mrmanatee hi. That is so awesome. Thank you. :) It’s crazy to realize how care free times were back then. With this world changing so much, synths and music bring us a sense of safety and security as well as some mental work for our minds to keep busy. I have so much programming to do and will be making new videos in the next few days about synthesis and D-50. :) please be well! :)
mrmanatee hi. So true! :) with the D-50, its a pretty simple setup inside, do be careful of the thin ribbon connector copper strip that connects the keybed to the main circuit board. It relays information from the keys and also the after touch information. It is located at the lowest key area of the keyboard by the pitch bender circuit board. This ribbon connector fits into a square socket and can be easily pulled out if you don’t know it’s there. So just open the back of D-50 slowly and gently so the ribbon doesn’t become disconnected. If it does you can easily reseat it back into its rectangular receptacle near the lowest C key. Also be sure to look up and download the service manual as it shows you all it’s parts and where each part is and what it does. :)
Brilliantly explained and very enjoyable to watch. Your calm voice and all the many clever extra tips gave me confidence doing this repairing task. Thank you very much, you are great!
@@TheSynthFreq I did succesfully clean and refurbish the D-50 which I bought used and yesterday I could play and listen to it in all its glory for the first time. What a difference! Throughout the process I was accompanied by your funny and useful comments in your video :) Indeed the D-50 "has a [BIG] dust problem". Thank you so much and if I might buy you a coffee as I little appreciation I´ll be glad (donate button?). BTW I heard your band/combo you should make a little kickstarter and fund an album :) If you need help mixing/ mastering I am at your service. You helped a synth head big time, so happy now. HAPPY EASTER! ❤🎵🐰🥚
@@mcentertain omg this is fantastic news!!! Congratulations my friend!! Long live d-50!!! The donate button option is a good idea. I don’t normal expect anything in return but just knowing that your d-50 is doing wonderful makes my morning!! 🤘🎹😉
I come back to this vid regularly. Such a helpful and clear tutorial. I've just got yet another d50 (my 4th) which needs a bit of tlc. I really must stop selling them! This one is defo a keeper. Hope you are well. X ♥ 🎹 🎶
My second C wasn't work and my second to last key was too loud, after doing these steps it got fixed, my last still don't work, but I am happy for now. Thank you!
Okay, this is Cool! I was trying to find more info on cleaning the aftertouch on my D-50 - and here I find YOU showing the job! :-D What's better than learning from the master!
Thanks for the video, cleaned up the D50 nicely. Bought mine new in July '87, the strange thing is you cant get the center circuit board out for that center section octave. But it all worked out! One thing that freaked me out was once I had it all together there was no sound!...remembered I just turned "local" off..WOW what a relief..lol. No loud notes...nice..!Now my JP6 is on the bench ready for Europa upgrade! Cant wait to control everything through midi on the fly. Tons of fun.Thank you !
Thank you so much! I have the same problem with my Korg Chrome, and unbelievably, none of my music retailers have any keyboard techs. (Including Guitar Center). I am long past any warranty, and now, because of your guidance, I can try to do this myself. Thank you!
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Thank you so very much for this video. I have had a D50 laying around for 20 years with this problem. I will give it a shot with these instructions.
Your explanation on how to remove the keys also goes for the Roland HP-100 piano. Had to search for a very long time before I discovered how the keys be removed. After opening up the keyboard I didn't even notice that the keys are being 'locked' by the transparent strips at the bottom. So it was a real riddle to me how it should be done. Thx!!!
Hi! Thank you very much for spending some time doing this awesome tutorial. I have a JX-8P with some keys not working properly, I'm going to apply your process on it and hopefully that will bring him back to normal.
HI :) No offense taken. I have a bilateral high frequency hearing loss that affects my production of speech but I am working with new hearing aid technology to try and improve my speech clarity. Thanks for letting me know and being kind about it as well. I will be glad to clarify any questions on the information in the video. Just let me know. TSF
I'm hard-of-hearing too and a musician, so I can kinda relate. I could easily see how hearing loss would affect one's speech! Good luck with your journey and hopefully the future brings better tech to help all of us who live with hearing loss. I can't even accompany myself on acoustic guitar without headphones and amplification because I can't hear it well enough!
Thanks! Thanks to this video I was able to take off the keys on my D-10 in order to get a better look at the circuitboard underneath (I'm trying to use the D-10 keyboard with an arduino to make my own midi controller)
I wanted to thank you for making the D-50 Librarian. It's a great, idiotproof program and as soon as I've made some money I'll donate. I downloaded it even before I got my D-50 and have been using it every day since. :) And for the record: I haven't managed to get aftertouch to work either on my D-50, but it does need cleaning.
Together with some other textual tutorials, this helped me cleaning my D-50, so thanks a lot. :) Actually there was a piece of tin foil under one of the rubber contacts, no dust, that was REALLY weird. I don't want to know what the previous owner did to the synth so that a piece of tin foil could get down there...
Great video, thanks! Very helpful. I'll tackle a non-working synth key this weekend. The key feels fine but there's no sound triggered by it. I probably just need to clean the contact.
Everything is beautifully described. One suggestion would be to very gently clean the rubber popple on the contact side as well. Use a medium sized brush similar to a make up applicator. Always seems to help with that particular contact style. They tend to hold on to dust and dirt.
Thanks for your reply and sorry for being impolite and replying back so late. :( I'd rather not open it myself. I have a friend who has much better motor skills than me, so she could help me. She carried my precious D-50 through three train stations and didn't even hit anyone in the head with it! I'd hate it the D-50 were damaged. I hug it every night before I go to sleep (yes, I'm a bit of a weirdo)!
Thanks for that - I glad it's of use to you and all D-50 users. Coding it certainly helped my understanding of the sound architecture - still can't program any decent sounds though!! Oh actually I found the aftertouch does work but isn't as sensitive as it was - the reason I didn't get any aftertouch was because "Ext. Controller" in the menu was set to "Aftertouch" - changing it helped :). But I only found this after taking it all apart - but it gave me a chance to fully clean it.
