likely) possibility is that 'local control' is turned off on
the machine - so that it is only going to generate local sounds if they're
sent to the keyboard via MIDI (vs. responding to keystrikes, etc.)

Thanks Dave your input. I have actually already taken it to be
serviced. The headphone jack noise may turn out to be normal but in
any case, the actual output jacks will get repaired. Local off was
certainly not the case as I was able to get sound out of the
headphone jack. It is such a cool synth I can't wait till I get it
back.

CN

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, David Clarke <ac151@f...> wrote:
> > The headphone jack is quite noisy and when I do
> > a number of functions, there is this sound
> > that comes out. ...
>
> Everything is relative - but the headphone output does generally
have some
> 'digital' background noise. I seem to recall that there was a HW
mod on
> most/all Polarii to help improve on this (i.e., a separate ground
wire run
> to the little board near the output jacks). Even with that, it
doesn't
> completely go away.
>
> All things being equal, the noise should be considerably lower than
any
> sounds actually made by the synth itself (i.e., easy to hear if
there's no
> output - but once you start to play, it should pretty much be
swamped by the
> intended output).
>
> > ...The output jacks do not work at all which I know
> > is not normal...
>
> A few ideas ...
>
> If the keyboard looses it 'calibration data' (for instance, if the
internal
> batteries are totally dead - which to be honest, I've never seen in
a
> Polaris - or if the panel sequence is executed to do a 'computer
reset'),
> then you won't get any meaningful sound out of it until the
calbration
> procedure is executated again.
>
> Another (less likely) possibility is that 'local control' is turned
off on
> the machine - so that it is only going to generate local sounds if
they're
> sent to the keyboard via MIDI (vs. responding to keystrikes, etc.)