tag:intrepiderie.com,2005:/blogs/intrepiderie-blog?p=2IntrepidErie Blog2021-02-22T12:15:23-05:00IntrepidEriefalsetag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468442015-09-09T20:00:00-04:002020-01-22T13:00:06-05:00Roland JV-880
<p>The Roland JV-880 is a nice 1U tone module, the forerunner to the famous JV-1080 and JV-1020 units. The polyphony is 28 voices, it can simultaneously play 8 parts, and it has effects. It can hold 64 presets in bank A, another 64 presets in bank B, 64 user patches in the Internal bank, and 64 user patches on the RAM data card. You can insert 1 expansion waveform board and 1 expansion ROM card.</p>
<p>Here are some of the voice patches:</p>
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<p>Here are the demo songs:</p>
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<p>I had the JV-880 with a data card to hold custom user patches, and an expansion waveform ROM card. I chose the Country/Bluegrass Guitars card, because it seemed that the JV-880 could use a few more guitar patches and banjos and such. The best sounds on the unit are the classic Roland pads, the Juno/Jupiter analog-sounding warm pads. I sold the JV-880 because I have a JV-1010, which has all the same sounds, plus additional sounds and more banks of patches.</p>
<p>Update: Sometimes I miss the JV-880, because it had a nice multi-character LCD display so you could read what you were doing, move patches around, and easily save changes/settings. The JV-1010 just has a tiny 3 character display, so the interface is not very good - it pretty much ends up being a ROMpler and you never edit the patches. I have an XV-5050 now, which has updated/improved versions of all the old JV sounds, plus room for 2 SRX slots which also have undated versions of JV sounds as well as new sounds. I chose the Vintage Keys board to get great old EPs and keyboards, and the Drums boards just because it was cheap and the XV needed better variety of drum kits.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468432015-05-03T20:00:00-04:002020-01-22T13:00:05-05:00Roland D2
<p>The Roland D2 is a great way to get MC-505 type sounds and patterns, for a price much lower than what the MC-505 generally goes for. It has 157 preset patterns, 232 RPS phrases, 600 sounds, and 30 rhythm sets.</p>
<p>You can create patterns, then string those patterns together in song mode to complete an entire song.</p>
<p>I find the V-Synth style touch-surface to be a bit difficult to work with, but then again I connect my keyboard controller via midi, so I never even use the touch-surface. Here is a song using just the 8 parts on the D2:</p>
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<p>The downsides are working with 3-character abbreviations such as Syc/rt9/Mes/t-n/ACh/Arp/rPS/SyS/thr in the display, and there is no media slot for floppy disks or SM/SD/CompactFlash cards, or anything, so you have to send/receive data via midi SysEx.</p>
<p>The default midi channels are as follows:</p>
<p> Part 1 Ch. 1<br> Part 2 Ch. 2<br> Part 3 Ch. 3<br> Part 4 Ch. 4<br> Part 5 Ch. 5<br> Part 6 Ch. 6<br> Part 7 Ch. 7<br> Rhythm part Ch. 10<br> RPS Ch. 15<br> Arpeggiator Ch. 16</p>
<p> Here are the factory patterns on the D2:</p>
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<p>Update: It is still an impossible interface with the 3 character display, and I do not understand how that touch surface is in the least bit musical. You must have the manual so you can figure out what the settings are. But if you hook it up to a midi controller and just send patch changes via midi, then the 3 character display does not really get in the way and you get all those great sounds. This might be my recommendation for the cheapest way to get multi-channel good-quality sounds (such as synths, 808 drums, classic Roland pads) added to a keyboard controller. I think the biggest downside is that if you want to use the patterns, you have to manually transpose all the key changes to new copies of the pattern - meaning that this is not an arpeggiator, you cannot just hold down chords and have the pattern switch the key to what you are playing. It has RCA plugs instead of 1/4 jacks, but that is OK.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468422015-01-24T19:00:00-05:002020-01-22T13:00:05-05:00Korg microX
<p>Korg microX Patches</p>
<p>Sounds from the Korg microX.<br>Presented by IntrepidErie.com.<br>Look for music by IntrepidErie on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and other MP3 providers.</p>
<p>part 1 of 6: Keyboards<br></p>
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<p>part 2 of 6: Organs, Bells, Mallets<br></p>
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<p>part 3 of 6: Strings, Vocals, Airy<br></p>
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<p>part 4 of 6: Brass, Woodwinds, Reeds<br></p>