@wevelve - As TheSynthFreq said, these basic principles work for most keyboards, even though they're all a little different. What I CAN tell you is that I recently did this whole process on a friend's Super JX-10, and was astonished to see the keybed assembly was nearly identical to the D-50! The key mounting, springs, and even the style of keys was exactly the same. Since your JX-8p is from 1985, and the D-50 was 1987, it makes sense they used the same type of construction. Good luck!
@ace Sao corps (continued...) ....the key might not sit straight on the keybed frame. As far as you Aftertouch, this is sensed by the white, felt pad under the keys. They wear out over time it seems. Mine hardly works at all anymore, so perhaps that's what you may be experiencing on your D-50? Good luck!
I have a strange issue with my digipiano. The b and c keys have trouble sounding during scale runs or trills. Take note the problem occurs when they are played consecutively or one after the other. Played togeth er they work fine. In combination w/ other notes its fine. this happens to b&c and f&f# in all octaves. I appreciate all the input.
@TheSynthFreq On some keys they are 127, some of them are behaving normally and a few of them behave strangely, that is, they are sometimes 127 and sometimes normal. One of the black dots that make the contact broke out of one key (I don't mind that too much), but replacing it with something else (for example, a button from a old remote controller) will work as well. I might open it up again soon, but synths are one type of electronics that are hard to disassemble and assemble back.
I have an EP-760 and I'm cleaning the contacts of the board with alcohol 70%, but I notice that the Q-tips are getting dark, and when I see is like a blacksand finish i every contact, but I don't know if it's dirt or part of the board??? can you help me I don't know if I'm damage the board or not?
HI :) Thanks. :) I wish you luck with the work! Spray cleaner is actually more of a hazard for the synths since spraying anything into the keys while the synth is put together can introduce spray onto the PCB and might dislodge the sensor under the key along with allowing too much chemical into the synth. Its best to clean the PCB and under the tightly 'sealed' contact strip, spray wouldn't reach the area that needs cleaning unfortunately. The strip needs to be removed completely.
thanks for this video as was very helpful. I have a key (3rd G# ) is not working. But I cleaned up the circuit board conacts and even swapped a rubber contact around and for that one key this still did not work (while the rubber contact worked well on the other keys - I just flipped the rubber section around). Do you think the circuit board is just broken for 1 key possible, as wonderinf if I really need to replace the whole board (thats if you can even get them anywhere) or do I really need to try and give that contact a good clean again? I even used the pencil trick and cleaned it up after but no difference.. Thanks in advance.
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I have another problem with D50, lower octave does not operate, up to the first E. If I send through midi it's fine, but the keys do not work. I have had this problem since the 90's when i took it apart for cleaning. Any help anybody?
Very informational video, keep it up! I just got a Roland d50 literally for 20 dollars, an older woman's son had it. I don't have the card if any info on how to get hold of them would help. Thanks for any help!
@friskyrabbit HI :) Yes. Absolutely. These synths are over 20 years old. D-50 is 24 years old, the warranties on 20+ year old synths are long ended by now. Since older synths are of age, maintaining them is essential for continued operation and for their synth-tastic awesomeness. :) A well loved and cared for synthesizer will be around for a long time. :) :) TSF
Very helpful thank you. It told me just what I needed to know and that was to repair a Roland A33. Just to make things even better, perhaps you might turn the radio off and try to talk a fraction more slowly to make it even easier to hear and understand you. Again, thank you.
AlwaysaPlanB Thank very much. :) I'm happy to hear your A33 is able to be helped. Thanks for the advice on speaking slower, I am a fast talker I know, and I will keep this in mind. The radio was just for some background music to keep the "dead" spots in the video from being too boring. :) But yes I could turn it off for the next video so I won't be tempted to play air synths to it! hehehe
Really helpful. My Roland EXR 7, some times the modulation turn on automatically, it will turn of if we press the piano mode button, or cover the D beam(if the modulation function is assigned to D Beam). I have cleaned the joy stick. Still the problem exists. Some times it work correctly, but unexpectedly it will again turn to modulation turned on condition. Please help
By the way, is that metal "envelope" that holds the top half of the main board really necessary? It gave me a hard time re-attaching the main board and it's gotten damaged when the previous owner cleaned the contacts. There are sharp metal edges to it that might damage the traces on the main board. I'd hate to damage it while trying to tuck the board back in.
HI. The black material on each contact is most likely best if left there. It could be the carbon like material used on the contacts to help with the connection process between the keys and the processing/scanning board. If the black material is only on the contact itself and looks organized, leave it there just to be safe, if its random, and it all over the place, I'd just clean the excess and clean around the contact instead. :) TSF
Hello. I need your help. I have a Roland XP 80, and I left it outside in my garage over the years, and it was standing up on its end. The heat of many summers, has melted to epoxy that hold the semi weights on the underside of the keys. It has run down the outer housing and some on the inside. It also got into the keys and several of them won't even push now because it hardened back up. I have my keyboard apart as I type this, and I am just now starting to try to clean the dried and hardened epoxy off with acetone. I watched some other videos of other people and they said acetone seemed to work for them. I need to cut this epoxy off and scrape it so I can clean my unit. I am not sure if the epoxy ran down inside where those pad things are yet. I don't think it did, based on just viewing them. I really like this keyboard, and it was my fault for leaving it in my garage when I wasn't using it. But I need advice. Is acetone the best solvent to use to break down this epoxy, or is there something else that works better? After watching this video here and some of your others, I believe you have the knowledge to assist me in getting my keyboard cleaned and back to playing again. I took time off from playing my keyboard because I started teaching myself the bass guitar. I will keep my keyboard inside from now on after I get it playing again. Please give any advice you might have that will help me get this epoxy glue off of my unit and playable again. Thank you in advance.
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Have you encountered a problem when the D-50 only registers a key after you let it go back up?
Hi, I enjoy your great tutorials on Roland d50. Following your video I'm stuck on disconnecting multi pin plugs (4) from key scan circuit board. I don't want to crack the plugs. My d50 is 28 years old and was never open. Appreciate your help. Thanks!
