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.)