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<p>part 5 of 6: Guitars, Plucked<br></p>
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<p>part 6 of 6: Basses<br></p>
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<p>Update: I am not using the MicroX as much lately. Not sure why, the MicroX has great Triton sounds and motion/pattern voices. I think it may simply be that I have such great gear, I find that I use the Command Station, MC-808, Motif, ESQ, and other gear before I turn to the MicroX. By the time I have all my tracks filled up, there is no room for the MicroX without it getting too busy. I think I will try to make a conscious effort to use the MicroX more on the next album, since it does have a very nice sound. It may also be that there are almost too many settings - you can really get lost menu diving on this unit. For the longest time, I could not get the tempo to sync up with my sequencer - to finally get it figured out, there must have been 20 different settings that had to be just right for it to work, not like other gear were you just set midi clock to EXT and you are good to go.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468412014-07-12T20:00:00-04:002020-01-22T13:00:04-05:00SR18
<p>Alesis SR-18 Drum Machine</p>
<p>32 MB sound set with 32 voice polyphony.<br>Over 500 drum/percussion sounds, and 50 bass sounds.<br>Basic effects like reverb and EQ.<br>Pattern Play Mode to trigger patterns from the pads.<br>Hook up via midi to use as a tone module.<br>Finger drum input using velocity-sensative pads.<br>Mute the drums, bass, or percussion.<br>Bright backlit blue LCD.<br>100 preset patterns and 100 user patterns.<br>12 velocity sensitive pads.<br>Tap tempo button.<br>Dual output, send drums and bass to different tracks on your multi-track recorder.<br>Midi in, out, and thru, plus control drums, perc, and bass on different midi channels if you want.<br>Start, stop, variation A, B, fill, and break.</p>
<p>Preset patterns 00-33:</p>
<p></p>
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<p>Preset patterns 34-68:</p>
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<p>Preset patterns 69-99:</p>
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<p>User Patterns 00-36:</p>
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<p>User Patterns 37-72:</p>
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<p>Update: I would prefer if it were easy to set the measure to just 1 on all the patterns. I rarely have songs were every section lines up perfectly on the 8-measure mark. I would like to be able to press A/B/Fill/Break at any time and have it take effect, rather than finish out the 8 measures.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468402014-01-16T19:00:00-05:002020-01-22T13:00:04-05:00Korg MS
<p><strong>Korg MS-2000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Intro</strong>: The Korg MS-2000 is an excellent sounding analog modeling, aka virtual analog (VA) synth. I use it when I need a full, warm analog sound. Unlike most VA synths, which can sound harsh, brittle, too digital, the MS sounds rich and retro, the good kind of retro. There was the original metallic-teal keyboard version and rack version - I have the MS-2000R rack. A few years later the black models came out with new sounds and an XLR jack for a gooseneck mic.</p>
<p><strong>Good</strong>: The sound is warm and full. It emulates analog patches very well. Lots of buttons, knobs, and lights. Great edit-ability of voice patches. Nice real time controls.</p>
<p><strong>Bad</strong>: It only has 4 notes of polyphony. It only holds 128 voice patches at a time. These is no media slot for storage, so you have to load and save voice patches by sending midi sysex.</p>
<p>MS-2000 voice demos part 1:</p>
<p></p>
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<p>MS-2000 voice demos part 2:</p>
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<p>MS-2000 factory song demos part 1:</p>
<p></p>
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<p>MS-2000 factory song demos part 2:</p>
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<p>Update: I do not like always loading and saving patches via sysex, so I reviewed hundreds of patches, chose my favorite 128, and then loaded those patches into memory. I have not changed the patches since. It sure was a weird time for midi gear, after floppy disks had faded, but PCMCIA-cards, compact-flash zip disks, and smart-media had not formalized yet, so there was a lot of gear made that you could only load/save via sysex.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468392014-01-06T19:00:00-05:002017-12-08T07:38:45-05:00Ensoniq MR
<p><strong>Ensoniq MR-Rack Module</strong></p>