@svensoncorps - I have serviced both of the D-50's I own as well as another for a friend the same way TheSynthFreq has shown here. I agree with her that side-to-side key "gap" adjustment may be tricky. The keys are basically hooked on to the metal keybed frame and attached to a spring. There's not much to control the side-to-side orientation of the keys. There are two little slots in the plastic keys that slide onto the frame. Perhaps if these slots become worn and are "wide" or perhaps uneven,
@xan1242 HI :) Sometimes it may take more than one cleaning to get it behaving again. Also check to make sure that each contact in the strip that meets the circuit board has the black dot on the under side, if its gray instead, then the magnetic paint may have worn off. Also I would check the copper/plastic ribbon connector to the keybed as well just in case it has become disconnected. By the way, what extremes are the velocity values on your D-20?
Hi, I just got a Roland D-50, it powers on but does not produce sound. I hooked it up to an amp and to headphones. Any idea of what could be wrong? thanks
Hello. :) First congrats on your D-50! :) To address the sound issue, there are a few typical things to check first. Be sure to check that the synthesizer's Local Control is set to ON so that the synths keyboard will control the sound engine internally and produce sound. If the local control is set to OFF (which makes the synth into a keyboard controller and silences the keys ability to trigger the sound engine) it will produce no sound even though the synth is ok and fully functioning. Local control off "disconnects the keybed from the sound engine internally and can be switched back on easily through local control on/off settings. Another reason for no sound can be, bad output jacks which isn't common but can happen, volume switchboard problems or the more tricky parameters inside. If the D-50 has had a battery change or a failing battery, it will lose it's sound data and won't make sound or the sound it does make will be wild and crazy sounding with bizarre data values to go along with it. Be sure to check that partials 1-4 are ON. You'll know they're on if there are four "1s" in the partials menu. If they are "0s" then they are off and muted. Always always check to see they're activated. Another thing to check is that the Total Output volume setting is set to a decently high value or until a sound is well heard. Be sure this value is set for all four partials. If you need further information or help finding these parameters let me know.
Thank you so much for the info. I played around with the partials settings and when I pressed Partial Mute / Upper 2 I was able to get some staticy noise out of the keys. I checked the battery, and it was corroded, so I put a new one in, but it didn't make a difference. After a few minutes it sounded a little better but still horrible lol. It's a big step in the right direction though. Do you have any insight about the static? Thanks!
If you've had to replace the battery, then you will have lost all the internal sounds. You either need to reload them from the original factory sound ROM, or from a sound file via a sysex dump over MIDI. I just had to do this with my D-50.
Hello Dear, I have Casio CTK-810, not being power on. I replaced power adapter, replaced 3 transistors it was C3199 GR-133 Numbers written on it...but still not powering on. other diodes, capacitors, seems in good condition (not blown or explode). in Casio CTK-3200 had same problem I removed Transistor and bypassed power switch with jumper. It is still working fine. But what about his CTK-810 ? I don't know how to trouble shoot the problem and how to trace power in circuit or how to decide which component is missing...Hopefully waiting for your kind suggestion....Thank you.
You must also clean the black conductive rubber circles on the grey rubber strip. I use Acetone which works very well. And if your aftertouch has failed, as they all do, you need to dissemble the felt covered strip that runs the length of the keyboard. You will then see a copper strip that oxidises over time and looses conductivity. Clean this with Brasso but make sure to remove all traces of the cleaner when finished. Also clean the rubber strip that contacts the copper with Acetone. When you put it back together is will work better than new. I have done this to 6x D50's.
Hi! :) That is wonderful!! Very awesome. :) Thank you so much for the message. Great success! Synths can be unpredictable machines at their age of 20+ but with a little TLC, they still make us synth freaks happy. :) Have a synthy day. :)
I’m not certain if the strip will work. You could try it only if the parts fit and doesn’t cause short in d-50. Look at the service manual for details.
HI! You have a great video here. I would need a little help. Looking to buy a Sejung SJP 330 digital piano, but they say that the middle EFG are slightly muted. Do you think that could be fixed? Also, do you know any thing about this brand? I never heard of it :( I would really appreciate your help! Thanks in advance!
HI :) We have a J2, great synth :) It has a similar set. Often times more than one cleaning is needed unfortunately. My D-50 has done this to me, where I clean it and put it back together just to find a key still acting up. Sometimes though if you give it a day or two, it settles in and starts behaving itself. Tearing down a synth several times adds to the risk of damage but a repeat cleaning can fix the key issue too, so its better to weigh the risks first. Best of luck with Juno2, :)
I'm having an individual single note velocity issue on my RD-700. In the 90's I used to replace buttons and vacuum out my RD-500. I suspect the basic guts are all the same. Going to open it today and follow your directions for cleaning the contacts under the rubber strip. Is there anything in particular that comes to mind with my problem. Thanks for any response and advice you have time for.
hi i have a roland d50 and the problem is 5 keys dont have sound i already do the cleaning on the contacts and stiil not works some body can help me out.thank.s
Hey, Synth Freq! I am in need of your help, and I think you know the answer. I tried to clean the keys by following the steps in this video, and I was only able to remove the main board. I was afraid that I might mess something up and decided to stop. I put the main board back and changed the battery. Before I did my attampt to clean, only one key was dead, but now the keyboard is not making anything sounds. It turns on and has display, but I could not find any sound in the sound bank.
hello im looking for some advice. ive placed my new contacts on my digital piano but after a few minutes of playing some of them seem to be popping out of there place. the feet dont stay in to well with certain keys. any tips on keeping them down? a tape? glue? although i cant imagine that would be good. just looking for anything from anybody whos delt with this issue thanks much in advance!
