Korg Poly800/EX800 Users

Hello everyone!

         I just got my first Poly-800 MK1 last Saturday. I'm super stoked cause its my first analog synth! I'm also very grateful for you all in this group. So, I am very interested in the Hawk-800 and atomahawk mods, but I'm a little timid to try the upgrade because I don't have much practice with a soldering iron. I guess when I get tired of the functionality, or lack of, then I'll give it a go. 
      
       Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and clean it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots before and they just get dirty over and over again. 

      Also is it possible to get the Hawk-800 pre-assembled? 

     Has anyone totally destroyed their Poly trying to install the Hawk-800? 

                                Thanks,
                                       J.

Hi J,

We could agree to a price for a pre-assembled kit but the real challenge is pulling the EPROM socket and IC29 out of the main board.

So if you don't feel comfortable with a soldering then the challenge is to find someone who can do the socket removal for you.

De-oxit is the way to go with cleaning pots and you probably won't have to pull the pot apart. You just spray into the pot and de-oxit does its magic.

Mike




________________________________

From: J. <lovgh2000@...>
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, April 21, 2010 5:07:08 PM
Subject: [korgpolyex] Scratchy volume pot

  
Hello everyone!

I just got my first Poly-800 MK1 last Saturday. I'm super stoked cause its my first analog synth! I'm also very grateful for you all in this group. So, I am very interested in the Hawk-800 and atomahawk mods, but I'm a little timid to try the upgrade because I don't have much practice with a soldering iron. I guess when I get tired of the functionality, or lack of, then I'll give it a go. 

Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and clean it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots before and they just get dirty over and over again. 

Also is it possible to get the Hawk-800 pre-assembled? 

Has anyone totally destroyed their Poly trying to install the Hawk-800? 

Thanks,
J.

Thanks, I think I can do the removal of the eprom and such. I still need a few tools and things to get started, so I'll let you know if I need a pre-assembled Hawk. Once I get my head around everything I need, and acquire said stuff, I might even be willing to do it all. 
  So, with the volume pot.... Just pull off the nob and spray de-oxit on the post? Wiggle the post around...ect.... Or is there a small opening somewhere on the pot to where I would have to open up the Poly?
      I see in the photos section this mod for the chorus feedback. Does the Hawk implement that? I haven't see any examples of that mod online. 

       Thanks for taking the time to answer these newbie questions.
 I do, and will do more of my own research before asking questions, but sometimes its just easy to ask.

                      Thanks again,
                                    J.



  

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Michael Hawkins <korgpolyex800@...> wrote:

>
> Hi J,
> 
> We could agree to a price for a pre-assembled kit but the real challenge is pulling the EPROM socket and IC29 out of the main board.
> 
> So if you don't feel comfortable with a soldering then the challenge is to find someone who can do the socket removal for you.
> 
> De-oxit is the way to go with cleaning pots and you probably won't have to pull the pot apart. You just spray into the pot and de-oxit does its magic.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: J. <lovgh2000@...>
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wed, April 21, 2010 5:07:08 PM
> Subject: [korgpolyex] Scratchy volume pot
> 
>   
> Hello everyone!
> 
> I just got my first Poly-800 MK1 last Saturday. I'm super stoked cause its my first analog synth! I'm also very grateful for you all in this group. So, I am very interested in the Hawk-800 and atomahawk mods, but I'm a little timid to try the upgrade because I don't have much practice with a soldering iron. I guess when I get tired of the functionality, or lack of, then I'll give it a go. 
> 
> Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and clean it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots before and they just get dirty over and over again. 
> 
> Also is it possible to get the Hawk-800 pre-assembled? 
> 
> Has anyone totally destroyed their Poly trying to install the Hawk-800? 
> 
> Thanks,
> J.
>

On Wed, 21 Apr 2010, J. wrote:

> Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and clean 
> it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots 
> before and they just get dirty over and over again.
===============

find a "contact cleaner" that leaves no residue. the stuff i've got is: 
alcohol, naptha, heptane, in a spray can.

i've also got an "eco-friendly" citrus-based contact cleaner, and it's 
good for some things, but it leaves behind a gummy residue that *collects* 
dust/dirt into the thing i just cleaned :(

so, just spray some residue-free contact cleaner "into" the pot, and 
wiggle it around a bit. and make sure you're in a well-ventilated area, 
preferably outside. in some cases you might have to do it more than once.


-- 
         ...atom

  ________________________
  http://atom.smasher.org/
  762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
  -------------------------------------------------

 	"Trousers are a Western absurdity."
 		-- Arthur C. Clarke
 		When asked why he wore sarongs
 		instead of trousers.

You should open it up and spray directly into the pots. Remove all 16
bolts/screws (3 different sizes) on the bottom and fold it open. Just
remember that the 4 fat bolts go into the keyboard action itself, the 3
short ones go under the front of the keyboard, and the rest go around the
edges. Spray into the holes in the side of the pots. The volume control is a
stacked pot, 3 high, probably one for Left, one for Right and one for the
on/off switch. Definitely use a zero residue spray like Deoxit. The ones
with lubricant just seem to collect more dust.
 
Don B.


