Korg Polysix repair

[P.A.R.T.Y]

I'm now in possession of a failing Korg polysix.
I made 1 fatal mistake and probably discovered another. While cleaning it, I managed to knock some solder on the board that shorted the fuse when I turned it on.
Also, it has the classsic battery problem and the circuit board has some corrosive damage which is screwing up the CPU. I'm a fairly clumsy person when it comes to soldering, but the information is readily available through the internet.
Old Crow's Synth Shop: Korg Polysix Upgrade/Repair Overview

The procedure looks to be outside my capabilites, since I don't own a couple of the items that are needed to repair the synth (eg. Soldering gun or Dremel drill-press)
My alternatives are:
Backline - Vancouver Backline Rentals & Pro Audio Repairs
or another electronics store, such as the one near Broadway and McDonald. Hopefully , they won't charge too much.

It was a good deal, so I've accounted for this kind of problem. The synth produces a very nice sound once its working.

[mapleleaf4ever]

how aggressively were you cleaning that thing?!

[P.A.R.T.Y]

Not to aggressively. I was using Kleenex to wipe dust off the boards. I must have kicked up some solder which got lodged between 2 resisters, that caused the short.
Otherwise, it may be some other loose connection. Whatever the case, the Synthesizer was not saving patches, the keys were all but dead, and some of the switches were inactive.
Still, it is a beautiful analog synth which I will bring back to life as long as I can find the proper technician to repair it.

[mapleleaf4ever]

Good luck! That'll be a sweet machine when you get it back in running order.

Maybe shoot a message off to Seguin on here. He's a synth-nut as well.

P.S. No Kleenex next time! Canned Air or stfu!

[Drazkers]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

.

P.S. No Kleenex next time! Canned Air or stfu!

so true

[P.A.R.T.Y]

I talked with the kind folks at backline and they have a lot of experience fixing the polysix, so I will put it in their capable hands.
Any more attempts at fixing it myself would certainly render the synthesizer inoperable.
You should have heard it when it was playing. Since it was slightly fucked up already, it had a very interesting sounds which I regret I didn't record. However, I would much rather having a fully working synth then something that was consistently malfunctioning. It's a 3/10 at the moment, but it will be a 10/10 soon enough. Cheers y'all!

[P.A.R.T.Y]

Went with Arc Electronics as they were closer and I've dealt with them before. Some dude told me that Backline was super expensive. Here's a link to their shop. ARC Electronics : Electronic Music Equipment Repairs

[inside]

Probly cheaper to get a new polysix. I love the chords you can get out of this machine.

[P.A.R.T.Y]

This is a magic synth all the way. I bought it for cheap and I'm only hoping to get the memory working and clean the keys and board. I'm not expecting miracles on the part of ARC, but I know I've taken it to the right place. A new Polysix could cost me $600, but I'm looking to spend half the price.
I've also used the Korg Monopoly and I never really liked the sound. The Polysix is way fatter and sounds more analog. The Monopoly is more complicated and has more controls for the oscillators, but the sounds themselves are limited to the "budget" waveforms that come with the unit. I wouldn't mind getting a Prophet 5 or Arp 2600 next. Tom Lee has a Creamware synth that looks nice called the Prodyssey ABS that also looks really promising. Unfortunately, it's a rack mount. Also, they have the new Prophet 8 and Moog Voyager, but the price is ridiculous and I don't trust something that claims to be analog and features USB.

At the end of the day, the Korg Polysix is a great investment. Someday, this synth will be impossibly rare to purchase and those who have them will be lucky. I feel lucky that I have the good sense to want to own something that is so fun to play.

[inside]

The new prophet 8 sounds like shit=(

[P.A.R.T.Y]

ARC fixed it all up for $117, so now I have 3 and 97 to go (I'm planning on buying 100 synths) I'll send pics of the unit on my next post. It's been pretty fucked up by previous owners, so I'll do a b4 and after shot. hehe..fun.

[Drazkers]

nice, congrats on getting it fixed up

[inside]

I wanna hear a tune!!!!

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by P.A.R.T.Y

Went with Arc Electronics as they were closer and I've dealt with them before. Some dude told me that Backline was super expensive. Here's a link to their shop. ARC Electronics : Electronic Music Equipment Repairs

I was just going to suggest them. Arc is in the basement at Tom Lee. They're nice, honest guys. Nice piece of gear you got there. Glad they could do it for ya'.