Zexa21 hello. :) on contact strips there are often several tiny tabs that are supposed to be pulled into a corresponding fitting hole. Also do not use tape as tape creates a static charge that can zap and damage electrical components. I’d be hesitant to use glue since after some time it could decompose and possibly leak onto the circuitry and also leak into the keys and make them stick to eachother making playing difficult. Check the rubber contact strips for the tiny posts on them that fit into the matching hole on the metal frame that the keys are attached to. Since I do not know the model of keyboard you have, I can only base references from synths I’ve worked on so far. Also if all else fails and you need to use tape , use only electrical tape since it’s designed for use inside electrical devices. I hope this info has helped.
@@TheSynthFreq yes thank you this helps. im fully aware of the feet. thats the issue really. i place them in there designated holes but they pop out fairly soon. just a matter of me finding a way to keep them in that hole. when they pop out no note is produced. its on a roland kr-377 digital piano. discontinued model now thank you
Waah! Today my D-50 suddenly started showing Japanese symbols instead of "Romanji"! Otherwise the machine works fine, but I can't see what patch I'm on; even the numbers are Japanese symbols. What happened? :(
@Viabeat HI :) Sure, no problem. :) That's wonderful about your D-50. :) So happy to hear. Hehe I have done the same thing with local off lol Good luck with the JP-6!. Jupiters are awesome! :) TSF
Nice Video thanks alot. I would like to know how to decrement or increoment the octaves by roland d50. It would be very nice if you could give me an Idea. Thanks!
1. You click on "key transpose" on the left, next to the volume and after-touch sliders 2. Once the "key transpose" button is activated, click on "increment" or "decrement" to change the octave 3. When it's done click the "key transpose" button again to deactivate it. I hope it helped!
hi :) I was shocked to hear the news of your dear D-50. If possible, go through the connections again, check that they're completely connected & no pins were bent. Some of the CNs have the same size ports that can be mixed up around the battery area. Sometimes just disconnecting everything can throw D-50 off but usually not permanently. A general reset might be necessary, but as last resort. I would recommend doing a re-check of all connectors, wires first. Let me know what happens.
fabio demetrio Petrella Hello :) Sorry to hear your D-50 is doing that. It's not terrible thought it just needs to be cleaned inside the card slot. Your card also may need to be carefully cleaned on it's gold contacts but it's more likely that the card slot needs to be dusted and cleaned. The card can't be read if there is dust inside D-50. I too had the same problem. Just clean the card slot as best you can. No liquids or anything. Just use a paper towel or cloth that can fit inside the slot and dust it as best you can. If you open D-50 you can clean it totally. I can make a video on this procedure. Also sometimes neither is the problem and the card could just be corrupt due to age or the reader inside D-50 no longer works but that's the worse case scenario. Let me know how your card and D-50 are doing and if it works again. :)
Hello ,and tanks for your answer. I just cleaned the slot inside yesterday, but don't read the card. The D-50 it was been for long time unused, but before sometimes did not read the card. The check control machine is ok. Have I to try clean better? Fabio. p.s: sorry for my English, I'm Italian 👍😊
I can also post a second comment on the video information for future viewers who decide to change the battery while working on the internal cleaning. Its a good idea to change the battery and do the cleaning in the same session instead of opening up D-50 twice. :)
hey synth freq, thank you very much for posting this vid, I've yet to do the job but I was wondering whether spray can contact cleaner will do the job in this case??
I have exactly the same issue on my U20; I'm about to start taking the keybed out and then look inside those little grey rubber contacts/switches. I suspect the problem is in there somewhere. Wondering if anybody has ever seen a video for cleaning the insides of a U20. Anyone? Anyone? :-)
Very informative however, here is a question for you...I have a D-70 with a velocityproblem on the lowest "D"...No matter how soft I play it...It is balls to the wall loud....So I guess my question is....Does the D-70 have the same keyboard set up as the D-50?
This is one of those older synthesizers that would benefit from a custom rebuild. I don't have one, but I've thought about it before anyway. House it with an expander module in a single enclosure and use the midi input. (desktop version?) or you could use the rack version to do it probably..
Hi! I followed your cleaning procedure on my D20 but it didn't work on mine. Where would you buy the Keyboard coil board if you had to buy one for your vintage synths? I can't find one for my D20 anywhere :( Thanks!
I like that you had the background music actually in the background.
Thank you, yes!
EXACTLY the video I needed. Now my D-50 is just as good as new. Thank you very, very, very much!
This is a really cozy and pleasant video to watch while quarantined right now. And also while cleaning a d50.
mrmanatee hi. That is so awesome. Thank you. :)
It’s crazy to realize how care free times were back then. With this world changing so much, synths and music bring us a sense of safety and security as well as some mental work for our minds to keep busy. I have so much programming to do and will be making new videos in the next few days about synthesis and D-50. :)
please be well!
:)
@@TheSynthFreq everything old is comforting these days. Anything I should look for while I clean this d-50? I haven't opened one up before
mrmanatee hi. So true! :) with the D-50, its a pretty simple setup inside, do be careful of the thin ribbon connector copper strip that connects the keybed to the main circuit board. It relays information from the keys and also the after touch information. It is located at the lowest key area of the keyboard by the pitch bender circuit board. This ribbon connector fits into a square socket and can be easily pulled out if you don’t know it’s there. So just open the back of D-50 slowly and gently so the ribbon doesn’t become disconnected. If it does you can easily reseat it back into its rectangular receptacle near the lowest C key. Also be sure to look up and download the service manual as it shows you all it’s parts and where each part is and what it does. :)
@@TheSynthFreq oh my god I straight up thought I'd torn that ribbon connector when I finally got the keybed out. I freaked out for a solid 5 minutes
Brilliantly explained and very enjoyable to watch. Your calm voice and all the many clever extra tips gave me confidence doing this repairing task. Thank you very much, you are great!
You are so kind! I appreciate your kind words so very much. Thank you!!
@@TheSynthFreq I did succesfully clean and refurbish the D-50 which I bought used and yesterday I could play and listen to it in all its glory for the first time. What a difference! Throughout the process I was accompanied by your funny and useful comments in your video :) Indeed the D-50 "has a [BIG] dust problem". Thank you so much and if I might buy you a coffee as I little appreciation I´ll be glad (donate button?). BTW I heard your band/combo you should make a little kickstarter and fund an album :) If you need help mixing/ mastering I am at your service. You helped a synth head big time, so happy now. HAPPY EASTER! ❤🎵🐰🥚
@@mcentertain omg this is fantastic news!!! Congratulations my friend!! Long live d-50!!!
