Korg Poly800/EX800 Users

I recently dug my old EX 800 out of storage, turned the power switch
and... nothing. I figured it's the battery because 1) it has never
been changed, and 2) the last time I tried out the synth (about
years ago or so) it worked fine, so what could have happened to it
in storage, right?

I was wondering why should a dead battery prevent the synth from
powering up at all. So I checked the battery and it's not dead! It
still has 3V to it. I don't know if measuring it with no load (since
it doesn't even turn on) makes a difference. I also measured the
power supply and it's fine.

Should I run out and get a new lithium battery? Should I test it
with 2 AA in series? Does the fact I see not LEDs on at all but I
measure 3V from the battery mean the whole thing is dead?

The poly 'should' work fine with no battery....the battery is only for storing the patches. if there are no leds or sound when you turn it on, then the problem is internal. Bummer eh, at least they run dirt cheap and are very easy to find.
Byron

> -----Original Message-----
> From: jadeappel [mailto:jdnova@...]
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 9:34 AM
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [korgpolyex] EX 800 doesn't even turn on
>
>
> I recently dug my old EX 800 out of storage, turned the power switch
> and... nothing. I figured it's the battery because 1) it has never
> been changed, and 2) the last time I tried out the synth (about
> years ago or so) it worked fine, so what could have happened to it
> in storage, right?
>
> I was wondering why should a dead battery prevent the synth from
> powering up at all. So I checked the battery and it's not dead! It
> still has 3V to it. I don't know if measuring it with no load (since
> it doesn't even turn on) makes a difference. I also measured the
> power supply and it's fine.
>
> Should I run out and get a new lithium battery? Should I test it
> with 2 AA in series? Does the fact I see not LEDs on at all but I
> measure 3V from the battery mean the whole thing is dead?
>
>
>
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Allow me to comment on the following..........Well, Byron

thats NOT quite correct....... its true that with no batteries

at all, you can program patch 11 and finally get some sound....

IF, as you say, its not otherwise damaged.......But if it works

at all, then you can understand how hardly anyone would

want to leave the machine on 24 / 7 just to save one or two

hard-earned Patches ! So batteries, for most of us, are a MUST..... especially the small Internal 3 volt that is quite

hidden from view..... the large "C' or D' cells ,whichever

that make it Stage Portable , can help but do nothing to hold

the Memory over when they finally die, of get rattled, or fall

out, etc,etc...... ONLY that small internal Lithium (usually)

is designed to keep that one parameter chip active between

power outages.......

anyway, hope that sheds light.....

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Brewton [mailto:dannobe123@...]
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 6:05 PM
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [korgpolyex] EX 800 doesn't even turn on

 

Allow me to comment on the following..........

 

 

 

 

 

The poly 'should' work fine with no battery....the battery is only for storing the patches. if there are no leds or sound when you turn it on, then the problem is internal. Bummer eh, at least they run dirt cheap and are very easy to find.
Byron

Allow me to comment on the following..........Well, Byron

thats NOT quite correct....... its true that with no batteries

at all, you can program patch 11 and finally get some sound....

IF, as you say, its not otherwise damaged.......But if it works

at all, then you can understand how hardly anyone would

want to leave the machine on 24 / 7 just to save one or two

hard-earned Patches ! So batteries, for most of us, are a MUST..... especially the small Internal 3 volt that is quite

hidden from view..... the large "C' or D' cells ,whichever

that make it Stage Portable , can help but do nothing to hold

the Memory over when they finally die, of get rattled, or fall

out, etc,etc...... ONLY that small internal Lithium (usually)

is designed to keep that one parameter chip active between

power outages.......

anyway, hope that sheds light.....

I had a non powering Poly800 when i first purchased it,

while i was getting 9v into the unit, i wasnt getting the +5,-5V to the
various analog circuits.
Try testing the leads to the joystick for +5, -5V, or if the ex doesnt
have the joystick, just look for the other +/-5v parts of the circuit
using the schematic to assist you.

be careful not to fry the cmos by random poking around.

if you dont have those voltages then the problem is in the power supply
circuit. the schematic is available in the group archive, so could be
useful for you to trace it down.

I ended up replacing two power transistors that were fried, and all
came back to life, well nearly all.

I now have a working midi control keyboard, but it looks like the tone
generator chip is fried. i can enter patches, have reloaded the
original factory .wav thru my laptop and all details appear in the
program banks, just no audio.

An oscilliscope over the board shows clock etc is getting to the tone
generator, but nothing is coming out of it.

Anyone got a dead poly theyd like to donate a tone generator from?

similarly, if your poly was working and now aint, could be the polarity
of your voltage input? are you sure you are using the same power
adapter? from memory the poly is -ve tip not +ve tip.