[shift]

Originally Posted by P.A.R.T.Y

so now I have 3 and 97 to go (I'm planning on buying 100 synths)

Dude, where are going to keep 100 synths? I've got 9 or 10 myself and I'm already looking at downsizing because of space issues.

[P.A.R.T.Y]

Probably have to put some in storage for a couple months. Yeah, ARC is great, I was thinking it would have been twice as much. They said all the keys are A-OK, something about cleaning key contacts and a bird's nest of dirt on the pots and trims.
The sooner I can start making some nice tunes that old-school synth is so capable of producing. Nice twisting leads are essential in dance music, and the more bizarre the better if you ask me.
As for new music, I've got some new tracks coming up soon, in the meanwhile check out Freaky Chakra
The guy has made a no charge listening station! The nice throbbing drone will be heavily sampled on my next acid track.

[Séguin]

Originally Posted by inside

Probly cheaper to get a new polysix. I love the chords you can get out of this machine.

wtf? last time I checked, all polyphonic instruments were capable of producing the same chords.

[inside]

Originally Posted by Séguin

wtf? last time I checked, all polyphonic instruments were capable of producing the same chords.

different synths have different sounding filters, oscilators, envolpe shapes. lack of complex modulation routes on the polysix makes for some tasty simple I am Rick James Biatch lfo to the pitch modulation.

get it?

[Séguin]

I know how a synth works. I'm not an idiot. I've even owned a PolySix in the past.

A G9 chord is a G9 chord, a Dm chord is a Dm. It doesn't matter what synth plays it. It doesn't even have to be a synth, could be a piano, harp, harpsichord, organ, guitar, lute, vibraphone, marimba or or anything else capable of producing a multitude of tones at the same time. The PolySix doesn't have its own set of "exclusive chords".

[inside]

Originally Posted by Séguin

I know how a synth works. I'm not an idiot. I've even owned a PolySix in the past.

A G9 chord is a G9 chord, a Dm chord is a Dm. It doesn't matter what synth plays it. It doesn't even have to be a synth, could be a piano, harp, harpsichord, organ, guitar, lute, vibraphone, marimba or or anything else capable of producing a multitude of tones at the same time. The PolySix doesn't have its own set of "exclusive chords".

It's great how you know how a synth works. Now picture this you have one synth, let's call it a korg polysix. Now you have this other synth, it's called a Roland Jupiter 8. We will set both up with similar patches. Now play a triad on the ploysix. Play the same triad on the Jupiter 8. They may be the same notes, but the two different synths sound way different, even with similar patches.

I like the polysix cause you can get some great retro sounding patches that sound great as chords.

That's what I probly should have posted before, to make it simple.

[mapleleaf4ever]

Originally Posted by inside

They may be the same notes, but the two different synths sound way different, even with similar patches.

I like the polysix cause you can get some great retro sounding patches that sound great as chords.

That's what I probly should have posted before, to make it simple.

Yup... so basically you should have just said you like the sound of the Polysix better.

No confusion there.

[inside]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

Yup... so basically you should have just said you like the sound of the Polysix better.

No confusion there.

I didn't say that. I just said it's got some tasty sounding chords. (patches that sound good at chords)

[Séguin]

Ya... same CHORDS. I'm aware that different synths have different sounds. But they are all capable of producing the same chords as eachother. The PolySix can't produce chords that an Andromeda, or a Mono/Poly, or a Juno 106 can't. What you said originally just doesn't make sense. Admit it.

[inside]

Originally Posted by Séguin

Ya... same CHORDS. I'm aware that different synths have different sounds. But they are all capable of producing the same chords as eachother. The PolySix can't produce chords that an Andromeda, or a Mono/Poly, or a Juno 106 can't. What you said originally just doesn't make sense. Admit it.

I think anybody that's into synths like me would have got it right away. A common refrence to the synths sound when playing Fiths in big Mags like SOS is "The Fiths sound great", which translates to the synth has good sounding patches when playing chords.

[NinjaBoy]

You both look like dumbasses in this thread.

Why does every thread that talks about synths turns into people playing "Who's cock is bigger?"