The donate button option is a good idea. I don’t normal expect anything in return but just knowing that your d-50 is doing wonderful makes my morning!!
🤘🎹😉
SynthFreq,just wanted to tell you that I really like your tutorials.You're very helpful,and you have a great attitude.Please keep up the good work!
Thanks for the video, TSF. Not only i'll give it a shot on my D-50, but I'll try it on my old Axis and my as old A-50. All my best.
Wow! Thank you thank you thank you! I've searched everywhere for this info to fix one key! Very nice presentation.
I come back to this vid regularly. Such a helpful and clear tutorial. I've just got yet another d50 (my 4th) which needs a bit of tlc. I really must stop selling them! This one is defo a keeper. Hope you are well. X ♥ 🎹 🎶
My second C wasn't work and my second to last key was too loud, after doing these steps it got fixed, my last still don't work, but I am happy for now. Thank you!
Hi there, my d-50 just came back to life thanks to your good advices, Many thanks for that!
Awesome!! Thrilled to hear this. :)
Okay, this is Cool! I was trying to find more info on cleaning the aftertouch on my D-50 - and here I find YOU showing the job! :-D What's better than learning from the master!
Thanks for the video, cleaned up the D50 nicely. Bought mine new in July '87, the strange thing is you cant get the center circuit board out for that center section octave. But it all worked out! One thing that freaked me out was once I had it all together there was no sound!...remembered I just turned "local" off..WOW what a relief..lol. No loud notes...nice..!Now my JP6 is on the bench ready for Europa upgrade! Cant wait to control everything through midi on the fly. Tons of fun.Thank you !
Thank you so much! I have the same problem with my Korg Chrome, and unbelievably, none of my music retailers have any keyboard techs. (Including Guitar Center). I am long past any warranty, and now, because of your guidance, I can try to do this myself. Thank you!
Thank you so very much for this video. I have had a D50 laying around for 20 years with this problem. I will give it a shot with these instructions.
Your explanation on how to remove the keys also goes for the Roland HP-100 piano. Had to search for a very long time before I discovered how the keys be removed. After opening up the keyboard I didn't even notice that the keys are being 'locked' by the transparent strips at the bottom. So it was a real riddle to me how it should be done. Thx!!!
Hi! Thank you very much for spending some time doing this awesome tutorial. I have a JX-8P with some keys not working properly, I'm going to apply your process on it and hopefully that will bring him back to normal.
Hey thanks for taking time to do this. You, your music and videos are totally cool. HUGE help, thanks again!
HI :) No offense taken. I have a bilateral high frequency hearing loss that affects my production of speech but I am working with new hearing aid technology to try and improve my speech clarity. Thanks for letting me know and being kind about it as well. I will be glad to clarify any questions on the information in the video. Just let me know.
TSF
great Job !! thank you VERY MUCH for your video, GREAT help. bravo! , cheers from france
I'm hard-of-hearing too and a musician, so I can kinda relate. I could easily see how hearing loss would affect one's speech! Good luck with your journey and hopefully the future brings better tech to help all of us who live with hearing loss. I can't even accompany myself on acoustic guitar without headphones and amplification because I can't hear it well enough!
The only video I've found so far that shows how to clean an electric piano that has springs on the keys.
Just been doing the same cleaning with success. Thank you for great help synth freq!!
Very good video. Easy to follow. You're a very good instructor. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Thanks to this video I was able to take off the keys on my D-10 in order to get a better look at the circuitboard underneath (I'm trying to use the D-10 keyboard with an arduino to make my own midi controller)
I wanted to thank you for making the D-50 Librarian. It's a great, idiotproof program and as soon as I've made some money I'll donate. I downloaded it even before I got my D-50 and have been using it every day since. :)
And for the record: I haven't managed to get aftertouch to work either on my D-50, but it does need cleaning.
Thank You! I've just stared cleaning my "new" d-10 and it helps me a lot!
Together with some other textual tutorials, this helped me cleaning my D-50, so thanks a lot. :) Actually there was a piece of tin foil under one of the rubber contacts, no dust, that was REALLY weird. I don't want to know what the previous owner did to the synth so that a piece of tin foil could get down there...
Great video, thanks! Very helpful. I'll tackle a non-working synth key this weekend. The key feels fine but there's no sound triggered by it. I probably just need to clean the contact.
Everything is beautifully described. One suggestion would be to very gently clean the rubber popple on the contact side as well. Use a medium sized brush similar to a make up applicator. Always seems to help with that particular contact style. They tend to hold on to dust and dirt.
TSF, This helped a lot in solving quit keys on an old D20 as well. Thank you!
Thanks for your reply and sorry for being impolite and replying back so late. :( I'd rather not open it myself. I have a friend who has much better motor skills than me, so she could help me. She carried my precious D-50 through three train stations and didn't even hit anyone in the head with it! I'd hate it the D-50 were damaged. I hug it every night before I go to sleep (yes, I'm a bit of a weirdo)!
Thanks for that - I glad it's of use to you and all D-50 users. Coding it certainly helped my understanding of the sound architecture - still can't program any decent sounds though!!
Oh actually I found the aftertouch does work but isn't as sensitive as it was - the reason I didn't get any aftertouch was because "Ext. Controller" in the menu was set to "Aftertouch" - changing it helped :). But I only found this after taking it all apart - but it gave me a chance to fully clean it.
Thank you for your informative video on cleaning the sensors! Well done!
Thanks so much! :)
Thanks, helped me saving an old S-10 from electronic parts recycling!
Love Styx in the background, great advice Thanks!!