<p><strong>Intro</strong>: I never purchased the MR keyboard workstation, because it is reputed to have a buggy OS, bad midi implementation, and poor sequencer. But I did get an MR-Rack because I love the voices.</p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: I always put a disclaimer into my blogs. I am not a professional reviewer or musician, just a guy with a home studio. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. This is all just opinion, for entertainment purposes only, so don’t make any decisions based solely off this info.</p>
<p><strong>Data Card</strong>: There is a PCMCIA card slot on the MR-Rack. I purchased a SDRAM card for saving user patches.</p>
<p><strong>Sequencer</strong>: The sequencer and drum machine features from the keyboard were not implemented in the MR-Rack. There is a special card in one of the ROM expansion slots, used to play the MR sequencer demos.</p>
<p></p>
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<p>Update: Ensoniq had lost it's edge, and it's focus on quality, by the time of the MR and ASR-X. My MR Rack was nothing but trouble, breaking down, and eventually scrapped. I wanted the great sounds of the MR/ZR, ASR-X, Urban Dance, and World board, but would not waste my money on another buggy/poor quality MR/ASR-X unit, so I purchased an E-MU Command Station instead and got the 2 Ensoniq ROM cards for that unit, the Sounds of ZR with Perfect Piano, and the very rare Ensoniq Project with Urban Dance and World. It would be good study to see what changed at Ensoniq from the time of the TS/ASR/DP to the time of the MR/ASR-X/ZR. In that time period, Ensoniq went from some of the best quality gear even made, to some of the worst - I would like to know how that happened.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468382014-01-06T19:00:00-05:002020-01-22T13:00:03-05:00Ensoniq EXP3
<p><strong>Ensoniq EXP-3 Urban Dance Expansion Card</strong></p>
<p><strong>Intro</strong>: There are several expansion cards available for the Ensoniq ASR-X, MR, and ZR units. The ASR-X can only hold 1 card, the MR can hold 3, and I am not sure about the ZR. Note that my MR has a sequencer demo card in one of the slots, so my assumption is that if you put all 3 ROM expansion cards into an MR-Rack, then it would no longer be able to play the demo sequences.</p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: I always put a disclaimer into my blogs. I am not a professional reviewer or musician, just a guy with a home studio. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. This is all just opinion, for entertainment purposes only, so don’t make any decisions based solely off this info.</p>
<p><strong>Urban Dance</strong>: This card has all the drums, beat loops, hip-hop, R&B, and techno sounds. I like this card in the ASR-X, since it is a groovebox, the sounds are perfect for an ASR-X.</p>
<p></p>
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<p><strong>World</strong>: I never got this card, because in my experience, World expansions are generally over-loaded with African rhythm and tribal vocal loops, with very few of the world instruments I am interested in like Celtic and Appalachian and such. I don't know if this is true of the Ensoniq World card, but I have never given it a try.</p>
<p><strong>Perfect Piano</strong>: The Steinway Grands and EPs on the Perfect Piano card sound spectacular. I could never get this card for under $400, so instead I purchased a used E-MU Command Station and installed the Sounds of the ZR card for about the same price. The added benefit is I now have 3 available slots on the Command Station, so I can install other ROM cards.</p>
<p><strong>Others Cards</strong>: There are other cards, like one for adding drums to the MR-Rack module, and one with flash memory for adding your own waveforms. I have never used these cards so I cannot comment on them.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468372014-01-06T19:00:00-05:002020-01-22T13:00:03-05:00Ensoniq ASR
<p><strong>Ensoniq ASR-10 Rack</strong></p>
<p><strong>Intro</strong>: The ASR is one of the best samplers ever made. Back in the early 90s when I was looking to purchase my first keyboard workstation, I considered both the ASR-10 and the TS-10. I went with the TS-10 because of its superior sequencer, but I vowed that someday I would have an ASR as well. It turns out that day was 2-decades later when I was able to buy an ASR-10 Rack module on eBay.</p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: I always put a disclaimer into my blogs. I am not a professional reviewer or musician, just a guy with a home studio. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. This is all just opinion, for entertainment purposes only, so don’t make any decisions based solely off this info.</p>
