Discussion about the Korg PolySix synthesizer

Hi, my name is Doyal, im new to this board. a while back i traded an old laptop for a polysix that had been sitting unused in a basement i think. It didnt seem to be functioning much at all. Would turn on and there was some minimal noises. There was the obvious battery leakage that they all seem to get. So I took it to a local repair man that specializes in music equipment. Mainly Fender amps. But he does other stuff and usually a good job. He said he would look at it and try to get it to work. So after over a month, he decided it wasnt worth fixing, and gave it back to me and didnt charge me anything (gave him a few bucks anyways). But he did repair it a bit to where it makes lots more noise and i can use it a little bit. But its definitely not function properly. The VCO section doesnt seem to be adjustable at all. and its gets loud randomly. So i guess my main question is where do i start? I have very little knowledge of electronics. Should i try to find someone else? fix it myself? send it some where? It really think it is worth fixing, but basically this guy didnt want to charge me a ton to fix it and probably it would have been a lot of work and I dont think he was up to it. I apologize for the lengthy post. But i really hope someone can help. I have a decent collection of gear and this would be my first real analogue synth. All the rest are VA's. I was pretty let down when he said it wasnt worth fixing.

thanks much. glad to find this board!
-doyal

The reason he said it wasn�t worth fixing is because of just that:  
money. It can be fixed, but it takes a professional too much time, so  
it would be expensive. You would be better off to buy a fully working  
one on eBay for a silly prize.
Or - you can fix it yourself. It takes time, because the battery  
leakage problems need to be addressed in full (cleaning, redoing  
traces, new battery and probably some other parts etc.).
What you need is this:
http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/repair.html

And then the service manual:
http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/manuals/service/miniserv.html

And of course: plenty of your own time   :-)
It can be done (I have done several). Look through the web pages and  
documents and decide if you want to do this.
Good luck!


tw.  :)

Den 16. nov.. 2011 kl. 05.34 skrev myndseter:

> Hi, my name is Doyal, im new to this board. a while back i traded an  
> old laptop for a polysix that had been sitting unused in a basement  
> i think. It didnt seem to be functioning much at all. Would turn on  
> and there was some minimal noises. There was the obvious battery  
> leakage that they all seem to get. So I took it to a local repair  
> man that specializes in music equipment. Mainly Fender amps. But he  
> does other stuff and usually a good job. He said he would look at it  
> and try to get it to work. So after over a month, he decided it  
> wasnt worth fixing, and gave it back to me and didnt charge me  
> anything (gave him a few bucks anyways). But he did repair it a bit  
> to where it makes lots more noise and i can use it a little bit. But  
> its definitely not function properly. The VCO section doesnt seem to  
> be adjustable at all. and its gets loud randomly. So i guess my main  
> question is where do i start? I have very little knowledge of  
> electronics. Should i try to find someone else? fix it myself? send  
> it some where? It really think it is worth fixing, but basically  
> this guy didnt want to charge me a ton to fix it and probably it  
> would have been a lot of work and I dont think he was up to it. I  
> apologize for the lengthy post. But i really hope someone can help.  
> I have a decent collection of gear and this would be my first real  
> analogue synth. All the rest are VA's. I was pretty let down when he  
> said it wasnt worth fixing.
>
> thanks much. glad to find this board!
> -doyal
>
>
> 

Terje Winther
terje.winther@wintherstormer.no
http://www.wintherstormer.no/






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Alternatively, if the battery damage is extensive, you or a tech can build
a new KLM-367. I sell the PCBs for $20 here:
http://sites.google.com/site/jedjorgensen/  Building the new PCB is time
consuming and parts will cost about $100, but if done right will probably
go a long ways towards getting you back into action (there may be problems
on other boards that you won't be able to identify until the 367 is fully
operational).

Best of luck to you!

Jed

On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 1:42 AM, Terje Winther <
terje.winther@wintherstormer.no> wrote:

> The reason he said it wasn´t worth fixing is because of just that:
> money. It can be fixed, but it takes a professional too much time, so
> it would be expensive. You would be better off to buy a fully working
> one on eBay for a silly prize.
> Or - you can fix it yourself. It takes time, because the battery
> leakage problems need to be addressed in full (cleaning, redoing
> traces, new battery and probably some other parts etc.).
> What you need is this:
> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/repair.html
>
> And then the service manual:
>
> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/manuals/service/miniserv.html
>
> And of course: plenty of your own time   :-)
> It can be done (I have done several). Look through the web pages and
> documents and decide if you want to do this.
> Good luck!
>
>
> tw.  :)
>
> Den 16. nov.. 2011 kl. 05.34 skrev myndseter:
>
> > Hi, my name is Doyal, im new to this board. a while back i traded an
> > old laptop for a polysix that had been sitting unused in a basement
> > i think. It didnt seem to be functioning much at all. Would turn on
> > and there was some minimal noises. There was the obvious battery
> > leakage that they all seem to get. So I took it to a local repair
> > man that specializes in music equipment. Mainly Fender amps. But he
> > does other stuff and usually a good job. He said he would look at it
> > and try to get it to work. So after over a month, he decided it
> > wasnt worth fixing, and gave it back to me and didnt charge me
> > anything (gave him a few bucks anyways). But he did repair it a bit
> > to where it makes lots more noise and i can use it a little bit. But
> > its definitely not function properly. The VCO section doesnt seem to
> > be adjustable at all. and its gets loud randomly. So i guess my main
> > question is where do i start? I have very little knowledge of
> > electronics. Should i try to find someone else? fix it myself? send
> > it some where? It really think it is worth fixing, but basically
> > this guy didnt want to charge me a ton to fix it and probably it
> > would have been a lot of work and I dont think he was up to it. I
> > apologize for the lengthy post. But i really hope someone can help.
> > I have a decent collection of gear and this would be my first real
> > analogue synth. All the rest are VA's. I was pretty let down when he
> > said it wasnt worth fixing.
> >
> > thanks much. glad to find this board!
> > -doyal
> >
> >
> >
>
> Terje Winther
> terje.winther@wintherstormer.no
> http://www.wintherstormer.no/
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

thanks for the reply. It doesnt have a battery at all in it right now. I plan on fixing that soon. Do you have any idea why the VCO section is not able to be adjusted? Im sorry that im so unexperienced with all this. I just dont really know what to do and i dont just want to give up on the unit. The sounds im getting now is just a very basic analogue sound. but all the other sections seem to be adjustable. I really dont think the traces are bad. What exactly are PCB's? there is a bit of corrosion on them, but there is copper underneath.. Honestly if i can just get the VCO section functioning i would be really happy. The sounds it makes are kind of malfunctioning, but i like it. almost dont know what you are going to get sound wise. Its sort of dirty and messed up. kinda cool.

Someone talked about doing a reset adjustment and said its in the files section, but i was unable to find that. Any help with that would be much appreciated. Does any of you live in the upstate NY area?

thanks very much.

-Doyal

--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, Terje Winther <terje.winther@...> wrote:

>
> The reason he said it wasn´t worth fixing is because of just that:  
> money. It can be fixed, but it takes a professional too much time, so  
> it would be expensive. You would be better off to buy a fully working  
> one on eBay for a silly prize.
> Or - you can fix it yourself. It takes time, because the battery  
> leakage problems need to be addressed in full (cleaning, redoing  
> traces, new battery and probably some other parts etc.).
> What you need is this:
> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/repair.html
> 
> And then the service manual:
> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/manuals/service/miniserv.html
> 
> And of course: plenty of your own time   :-)
> It can be done (I have done several). Look through the web pages and  
> documents and decide if you want to do this.
> Good luck!
> 
> 
> tw.  :)
> 
> Den 16. nov.. 2011 kl. 05.34 skrev myndseter:
> 
> > Hi, my name is Doyal, im new to this board. a while back i traded an  
> > old laptop for a polysix that had been sitting unused in a basement  
> > i think. It didnt seem to be functioning much at all. Would turn on  
> > and there was some minimal noises. There was the obvious battery  
> > leakage that they all seem to get. So I took it to a local repair  
> > man that specializes in music equipment. Mainly Fender amps. But he  
> > does other stuff and usually a good job. He said he would look at it  
> > and try to get it to work. So after over a month, he decided it  
> > wasnt worth fixing, and gave it back to me and didnt charge me  
> > anything (gave him a few bucks anyways). But he did repair it a bit  
> > to where it makes lots more noise and i can use it a little bit. But  
> > its definitely not function properly. The VCO section doesnt seem to  
> > be adjustable at all. and its gets loud randomly. So i guess my main  
> > question is where do i start? I have very little knowledge of  
> > electronics. Should i try to find someone else? fix it myself? send  
> > it some where? It really think it is worth fixing, but basically  
> > this guy didnt want to charge me a ton to fix it and probably it  
> > would have been a lot of work and I dont think he was up to it. I  
> > apologize for the lengthy post. But i really hope someone can help.  
> > I have a decent collection of gear and this would be my first real  
> > analogue synth. All the rest are VA's. I was pretty let down when he  
> > said it wasnt worth fixing.
> >
> > thanks much. glad to find this board!
> > -doyal
> >
> >
> > 
> 
> Terje Winther
> terje.winther@...
> http://www.wintherstormer.no/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Hi Doyal,