Thanks. This is a confidence booster for me to do it on my own
hey synth freq! thank you once again!! I actually got round to doing it today and all went well, I can't thank you enough :) :)
I really like watching your video 😘👍👍👍💯
@wevelve - As TheSynthFreq said, these basic principles work for most keyboards, even though they're all a little different. What I CAN tell you is that I recently did this whole process on a friend's Super JX-10, and was astonished to see the keybed assembly was nearly identical to the D-50! The key mounting, springs, and even the style of keys was exactly the same. Since your JX-8p is from 1985, and the D-50 was 1987, it makes sense they used the same type of construction. Good luck!
@ace Sao corps (continued...) ....the key might not sit straight on the keybed frame. As far as you Aftertouch, this is sensed by the white, felt pad under the keys. They wear out over time it seems. Mine hardly works at all anymore, so perhaps that's what you may be experiencing on your D-50? Good luck!
I have a strange issue with my digipiano. The b and c keys have trouble sounding during scale runs or trills. Take note the problem occurs when they are played consecutively or one after the other. Played togeth er they work fine. In combination w/ other notes its fine. this happens to b&c and f&f# in all octaves. I appreciate all the input.
@TheSynthFreq On some keys they are 127, some of them are behaving normally and a few of them behave strangely, that is, they are sometimes 127 and sometimes normal.
One of the black dots that make the contact broke out of one key (I don't mind that too much), but replacing it with something else (for example, a button from a old remote controller) will work as well.
I might open it up again soon, but synths are one type of electronics that are hard to disassemble and assemble back.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
did this a few years back on my D-10 , great info... Im gonna use the paint brush this time time, 3 keys need cleaning again ,...Thanks
I have an EP-760 and I'm cleaning the contacts of the board with alcohol 70%, but I notice that the Q-tips are getting dark, and when I see is like a blacksand finish i every contact, but I don't know if it's dirt or part of the board??? can you help me I don't know if I'm damage the board or not?
HI :) Thanks. :) I wish you luck with the work! Spray cleaner is actually more of a hazard for the synths since spraying anything into the keys while the synth is put together can introduce spray onto the PCB and might dislodge the sensor under the key along with allowing too much chemical into the synth. Its best to clean the PCB and under the tightly 'sealed' contact strip, spray wouldn't reach the area that needs cleaning unfortunately. The strip needs to be removed completely.
thanks for this video as was very helpful. I have a key (3rd G# ) is not working. But I cleaned up the circuit board conacts and even swapped a rubber contact around and for that one key this still did not work (while the rubber contact worked well on the other keys - I just flipped the rubber section around). Do you think the circuit board is just broken for 1 key possible, as wonderinf if I really need to replace the whole board (thats if you can even get them anywhere) or do I really need to try and give that contact a good clean again? I even used the pencil trick and cleaned it up after but no difference.. Thanks in advance.
I have another problem with D50, lower octave does not operate, up to the first E. If I send through midi it's fine, but the keys do not work. I have had this problem since the 90's when i took it apart for cleaning. Any help anybody?
Great! Now i dare to clean my Korg 707 with vellocity problem. Thank you!
Thanks for your videos !!! I'm a big fan of your work !!!!
Hola usted sabe las medidas de los pulsadores del roland d50 se que son 6x6 , pero me falta la medida de la altura
Very informational video, keep it up! I just got a Roland d50 literally for 20 dollars, an older woman's son had it. I don't have the card if any info on how to get hold of them would help. Thanks for any help!
@friskyrabbit HI :) Yes. Absolutely. These synths are over 20 years old. D-50 is 24 years old, the warranties on 20+ year old synths are long ended by now. Since older synths are of age, maintaining them is essential for continued operation and for their synth-tastic awesomeness. :) A well loved and cared for synthesizer will be around for a long time. :)
:) TSF
I am reading this 11 years later your message !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! geezzzz....!!!!
Very helpful thank you.
It told me just what I needed to know and that was to repair a Roland A33.
Just to make things even better, perhaps you might turn the radio off and try to talk a fraction more slowly to make it even easier to hear and understand you.
Again, thank you.
AlwaysaPlanB Thank very much. :) I'm happy to hear your A33 is able to be helped. Thanks for the advice on speaking slower, I am a fast talker I know, and I will keep this in mind. The radio was just for some background music to keep the "dead" spots in the video from being too boring. :) But yes I could turn it off for the next video so I won't be tempted to play air synths to it! hehehe
Very helpful! Thanks a lot!Your music is amazing!
Really helpful. My Roland EXR 7, some times the modulation turn on automatically, it will turn of if we press the piano mode button, or cover the D beam(if the modulation function is assigned to D Beam). I have cleaned the joy stick. Still the problem exists. Some times it work correctly, but unexpectedly it will again turn to modulation turned on condition. Please help
I have a question. I just got Roland EP7 for $40. the low D and a couple other keys do not sound. Any advise?
By the way, is that metal "envelope" that holds the top half of the main board really necessary? It gave me a hard time re-attaching the main board and it's gotten damaged when the previous owner cleaned the contacts. There are sharp metal edges to it that might damage the traces on the main board. I'd hate to damage it while trying to tuck the board back in.
If we misplaced the spring between black and with will it affect the velocity or somethin?
HI. The black material on each contact is most likely best if left there. It could be the carbon like material used on the contacts to help with the connection process between the keys and the processing/scanning board. If the black material is only on the contact itself and looks organized, leave it there just to be safe, if its random, and it all over the place, I'd just clean the excess and clean around the contact instead.
:) TSF
Hello. I need your help. I have a Roland XP 80, and I left it outside in my garage over the years, and it was standing up on its end. The heat of many summers, has melted to epoxy that hold the semi weights on the underside of the keys. It has run down the outer housing and some on the inside. It also got into the keys and several of them won't even push now because it hardened back up. I have my keyboard apart as I type this, and I am just now starting to try to clean the dried and hardened epoxy off with acetone. I watched some other videos of other people and they said acetone seemed to work for them. I need to cut this epoxy off and scrape it so I can clean my unit. I am not sure if the epoxy ran down inside where those pad things are yet. I don't think it did, based on just viewing them. I really like this keyboard, and it was my fault for leaving it in my garage when I wasn't using it. But I need advice. Is acetone the best solvent to use to break down this epoxy, or is there something else that works better? After watching this video here and some of your others, I believe you have the knowledge to assist me in getting my keyboard cleaned and back to playing again. I took time off from playing my keyboard because I started teaching myself the bass guitar. I will keep my keyboard inside from now on after I get it playing again. Please give any advice you might have that will help me get this epoxy glue off of my unit and playable again. Thank you in advance.