<p><strong>Sampling</strong>: Sampling an instrument is simple. Just select an empty track, set a few parameters such as the threshold and input gain, then sample the voice. Once you have the sample, you decide if you need a couple more samples in different ranges (multi-sampling), or if just that one sample will do to spread chromatically across the keybed. Lastly, you make a few adjustments, like start and end, how to loop the waveform, maybe put some effects on it. Once you have it right, save to SCSI drive or floppy disk. The ASR-10R comes with maxed-out sample memory of 16MB, good for several minutes worth of 16-bit 44.1-kHz sample time.</p>
<p><strong>Libraries</strong>: There are huge libraries of existing sampled instruments for the ASR. It also loads older EPS and EPS 16+ instruments, and it will even load Roland libraries (and maybe Akai) from SCSI CD-ROM drive. There is even software you can get to load WAV and AIF samples into ASR instruments, and write those instrument files to Ensoniq formatted floppy-disks. Sampled instruments from Ensoniq and others sound great, so I would not recommend wasting your time sampling a piano for example, just buy it - you should stick with sampling unique stuff.</p>
<p></p>
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<p></p>
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<p><strong>SCSI vs. Floppy</strong>: Since my ASR-10R has the SCSI interface, I thought I may as well get an old SCSI drive to see how it works. In these days of terabyte-drive, can you believe there used to be hard-drives rated in MBs? I think I remember replacing a couple of daisy-chained 16MB SCSI drives with a new 100MB Zip drive back in the day. Anyway, I connected an old SCSI drive and it worked just fine after I refreshed my memory on SCSI IDs and SCSI terminators and such. In all honesty, I never had a problem with floppy disks, so I find I will often revert back to my old floppies. My collection of ASR sample floppy disks is labeled and organized well, and often I can find sounds faster on disk than navigating through folders on the SCSI drive. Note that the ASR floppies are the newer HD disks that you can still buy online, not the older DD disks that are hard to find these days.</p>
<p><strong>Sequencer</strong>: I never built a song using the ASR sequencer, because I have a TS-10 workstation, and that is pretty much the best sequencer ever made. I can say that I have loaded songs and played them back just fine. Basically, the sequence and the 8 instruments on the 8 tracks, can all be saved as a bank, so you just load up the bank and hit play. The ASR sequencer is like the other Ensoniq sequencers, in that you can go into song mode and chain several sequences together to form a complete song, gaining an additional 8 song tracks in the process, so it is really a 16 track sequencer. I always liked the fact that the older Ensoniq modules included the sequencer, which is rare, as generally the keyboard versions of a synth will contain the sequencer, which is removed from the rack-mount version. Many of the older Ensoniq racks retained the sequencer. Sure wish there was such a thing as a TS module.</p>
<p><strong>Display</strong>: The vacuum-fluorescent display on the older Ensoniq gear is very nice. Easy to read, and apparently quality-built, because I have both an ASR and a TS, and there are no “burned out” segments (think pixels) on either displays after several decades of use.</p>
<p><strong>Navigation</strong>: This is the only knock I have on the ASR-10. There are limited buttons on the front of the unit, so you do need to do quite a bit of menu-diving and navigating through options. On my TS, this is not the case because there is a dedicated button for each menu, and then soft buttons right next to the display for the menu options. The ASR-10 could use the soft buttons on the display.</p>
<p><strong>Sounds</strong>: The polyphony is 31 voices. With 8 tracks, you can get by in most songs without running out of polyphony. I run out on my TS, but that is because there are more tracks and you can layer voices. If you need to layer on the ASR, I would think you might as well resample to just 1 layer, so you probably would not run out of polyphony.</p>
<p><strong>Output</strong>: The ASR-10R comes with the main stereo output, plus additional stereo aux outputs 1 and 2. I have never used these aux outputs, but I know it is a nice option to have. If you want Bass, Drum, and Piano going to their own separate tracks on your multi-track recorder, then the aux outputs are a must.</p>
<p><strong>Effects</strong>: The ASR has nice effects, so I recommend not sampling with effects already on the voice. Instead, sample the instrument dry, then add whatever effects you want from the ASR. Apparently you can load new effects algorithms into the ASR. I have not done much with this option, but there are these really cool Waveboy effects from Rubber Chicken Sys and/or effects from Syntaur that I will probably give a try. If so, I will do a post on them.</p>
