Discussion about the Korg PolySix synthesizer

I'm about to build this unit for my P6

http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html

Has anyone built it ? any comments ?

Gil,

Funny you should mention this. Just this weekend I
hooked up my old PolySix to find out that the dreaded
battery corrosion has probably occurred. The synth
sounds terrible. After it warms up I can play a few
patches, but then after several minutes everything
goes crazy. I was able to get a decent arp going and a
nice SH-32 pad on top was a great sound. Naturally the
Polysix had a boost from my Yamaha FX900. I doubt I'd
ever use the Poly without effects. But I like it's
darker sound than my newer synths and hope to get it
back to spec.

So I googled for info and found the guy with all the
instructions and pictures on how to clean the keyboard
and replace the battery. I'd never attempt this
myself. Nor would I try adding MIDI myself. Seems way
too complicated. I don't have the time, patience,
skill or knowledge, and would rather pay someone else
to do it right. I'm sure I could manage to extract the
board myself and then mail it off.

I don't know that I need MIDI for it. If I ever get it
working again, I thought I'd mess around with saving
patches to tape, which I never did, as I didn't have
the manual. But I finally tracked down a PDF of the
manual and I'm intrigued by archaic storage methods
like that. Just curious to see it in action.

Good luck and keep us posted.

-Gary

--- gil_we <gil_we@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I'm about to build this unit for my P6
>
> http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
>
> Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
>
>
>
>

Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's not bad.

What are you using to program the PIC?

~GMM

At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:

>I'm about to build this unit for my P6
>
><http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
>
>Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
>
>
>
>
>
>PolySix "Digiest" Page:
><http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
>
>
>
>----------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A friend is going to burn it.


--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
<greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:

> Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's not

bad.

>
> What are you using to program the PIC?
>
> ~GMM
>
> At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> >I'm about to build this unit for my P6
> >
>
><http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfi

re.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html

> >
> >Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >PolySix "Digiest" Page:
>
><http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly

6

> >
> >
> >
> >----------
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
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>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Let us know how it turns out --
I'm currently playing with the idea of cloning an old Canadian MIDI board
for the Polysix -- has a bit more to it (keyboard MIDI out, for example),
but is a lot more complex (& expensive).

~GMM

At 06:28 PM 3/23/04 +0000, you wrote:

>A friend is going to burn it.
>
>
>--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
><greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:
> > Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's not
>bad.
> >
> > What are you using to program the PIC?
> >
> > ~GMM
> >
> > At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> > >I'm about to build this unit for my P6
> > >
> >
> ><<http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfire
> com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfi
>re.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
> > >
> > >Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >PolySix "Digiest" Page:
> >
> ><<http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>h
> ttp://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly
>6
> > >
> > >
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>PolySix/
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I talked to Bojan (author of that MIDI retrofit) a few times via email.
He certainly knows his stuff. His disassembled and annotated pages of the
KLM-366 and KLM-367 microcontrollers are immaculate, and have been very
helpful in my work trying to my the MIDI version of my replacement KLM-367
board.

On that note, I just received the bare boards for the production run of
KLM-367 clone circuit boards. I now have all the parts needed to have my
assembly house do the production run. These are the direct drop-in boards
that entirely replace battery-damaged/ruined KLM-367 patch manager boards
and use the original 8048 microcontroller (not PICs).

When I have units ready to sell, I'll let this list know. Those who
sent emails asking will also receive private emails once they are ready to
ship. At least I can say that time is getting close at last.

Information on this project, for those who do not know about it already,
is here:

http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/crowlm367/

One note: these are not the 'new' KLM-367 version I am currently working
on, which will use PIC microcontrollers and feature keyboard and parameter
MIDI as well as flash-based patch storage (no battery anymore!) This
version is many months away yet as the coding for them is quite complex.

Scott Rider
Old Crow's Synth Shop
/**/

Bojan's circuit looks very simple ! Actually I think I'm gonna build
the Midi-to-CV converter as well, for mu MS-10.




--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
<greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:

> Let us know how it turns out --
> I'm currently playing with the idea of cloning an old Canadian MIDI

board

> for the Polysix -- has a bit more to it (keyboard MIDI out, for

example),

> but is a lot more complex (& expensive).
>
> ~GMM
>
> At 06:28 PM 3/23/04 +0000, you wrote:
> >A friend is going to burn it.
> >
> >
> >--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
> ><greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:
> > > Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's

not

> >bad.
> > >
> > > What are you using to program the PIC?
> > >
> > > ~GMM
> > >
> > > At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> > > >I'm about to build this unit for my P6
> > > >
> > >
> >
><<http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelf

ire.

> > com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfi
> >re.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
> > > >
> > > >Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >PolySix "Digiest" Page:
> > >
> >
><<http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Pol

y6>h

> > ttp://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly
> >6
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >----------
> > > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > > * To visit your group on the web, go to:
> > > > *
> > > >
>
><<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolySix/>http://groups.yahoo.com/grou

p/PolySix/>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/

> >PolySix/
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> > > > * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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Yahoo!