Have you encountered a problem when the D-50 only registers a key after you let it go back up?
CMIIW, to fix dead keys, clean the carbon on the rubber, to fix velocity clean the contact on the board?
Hi, I enjoy your great tutorials on Roland d50. Following your video I'm stuck on disconnecting multi pin plugs (4) from key scan circuit board. I don't want to crack the plugs. My d50 is 28 years old and was never open. Appreciate your help. Thanks!
@svensoncorps - I have serviced both of the D-50's I own as well as another for a friend the same way TheSynthFreq has shown here. I agree with her that side-to-side key "gap" adjustment may be tricky. The keys are basically hooked on to the metal keybed frame and attached to a spring. There's not much to control the side-to-side orientation of the keys. There are two little slots in the plastic keys that slide onto the frame. Perhaps if these slots become worn and are "wide" or perhaps uneven,
@xan1242 HI :) Sometimes it may take more than one cleaning to get it behaving again. Also check to make sure that each contact in the strip that meets the circuit board has the black dot on the under side, if its gray instead, then the magnetic paint may have worn off. Also I would check the copper/plastic ribbon connector to the keybed as well just in case it has become disconnected. By the way, what extremes are the velocity values on your D-20?
does it make a diference to clean with a toothbrush instead of à q-tip?
Hi, I just got a Roland D-50, it powers on but does not produce sound. I hooked it up to an amp and to headphones. Any idea of what could be wrong? thanks
Hello. :)
First congrats on your D-50! :)
To address the sound issue, there are a few typical things to check first. Be sure to check that the synthesizer's Local Control is set to ON so that the synths keyboard will control the sound engine internally and produce sound. If the local control is set to OFF (which makes the synth into a keyboard controller and silences the keys ability to trigger the sound engine) it will produce no sound even though the synth is ok and fully functioning. Local control off "disconnects the keybed from the sound engine internally and can be switched back on easily through local control on/off settings. Another reason for no sound can be, bad output jacks which isn't common but can happen, volume switchboard problems or the more tricky parameters inside. If the D-50 has had a battery change or a failing battery, it will lose it's sound data and won't make sound or the sound it does make will be wild and crazy sounding with bizarre data values to go along with it. Be sure to check that partials 1-4 are ON. You'll know they're on if there are four "1s" in the partials menu. If they are "0s" then they are off and muted. Always always check to see they're activated. Another thing to check is that the Total Output volume setting is set to a decently high value or until a sound is well heard. Be sure this value is set for all four partials. If you need further information or help finding these parameters let me know.
Thank you so much for the info. I played around with the partials settings and when I pressed Partial Mute / Upper 2 I was able to get some staticy noise out of the keys. I checked the battery, and it was corroded, so I put a new one in, but it didn't make a difference. After a few minutes it sounded a little better but still horrible lol. It's a big step in the right direction though. Do you have any insight about the static? Thanks!
If you've had to replace the battery, then you will have lost all the internal sounds. You either need to reload them from the original factory sound ROM, or from a sound file via a sysex dump over MIDI. I just had to do this with my D-50.
Hello Dear,
I have Casio CTK-810, not being power on. I replaced power adapter, replaced 3 transistors it was C3199 GR-133 Numbers written on it...but still not powering on. other diodes, capacitors, seems in good condition (not blown or explode). in Casio CTK-3200 had same problem I removed Transistor and bypassed power switch with jumper. It is still working fine. But what about his CTK-810 ? I don't know how to trouble shoot the problem and how to trace power in circuit or how to decide which component is missing...Hopefully waiting for your kind suggestion....Thank you.
You must also clean the black conductive rubber circles on the grey rubber strip. I use Acetone which works very well. And if your aftertouch has failed, as they all do, you need to dissemble the felt covered strip that runs the length of the keyboard. You will then see a copper strip that oxidises over time and looses conductivity. Clean this with Brasso but make sure to remove all traces of the cleaner when finished. Also clean the rubber strip that contacts the copper with Acetone. When you put it back together is will work better than new. I have done this to 6x D50's.
Hi! :) That is wonderful!! Very awesome. :) Thank you so much for the message. Great success! Synths can be unpredictable machines at their age of 20+ but with a little TLC, they still make us synth freaks happy. :)
Have a synthy day. :)
Cause i cant found anywhere aftertouch strip can i use from other synth 61 notes strip?
I’m not certain if the strip will work. You could try it only if the parts fit and doesn’t cause short in d-50. Look at the service manual for details.
Thanks for the help, great video tutorial! Helped me to clean my Roalnd VP-330 keys.
Awesome! So thrilled to hear this. :)
hello website for sticking command thank you
HI! You have a great video here. I would need a little help. Looking to buy a Sejung SJP 330 digital piano, but they say that the middle EFG are slightly muted. Do you think that could be fixed? Also, do you know any thing about this brand? I never heard of it :( I would really appreciate your help!
Thanks in advance!
@TheSynthFreq Love it.. I also love the music from the 1980s.. I played Tangerine Dream Firestarter and Flashpoint the other night..
Very good tutorial. Great help thanks!
Can this be done on an HP103 Roland?
how do u fix a key if water qot into it?
HI :) We have a J2, great synth :) It has a similar set. Often times more than one cleaning is needed unfortunately. My D-50 has done this to me, where I clean it and put it back together just to find a key still acting up. Sometimes though if you give it a day or two, it settles in and starts behaving itself. Tearing down a synth several times adds to the risk of damage but a repeat cleaning can fix the key issue too, so its better to weigh the risks first. Best of luck with Juno2, :)
I'm having an individual single note velocity issue on my RD-700.