<p><strong>Loading into ASR-X</strong>: So the question comes up, can you load ASR-10 samples into an ASR-X groovebox? Yes, with some caveats. On the original black ASR-X, you must have a newer OS that supports loading ASR-10 floppy disks. I have the latest OS on my ASR-X, and it will load my ASR-10 samples just fine. The newer red ASR-X Pro already has the newer OS, so they all load ASR-10 samples. Here is the catch, some samples do not sound as good on the ASR-X. There is some information online as to why this is the case, that I won't go into here, but just be aware that most sound fine, but some will sound poor on the ASR-X. I have a large ASR-10 piano sample for example that sounds great, but when loaded into the ASR-X, it sounds more like a honky-tonk piano.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468362014-01-06T19:00:00-05:002020-01-22T13:00:02-05:00Ensoniq TS
<p><strong>Ensoniq TS-10/12 Workstations</strong></p>
<p><strong>Intro</strong>: I purchased my Ensoniq TS-10 at a local music store in Michigan back in the early 90s. I was just getting my home studio started, and needed a complete workstation with the sounds and sequencer. At the time, I first purchased a Korg M1 (whatever version/model of the M1 was out at that time). After using it for a few weeks, I determined the voices on the M1 just did not cut it for me - the bells and EPs were nice (like with all FM synths), but most other voices were lacking - strings, brass, and drums were horrible. Luckily, I had made some sequences and user-patches and tried to save them to the floppy, only to discover that the floppy-drive did not work, so I was able to return the unit as defective. I kept checking out local music stores in Michigan and eventually came across Ensoniq. The voices were full, warm, and authentic-sounding, even the strings, brass, and drums. A bonus was the effects engine, same as in the famous DP/4, the best effects you can get aside from the super expensive pro units like Lexicon. I took home the TS-10, set it up, banged out a couple of cover songs in the first few days, and was hooked on Ensoniq. It is still my primary keyboard controller workstation to this day. The TS-10, which cost me around $2,400 (if I remember correctly) back in the day, still goes for almost half that on eBay. The reason is that it is one of the best keyboard workstations ever made.</p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: I always put a disclaimer into my blogs. I am not a professional reviewer or musician, just a guy with a home studio. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. This is all just opinion, for entertainment purposes only, so don’t make any decisions based solely off this info.</p>
<p><strong>Voices</strong>: You get 3 banks of 60 each for internal preset patches, and 2 banks of 60 each for user patches. The user patches stay in memory if you power off the unit. You also get 2 banks of 10 each for samples. The TS-10/12 units can load ASR-10, EPS 16+, and EPS samples. They can be loaded from SCSI hard-drive, or from good old floppy disks (I don’t have SCSI on my TS-10). The ASR samples are best, EPS 16+ are pretty good, and EPS samples are just so-so. I tend to use wavetable patches for the primary voices in my songs, and ASR samples for the more unusual patches such as ethnic/world instruments and hip-hop kits and such. Samples are dropped from memory if you power off the unit.</p>
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<p><strong>Gruv Loops</strong>: The TS-10 can do gruv loops called Transwaves or Hyperwaves. I cannot give much info on these, as I have never programmed a loop myself. They basically contain numerous waveforms, and then cycle through waveforms at certain intervals. If you cycle through kick, snare, cymbal base, and EP, on the beat, then you have a pattern loop. If you cycle through pads, sweeps, and atmospherics, not on the beat, then you have a motion pad like the Korg Wavestation. I have never done much with these, because if I need a pattern, I just sequence it, and if I need a motion pad, I just layer a couple voices. One downside of the TS us that the midi clock will not sync to these motion voices, nor will it sync to LFO or long-delay echo or anything like that, so the "tempo" of the motion voice is fixed and probably will not match the tempo of your sequence.</p>