If you follow the schematic thru and see where your voltage is not
correct in the power supply circuit, you will maybe find the culprit is
one of those transistors.

Otherwise it may also be leaky caps or other issues, it didnt seem to
be with mine.

Best Regards,

Marcus Wilson
Research and Development Manager
Sun Industries
33 Guthrie Street Osborne Park WA 6017
Ph: (08) 9244 2200 Fx: (08) 9244 3470
Email: marcus@... Web: www.sunindustries.com.au

Thanks for the tips.

Update: It appears that it isn't completely dead. (It's like in the
movies--the good guys look dead, but then miraculously wake up.)
About 20 seconds after powering it up, it goes into a long white
noise swoosh--sort of like the Attack was set really long. But that's
it... no LEDs, no way to modify that one sound, no way to stop it, no
response to MIDI note events. Any other ideas?

The idea of trying to send it patches seems like something to try.
Next question: how to do it? I have CakeWalk Music Creator 2002. Can
that if I get a bank of patches, and where do I get some to try?

You could try removing the battery backup, it may be that the poly's
memory is corrupted, maybe the backup battery is almost flat, so its
partly retained its memory.
and because the battery is still there, it wont ever clear.

By removing all power, you can start it from cold. and it should then
power up in its default (with no patches) and with leds showing.

You can then re-load the factory patches from the .wav's in this
group's archive.

That might be worth a shot,

Best Regards,

Marcus Wilson

On 09/03/2004, at 11:12 AM, jadeappel wrote:

> Thanks for the tips.
>
> Update: It appears that it isn't completely dead. (It's like in the
> movies--the good guys look dead, but then miraculously wake up.)
> About 20 seconds after powering it up, it goes into a long white
> noise swoosh--sort of like the Attack was set really long. But that's
> it... no LEDs, no way to modify that one sound, no way to stop it, no
> response to MIDI note events. Any other ideas?
>
> The idea of trying to send it patches seems like something to try.
> Next question: how to do it? I have CakeWalk Music Creator 2002. Can
> that if I get a bank of patches, and where do I get some to try?
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
Marcus Wilson
Research and Development Manager
Sun Industries
33 Guthrie Street Osborne Park WA 6017
Ph: (08) 9244 2200 Fx: (08) 9244 3470
Email: marcus@... Web: www.sunindustries.com.au

Tried removing the battery, waiting a while, but still no LEDs, so I
can't load any patches. Looks like it's toast, but it still produces
a swishing sound a few cesonds after power up, so maybe only part of
it is toast.

Anyone know where I can get a schematic? It would be handy to have a
PDF up in the Files section.

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, JB <JB@d...> wrote:
> You could try removing the battery backup, it may be that the
poly's
> memory is corrupted, maybe the backup battery is almost flat, so
its
> partly retained its memory.
> and because the battery is still there, it wont ever clear.
>
> By removing all power, you can start it from cold. and it should
then
> power up in its default (with no patches) and with leds showing.
>
> You can then re-load the factory patches from the .wav's in this
> group's archive.
>
> That might be worth a shot,
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcus Wilson
> On 09/03/2004, at 11:12 AM, jadeappel wrote:

schematic is in the files section.

if you still cant locate a copy let me know

Best Regards,

Marcus Wilson
PS did you check your +5v/-5v rails they should be marked at the board
junctions where appropriate, i remember the joystick in particular
being marked.

On Tuesday, March 23, 2004, at 04:19 AM, jadeappel wrote:

> Tried removing the battery, waiting a while, but still no LEDs, so I
> can't load any patches. Looks like it's toast, but it still produces
> a swishing sound a few cesonds after power up, so maybe only part of
> it is toast.
>
> Anyone know where I can get a schematic? It would be handy to have a
> PDF up in the Files section.
>
> --- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, JB <JB@d...> wrote:
>> You could try removing the battery backup, it may be that the
> poly's
>> memory is corrupted, maybe the backup battery is almost flat, so
> its
>> partly retained its memory.
>> and because the battery is still there, it wont ever clear.
>>
>> By removing all power, you can start it from cold. and it should
> then
>> power up in its default (with no patches) and with leds showing.
>>
>> You can then re-load the factory patches from the .wav's in this
>> group's archive.
>>
>> That might be worth a shot,
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> Marcus Wilson
>> On 09/03/2004, at 11:12 AM, jadeappel wrote:
>
>
>
>
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Try :
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/korgpolyex/files/Technical/

-


-- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, "jadeappel" <jdnova@m...> wrote:

> Tried removing the battery, waiting a while, but still no LEDs, so

I

> can't load any patches. Looks like it's toast, but it still

produces

> a swishing sound a few cesonds after power up, so maybe only part of