> > Terms of Service.
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> >
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Thanks Crow,

What are the advantages of the 2nd version on the 1st one, except for
the Midi Through ?

DO I have to prgram anything in order to set the P6 midi channel ?
is it fixed by the PIC programming ?

--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, The Old Crow <oldcrow@o...> wrote:
>
> I talked to Bojan (author of that MIDI retrofit) a few times via
email.
> He certainly knows his stuff. His disassembled and annotated pages
of the
> KLM-366 and KLM-367 microcontrollers are immaculate, and have been
very
> helpful in my work trying to my the MIDI version of my replacement
KLM-367
> board.
>
> On that note, I just received the bare boards for the production
run of
> KLM-367 clone circuit boards. I now have all the parts needed to
have my
> assembly house do the production run. These are the direct drop-in
boards
> that entirely replace battery-damaged/ruined KLM-367 patch manager
boards
> and use the original 8048 microcontroller (not PICs).
>
> When I have units ready to sell, I'll let this list know. Those
who
> sent emails asking will also receive private emails once they are
ready to
> ship. At least I can say that time is getting close at last.
>
> Information on this project, for those who do not know about it
already,
> is here:
>
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/crowlm367/
>
> One note: these are not the 'new' KLM-367 version I am currently
working
> on, which will use PIC microcontrollers and feature keyboard and
parameter
> MIDI as well as flash-based patch storage (no battery anymore!)
This
> version is many months away yet as the coding for them is quite
complex.
>
> Scott Rider
> Old Crow's Synth Shop
> /**/

http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6/stuff/p6list1

on the linked page I found this

"MIDI implementation? It's possible, but is it reliable? Everyone I
know
who has gotten this modification says their occilators no longer work
properly and the sound just doesnt produce the same tone."

What do you think ? does this make any sense ?

--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, The Old Crow <oldcrow@o...> wrote:
>
> I talked to Bojan (author of that MIDI retrofit) a few times via
email.
> He certainly knows his stuff. His disassembled and annotated pages
of the
> KLM-366 and KLM-367 microcontrollers are immaculate, and have been
very
> helpful in my work trying to my the MIDI version of my replacement
KLM-367
> board.
>
> On that note, I just received the bare boards for the production
run of
> KLM-367 clone circuit boards. I now have all the parts needed to
have my
> assembly house do the production run. These are the direct drop-in
boards
> that entirely replace battery-damaged/ruined KLM-367 patch manager
boards
> and use the original 8048 microcontroller (not PICs).
>
> When I have units ready to sell, I'll let this list know. Those
who
> sent emails asking will also receive private emails once they are
ready to
> ship. At least I can say that time is getting close at last.
>
> Information on this project, for those who do not know about it
already,
> is here:
>
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/crowlm367/
>
> One note: these are not the 'new' KLM-367 version I am currently
working
> on, which will use PIC microcontrollers and feature keyboard and
parameter
> MIDI as well as flash-based patch storage (no battery anymore!)
This
> version is many months away yet as the coding for them is quite
complex.
>
> Scott Rider
> Old Crow's Synth Shop
> /**/

Well, see if he'll run off a spare -- I'll buy it from him.

Thanks.

~GMM

At 06:28 PM 3/23/04 +0000, you wrote:

>A friend is going to burn it.
>
>
>--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
><greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:
> > Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's not
>bad.
> >
> > What are you using to program the PIC?
> >
> > ~GMM
> >
> > At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> > >I'm about to build this unit for my P6
> > >
> >
> ><<http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfire
> com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfi
>re.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
> > >
> > >Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >PolySix "Digiest" Page:
> >
> ><<http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>h
> ttp://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly
>6
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >----------
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> > > * To visit your group on the web, go to:
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>PolySix/
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

I managed to burn the PIC in the local electronics dealer.


--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
<greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:

> Well, see if he'll run off a spare -- I'll buy it from him.
>
> Thanks.
>
> ~GMM
>
> At 06:28 PM 3/23/04 +0000, you wrote:
> >A friend is going to burn it.
> >
> >
> >--- In PolySix@yahoogroups.com, greg montalbano
> ><greg.montalbano@u...> wrote:
> > > Haven't seen that one before -- for a bare minimum unit, it's

not

> >bad.
> > >
> > > What are you using to program the PIC?
> > >
> > > ~GMM
> > >
> > > At 05:28 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> > > >I'm about to build this unit for my P6
> > > >
> > >
> >
><<http://www.angelfire.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelf

ire.

> > com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html>http://www.angelfi
> >re.com/geek/srlabs/p6retro.html
> > > >
> > > >Has anyone built it ? any comments ?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >PolySix "Digiest" Page:
> > >
> >
><<http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6>http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Pol

y6>h

> > ttp://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly
> >6
> > > >
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