<p><strong>Midi</strong>: The TS has midi capabilities that go beyond what I have seen in any other gear or in software. I can send and receive data on the same midi channel and track. I can play a track internally, externally, both, and send to multiple tone modules. I can receive an entire midi song on all 12 armed sequencer tracks, with 1 take. Best of all, midi channel and track assignments are saved with the song, not globally, so I can have different setups with different songs, and never have to change any global midi settings. This last item is a huge feature - every other piece of gear I have has midi settings at the global level, so however you set it up, is how it is set for every song. With the TS, I can have different midi settings saved for each song, so I can have songs saved that use all internal voices, others that use all external gear, others that are a crazy mix of send/receive channels, and I never have to change the global settings.</p>
<p><strong>Sequencer</strong>: You get 12 tracks in sequencer mode, then you go into song mode to chain several sequences together to make a complete song, and you get 12 additional song tracks in the process. So a song might be made up of 5 sequences, something like: 1 Intro, 2 Main repeated twice, 3 Chorus, 4 Main repeated twice, 5. Ending. There is full sequence, song, and track editing, even by range or filtered events. There is quantization with percentage, swing, and random options. You can mixdown automation of volume, pan, brightness, timbre, and tempo into a track. There are buttons for each menu category, for example Edit Track, and 6 soft buttons beside the display for the specific options under that menu, so you don’t get into much menu diving. Sequences and songs stay in memory if you power off the unit. The soft-buttons are a huge feature, no menu diving, just press the Edit Track button for example and the 6 soft buttons will have the various Edit Track options - there are no menu/cursor-navigation type buttons.</p>
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<p><strong>Display</strong>: The vacuum-fluorescent display is great. Too bad you can no longer find that type of display on the newer Ensoniq gear, or on any other gear for that matter. It is clear and easy to read in both bright and low-light situations. The only improvement I can think of would be to include lower-case letters. On the TS, everything is in caps, which takes 1 extra character when naming, since instead of naming a patch BrightPno, you have to name it BRIGHT-PNO. Obviously you can’t do something like show waveforms on the display, but then again hardly any older gear does that - you need a huge display like a Roland MC-909 for stuff like that. Apparently, these displays became unavailable during the reign of the TS and ASR, and Ensoniq had to switch to traditional LCD displays with the latest models, the TS Plus and the ASR-10 Purple Display. I have never seen these models in person. I have had much newer gear with LCD displays that have given me problems, but the TS (and my ASR-10 for that matter) displays are still perfect, bright, with no burnt-out segments, so I will take these old vacuum-fluorescent displays any day.</p>
<p><strong>Storage</strong>: The TS was from the days before SM, CF, SD cards, or USB sticks. You have to use good old fashioned floppy disks, unless you have the SCSI option, which I don’t have. But it uses the newer HD disks that you can still easily buy new online (as opposed to the older DD disks), so it really is not a problem. Just be sure to label and organize all your disks so you can find your sequences, voices, and samples. Note that floppies are magnetic and go bad from time to time, so make a 2nd backup of any important disks. Ensoniq floppies were always in a proprietary format, until the ASR-X/MR/ZR came out using MS-DOS format, so with the TS you have to use software to read and write files from a computer to Ensoniq-formatted floppies. I use Giebler software for standard midi file (SMF) conversion and for reading/writing sound patches and samples to/from Ensoniq-formatted floppies. I selected Giebler because I remember when he had ads back in the day in the Transoniq Hacker newsletter. I will make a blog post on Giebler software when I get the chance.</p>
<p><strong>Keybed</strong>: I like the feel of the keybed. I think it is from Fatar, like the Kurtsweil boards, but don’t quote me on that. It has a nice synth feel, not too clicky/bouncy, but also not too heavy/weighted. The TS-10 is 61-keys. If you want weighted-action for more of a piano feel, then get the TS-12 which has 76-keys.</p>