In the 90's I used to replace buttons and vacuum out my RD-500.
I suspect the basic guts are all the same. Going to open it today and follow your directions for cleaning the contacts under the rubber strip.
Is there anything in particular that comes to mind with my problem.
Thanks for any response and advice you have time for.
what do you recommend if the keyboards rubber mat contacts are corroded/oxidised together with the keyboards circuit contact
Superb Video. Very helpful and informative.
hi i have a roland d50 and the problem is 5 keys dont have sound i already do the cleaning on the contacts and stiil not works some body can help me out.thank.s
Hey, Synth Freq! I am in need of your help, and I think you know the answer.
I tried to clean the keys by following the steps in this video, and I was only able to remove the main board. I was afraid that I might mess something up and decided to stop. I put the main board back and changed the battery.
Before I did my attampt to clean, only one key was dead, but now the keyboard is not making anything sounds. It turns on and has display, but I could not find any sound in the sound bank.
hello
im looking for some advice. ive placed my new contacts on my digital piano but after a few minutes of playing some of them seem to be popping out of there place. the feet dont stay in to well with certain keys. any tips on keeping them down? a tape? glue? although i cant imagine that would be good. just looking for anything from anybody whos delt with this issue
thanks much in advance!
Zexa21 hello. :) on contact strips there are often several tiny tabs that are supposed to be pulled into a corresponding fitting hole. Also do not use tape as tape creates a static charge that can zap and damage electrical components. I’d be hesitant to use glue since after some time it could decompose and possibly leak onto the circuitry and also leak into the keys and make them stick to eachother making playing difficult.
Check the rubber contact strips for the tiny posts on them that fit into the matching hole on the metal frame that the keys are attached to.
Since I do not know the model of keyboard you have, I can only base references from synths I’ve worked on so far.
Also if all else fails and you need to use tape , use only electrical tape since it’s designed for use inside electrical devices.
I hope this info has helped.
@@TheSynthFreq yes thank you this helps. im fully aware of the feet. thats the issue really. i place them in there designated holes but they pop out fairly soon. just a matter of me finding a way to keep them in that hole. when they pop out no note is produced. its on a roland kr-377 digital piano. discontinued model now
thank you
Very very helpful! Thanks a lot!
Waah! Today my D-50 suddenly started showing Japanese symbols instead of "Romanji"! Otherwise the machine works fine, but I can't see what patch I'm on; even the numbers are Japanese symbols. What happened? :(
is it also work for roland w30 ? i have Key contact Problem on some note
@Viabeat HI :) Sure, no problem. :) That's wonderful about your D-50. :) So happy to hear.
Hehe I have done the same thing with local off lol Good luck with the JP-6!. Jupiters are awesome!
:) TSF
Nice Video thanks alot. I would like to know how to decrement or increoment the octaves by roland d50. It would be very nice if you could give me an Idea. Thanks!
1. You click on "key transpose" on the left, next to the volume and after-touch sliders
2. Once the "key transpose" button is activated, click on "increment" or "decrement" to change the octave
3. When it's done click the "key transpose" button again to deactivate it.
I hope it helped!
Same thing happened to my D-20. I cleaned it up throughout and it didn't seem to work.
hi :) I was shocked to hear the news of your dear D-50. If possible, go through the connections again, check that they're completely connected & no pins were bent. Some of the CNs have the same size ports that can be mixed up around the battery area. Sometimes just disconnecting everything can throw D-50 off but usually not permanently. A general reset might be necessary, but as last resort. I would recommend doing a re-check of all connectors, wires first. Let me know what happens.
💜your nail polish!
Very good! Can you tell me, why on display appear message "Illegal Card" when i put in memory card?
Tanks,
Fabio
fabio demetrio Petrella
Hello :)
Sorry to hear your D-50 is doing that. It's not terrible thought it just needs to be cleaned inside the card slot. Your card also may need to be carefully cleaned on it's gold contacts but it's more likely that the card slot needs to be dusted and cleaned. The card can't be read if there is dust inside D-50. I too had the same problem. Just clean the card slot as best you can. No liquids or anything. Just use a paper towel or cloth that can fit inside the slot and dust it as best you can. If you open D-50 you can clean it totally. I can make a video on this procedure.
Also sometimes neither is the problem and the card could just be corrupt due to age or the reader inside D-50 no longer works but that's the worse case scenario.
Let me know how your card and D-50 are doing and if it works again. :)
Hello ,and tanks for your answer. I just cleaned the slot inside yesterday, but don't read the card. The D-50 it was been for long time unused, but before sometimes did not read the card.
The check control machine is ok. Have I to try clean better?
Fabio.
p.s: sorry for my English, I'm Italian 👍😊
I can also post a second comment on the video information for future viewers who decide to change the battery while working on the internal cleaning. Its a good idea to change the battery and do the cleaning in the same session instead of opening up D-50 twice. :)
hey synth freq, thank you very much for posting this vid, I've yet to do the job but I was wondering whether spray can contact cleaner will do the job in this case??
I have one key on my D-50 that sounds louder then the rest is that a velocity issue?
I have exactly the same issue on my U20; I'm about to start taking the keybed out and then look inside those little grey rubber contacts/switches. I suspect the problem is in there somewhere.
Wondering if anybody has ever seen a video for cleaning the insides of a U20.
Anyone? Anyone? :-)
Very informative however, here is a question for you...I have a D-70 with a velocityproblem on the lowest "D"...No matter how soft I play it...It is balls to the wall loud....So I guess my question is....Does the D-70 have the same keyboard set up as the D-50?
This is one of those older synthesizers that would benefit from a custom rebuild. I don't have one, but I've thought about it before anyway. House it with an expander module in a single enclosure and use the midi input.
(desktop version?)
or you could use the rack version to do it probably..
love the video, thanks for the information
Hi! I followed your cleaning procedure on my D20 but it didn't work on mine. Where would you buy the Keyboard coil board if you had to buy one for your vintage synths? I can't find one for my D20 anywhere :( Thanks!