  _____  

From: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com [mailto:korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of J.
Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 5:45 PM
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [korgpolyex] Re: Scratchy volume pot


  

Thanks, I think I can do the removal of the eprom and such. I still need a
few tools and things to get started, so I'll let you know if I need a
pre-assembled Hawk. Once I get my head around everything I need, and acquire
said stuff, I might even be willing to do it all. 
So, with the volume pot.... Just pull off the nob and spray de-oxit on the
post? Wiggle the post around...ect.... Or is there a small opening somewhere
on the pot to where I would have to open up the Poly?
I see in the photos section this mod for the chorus feedback. Does the Hawk
implement that? I haven't see any examples of that mod online. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer these newbie questions.
I do, and will do more of my own research before asking questions, but
sometimes its just easy to ask.

Thanks again,
J.

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogro <mailto:korgpolyex%40yahoogroups.com> ups.com,
Michael Hawkins <korgpolyex800@...> wrote:
>
> Hi J,
> 
> We could agree to a price for a pre-assembled kit but the real challenge
is pulling the EPROM socket and IC29 out of the main board.
> 
> So if you don't feel comfortable with a soldering then the challenge is to
find someone who can do the socket removal for you.
> 
> De-oxit is the way to go with cleaning pots and you probably won't have to
pull the pot apart. You just spray into the pot and de-oxit does its magic.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: J. <lovgh2000@...>
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogro <mailto:korgpolyex%40yahoogroups.com> ups.com
> Sent: Wed, April 21, 2010 5:07:08 PM
> Subject: [korgpolyex] Scratchy volume pot
> 
> 
> Hello everyone!
> 
> I just got my first Poly-800 MK1 last Saturday. I'm super stoked cause its
my first analog synth! I'm also very grateful for you all in this group. So,
I am very interested in the Hawk-800 and atomahawk mods, but I'm a little
timid to try the upgrade because I don't have much practice with a soldering
iron. I guess when I get tired of the functionality, or lack of, then I'll
give it a go. 
> 
> Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and clean
it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots
before and they just get dirty over and over again. 

> 
> Also is it possible to get the Hawk-800 pre-assembled? 
> 
> Has anyone totally destroyed their Poly trying to install the Hawk-800? 
> 
> Thanks,
> J.
>

Thanks,

      You guys are great!  I'll have many more questions later. Until then.

                                                                    J.



--- On Wed, 4/21/10, backshall1 (dsl) <backshall1@...> wrote:

From: backshall1 (dsl) <backshall1@...>
Subject: RE: [korgpolyex] Re: Scratchy volume pot
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 6:23 PM







 



  


    
      
      
      


You should open it up and spray directly into the pots. 
Remove all 16 bolts/screws (3 different sizes) on the bottom and fold it open. 
Just remember that the 4 fat bolts go into the keyboard action itself, the 3 
short ones go under the front of the keyboard, and the rest go around the edges. 
Spray into the holes in the side of the pots. The volume control is a stacked 
pot, 3 high, probably one for Left, one for Right and one for the on/off switch. 
Definitely use a zero residue spray like Deoxit. The ones with lubricant just 
seem to collect more dust.
 
Don B.



From: korgpolyex@yahoogro ups.com 
[mailto:korgpolyex@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of J.
Sent: 
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 5:45 PM
To: 
korgpolyex@yahoogro ups.com
Subject: [korgpolyex] Re: Scratchy volume 
pot


  

Thanks, I think I can do the removal of the eprom and such. I still need a 
few tools and things to get started, so I'll let you know if I need a 
pre-assembled Hawk. Once I get my head around everything I need, and acquire 
said stuff, I might even be willing to do it all. 
So, with the volume 
pot.... Just pull off the nob and spray de-oxit on the post? Wiggle the post 
around...ect. ... Or is there a small opening somewhere on the pot to where 
I would have to open up the Poly?
I see in the photos section this mod for 
the chorus feedback. Does the Hawk implement that? I haven't see any examples of 
that mod online. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer these newbie 
questions.
I do, and will do more of my own research before asking questions, 
but sometimes its just easy to ask.

Thanks again,
J.

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogro ups.com, 
Michael Hawkins <korgpolyex800@ ...> wrote:
>
> Hi 
J,
> 
> We could agree to a price for a pre-assembled kit but the 
real challenge is pulling the EPROM socket and IC29 out of the main 
board.
> 
> So if you don't feel comfortable with a soldering then 
the challenge is to find someone who can do the socket removal for you.
> 

> De-oxit is the way to go with cleaning pots and you probably won't have 
to pull the pot apart. You just spray into the pot and de-oxit does its 
magic.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
____________ _________ _________ __
> From: J. 
<lovgh2000@. ..>
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogro ups.com
> 
Sent: Wed, April 21, 2010 5:07:08 PM
> Subject: [korgpolyex] Scratchy 
volume pot
> 
> 
> Hello everyone!
> 
> I just got 
my first Poly-800 MK1 last Saturday. I'm super stoked cause its my first analog 
synth! I'm also very grateful for you all in this group. So, I am very 
interested in the Hawk-800 and atomahawk mods, but I'm a little timid to try the 
upgrade because I don't have much practice with a soldering iron. I guess when I 
get tired of the functionality, or lack of, then I'll give it a go. 
> 

> Anyway, my volume pot is scratchy. I think I can pull it apart and 
clean it but what does one use as a cleaner? I've cleaned wha wha pedals pots 
before and they just get dirty over and over again. 
> 
> Also is it 
possible to get the Hawk-800 pre-assembled? 
> 
> Has anyone totally 
destroyed their Poly trying to install the Hawk-800? 
> 
> 
Thanks,
> J.
>