<p><strong>Polyphonic Aftertouch</strong>: Let’s say you have a voice where aftertouch (pressing harder on the keys after the initial attack velocity) adds vibrato to the sound, and you are playing chords with the left hand and a solo with the right. You can press harder to a note held in the solo to add vibrato, without adding any vibrato to the chord you are holding with your left hand. This polyphonic aftertouch feature is hard to come by. It is good when you want to merge 2 tracks - you can be using aftertouch on 1 of the tracks, but not the other, and when you merge them, they do not impact each other. I sort of wish that were true for things like the mod/bend wheels - if you merge 2 tracks, then mod/bend wheel movements will impact all the notes from both of the merged tracks.</p>
<p><strong>Polyphony</strong>: The TS only has 32 notes of polyphony (sounds that can play concurrently), so you will probably want another tone module or two for external voices. 32 notes of polyphony may be enough, but if you have layered voices, or you have anything sustained for a long time (like a building sweep or roll cymbal), you will eventually get some clipping. The TS does not have an arpeggiator, nor any true analog voices, so those would be good options for external tone modules. I will make a separate post on the various external tone modules that I use.</p>
<p><strong>Resonant Filters</strong>: One criticism of the TS is that the filters lack resonance, so you cannot do a traditional filter sweep (think first note of Rush’s Tom Sawyer) using a dial/slider. This is true, but you can simulate a filter sweep by using 1 of the sweeping type effects, by layering in a sweeping waveform, or you can do mixdown automation on brightness or timbre. It is funny how important this became when Techno/Dance/House hit the scene - everyone wished that the Ensoniq gear could do the "filter sweep up to the big bass drop" thing.</p>
<p><strong>Expansion</strong>: There were never any waveform ROM expansion boards, those came later with the ASR-X, MR, and ZR units. You could expand the sequencer to almost 100,000 notes, which I did. You could also expand the sampler memory to 8MB, which I also did. Can you believe it - with today’s 2GB piano samples, there was a time when you could load over a dozen 16-bit 44.1-kHz multi-sampled instruments into 8MB. There are tons and tons of ASR-10 sample libraries on floppy and CD that will play on the TS, so expansion is not a problem. There are also many libraries that use the internal waveforms, and those will fit on 1 floppy disk.</p>
<p><strong>Tempo Sync</strong>: One drawback of the TS is that you cannot sync the effects or the gruv loops with the midi clock. I sure wish it had that capability. If I put a long-delay on a patch, and I want that long-delay to sync with the tempo of the song , then I have to look up these arcane charts in the User Manual that show what the long-delay effect parameters should be sent to in order to match up with various BPM settings.</p>
<p><strong>Patch Select</strong>: Ensoniq keyboards always had 2 patch select buttons. I don’t think any other manufacturer had those. It was basically a way of switching between the waveform layers that make up a sound. So you could have a velocity-switched guitar sound, with strums and fret noises and such, and use the patch select buttons to have control over the switching, along with probably the velocity. I have an ASR-X groove box, and the patch select buttons are even on that unit.</p>
<p><strong>History</strong>: The wavetable synths built upon each other from the ESQ, to SQ80, to VFX, to SD, and to the TS, just like the samplers built upon each other from the Mirage, to EPS, to EPS16, and to the ASR. The high-point of Ensoniq was when you could get the TS, the ASR, and the DP4. A combined TS/ASR/DP4 super-workstation was the next logical product, but instead the ASRX, MR, and ZR units came out, with poor sequencers, weak midi, missing functionality, and OS bugs. Ensoniq, as a company, never recovered from these later units which were a big step down from the TS/ASR/DP4.</p>
<p><strong>Support</strong>: Ensoniq is long gone, but you can still get support and accessories online. I can recommend Syntaur.com, as I have purchased memory modules, floppy disks, and CD sound libraries from him, and I remember when he used to have ads in the old Transoniq Hacker newsletter. I have also gotten some sampler libraries from Rubber Chicken Systems.</p>
<p><strong>Documentation</strong>: Ensoniq gear was known for the best-in-class user documentation. The manuals and tutorials are clear, easy to understand, and go in a nice flow without having to jump around. There were no undocumented features. Every owner of an Ensoniq piece of gear should make sure they print off a hard-copy of all documentation, and then actually go through the manuals page by page sitting in front of their keyboard. I like how there was the User Manual for reference, but then there was also a Tutorial, to just go through step-by-step.</p>
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IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468352013-12-03T19:00:00-05:002017-02-07T02:37:35-05:00Replacing Capacitors