On 19 nov. 2011, at 00:57, myndseter wrote:

> thanks for the reply. It doesnt have a battery at all in it right now. I plan on fixing that soon. Do you have any idea why the VCO section is not able to be adjusted? Im sorry that im so unexperienced with all this. I just dont really know what to do and i dont just want to give up on the unit. The sounds im getting now is just a very basic analogue sound. but all the other sections seem to be adjustable. I really dont think the traces are bad. What exactly are PCB's?

PCB = printed circuit board

> there is a bit of corrosion on them, but there is copper underneath..

Compare the area around where the battery used to be with the picture here:
http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/battfix/clipic31_sm.jpg

This is what corrosion by battery leakage looks like. Traces on the pcb should be light-green. If they are dark or even black, that is corrosion and you are in for some major repair work. Perhaps that was also the conclusion of your repair man. However, many people here have done that repair, and if you're handy with a soldering iron you should be able to do it yourself. See the Old Crow's site (links below) for excellent instructions.

> Honestly if i can just get the VCO section functioning i would be really happy. The sounds it makes are kind of malfunctioning, but i like it. almost dont know what you are going to get sound wise. Its sort of dirty and messed up. kinda cool.
> 
> Someone talked about doing a reset adjustment and said its in the files section, but i was unable to find that.

It should be in the service manual (Polysix_Service_Manual.pdf) in the files section.

Good luck,
Ben

> Any help with that would be much appreciated. Does any of you live in the upstate NY area?
> 
> thanks very much.
> 
> -Doyal
> 
> --- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, Terje Winther <terje.winther@...> wrote:
>> 
>> The reason he said it wasn´t worth fixing is because of just that:  
>> money. It can be fixed, but it takes a professional too much time, so  
>> it would be expensive. You would be better off to buy a fully working  
>> one on eBay for a silly prize.
>> Or - you can fix it yourself. It takes time, because the battery  
>> leakage problems need to be addressed in full (cleaning, redoing  
>> traces, new battery and probably some other parts etc.).
>> What you need is this:
>> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/repair.html
>> 
>> And then the service manual:
>> http://oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/manuals/service/miniserv.html
>> 
>> And of course: plenty of your own time   :-)
>> It can be done (I have done several). Look through the web pages and  
>> documents and decide if you want to do this.
>> Good luck!
>> 
>> 
>> tw.  :)
>> 
>> Den 16. nov.. 2011 kl. 05.34 skrev myndseter:
>> 
>>> Hi, my name is Doyal, im new to this board. a while back i traded an  
>>> old laptop for a polysix that had been sitting unused in a basement  
>>> i think. It didnt seem to be functioning much at all. Would turn on  
>>> and there was some minimal noises. There was the obvious battery  
>>> leakage that they all seem to get. So I took it to a local repair  
>>> man that specializes in music equipment. Mainly Fender amps. But he  
>>> does other stuff and usually a good job. He said he would look at it  
>>> and try to get it to work. So after over a month, he decided it  
>>> wasnt worth fixing, and gave it back to me and didnt charge me  
>>> anything (gave him a few bucks anyways). But he did repair it a bit  
>>> to where it makes lots more noise and i can use it a little bit. But  
>>> its definitely not function properly. The VCO section doesnt seem to  
>>> be adjustable at all. and its gets loud randomly. So i guess my main  
>>> question is where do i start? I have very little knowledge of  
>>> electronics. Should i try to find someone else? fix it myself? send  
>>> it some where? It really think it is worth fixing, but basically  
>>> this guy didnt want to charge me a ton to fix it and probably it  
>>> would have been a lot of work and I dont think he was up to it. I  
>>> apologize for the lengthy post. But i really hope someone can help.  
>>> I have a decent collection of gear and this would be my first real  
>>> analogue synth. All the rest are VA's. I was pretty let down when he  
>>> said it wasnt worth fixing.
>>> 
>>> thanks much. glad to find this board!
>>> -doyal
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Terje Winther
>> terje.winther@...
>> http://www.wintherstormer.no/
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
>