<p><strong>Replacing 2 bad capacitors on plasma TV</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://intrepiderie.com/intrepiderie_blog/replacing_capacitors" data-imported="1">http://intrepiderie.com/intrepiderie_blog/replacing_capacitors</a></p>
<p><strong>Warning</strong>: This is just a blog entry. I am not a professional. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. If you make a mistake, damage or injury could occur. If you don't have experience with this kind of stuff, don't do it. This blog is for entertainment purposes only. These are not official instructions.</p>
<p><strong>Symptom</strong>: The plasma TV overheats and turns off by itself. It stays off for a minute before coming back on. As caps get worse, the TV overheats and automatically turns off more frequently, and stays off longer. Eventually, the TV will no longer turn on.</p>
<p><strong>Fix</strong>: Replace 2 bad caps. Note that you will need a soldering iron with a fine needle-nose tip, since the components are assembled by precise chip-soldering robots, and everything is very close together with thin traces on the PCB boards. It is hard to work on these units by hand.</p>
<p><strong>Steps</strong>:</p>
<ol>
<li>Place a clean blanket on the floor, or coffee table, or couch.</li>
<li>Remove power and AV connections from the plasma TV.</li>
<li>Take the TV down from the wall and place it face down on the blanket.</li>
<li>Remove screws and take off the back panel.</li>
<li>Follow electrical discharge procedures, because caps can hold power even after the TV is unplugged, and you can get a nasty shock if you are not careful.</li>
<li>Locate bad caps by looking for obvious leaking, or it may be just subtle bulging of the caps, on the top or sides.</li>
<li>Determine which PCB board the bad caps are on.</li>
<li>Use permanent marker to note the direction that the PCB board goes in relation to the TV, and the direction of the caps.</li>
<li>Use permanent marker to note which ribbon cables and other connections go to that board.</li>
<li>Remove the various cable connections.</li>
<li>Unscrew the PCB board and place it on the soldering workbench.</li>
<li>Use desoldering tape (or solder sucker) and soldering iron to remove solder from the bad caps. Pull the bad caps.</li>
<li>Use super fine drill bit to clean out solder joints if the desoldering tape does not get it all, but be careful not to wreck the traces that are on the board.</li>
<li>Use notations written on the bad caps to determine which replacements to order. Get the new replacement caps.</li>
<li>Insert replacement caps into solder joints and solder into place from the back side.</li>
<li>Trim excess wire on opposite side of PCB board.</li>
<li>Put everything back together by following the notes you made previously with permanent marker.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong> Conclusion</strong>: I did this a couple years ago and the plasma TV is still going strong. It did automatically shut off once the other day, so I may eventually have to replace the caps once again if it starts doing that more frequently.</p>
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<p><strong>7-Feb-2017 Update</strong>: The replaced caps are still working fine on the Plasma TV. We had a different LCD display that was shutting off recently, and I was hoping that I could make the same type of fix, but when I opened it up, all the caps looked fine, none were bulging or anything like that, so I could not fix it. I guess sometimes it is hard to know what caps (if any) have gone bad - on the successful fix of the Plasma TV, the caps were just slightly bulged up on top, not leaking, nothing too bad. But obviously that was the sign to look for, because replacing them fixed the issue.</p>
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IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468342013-11-23T19:00:00-05:002013-11-27T07:37:34-05:00Atari 2600 Game Cartridges
<p>I powered up the old Atari 2600 and did a quick review of each of the game carts that I have in my collection.</p>
<p><strong>Warning</strong>: This is just a blog entry, based on opinion. I am not a professional reviewer. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. This blog is for entertainment purposes only, so do not make any decisions based on these reviews.</p>
<p><strong>Adventure</strong>: One of the best games for the 2600. Travel through mazes to find the keys to unlock the 3 castles. Use the sword to kill the 3 dragons. Return the golden chalice to your home castle in order to win.</p>
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<p><strong>Air-Sea Battle</strong>: Shooting-gallery type game. Fun for 2 players. There are many variations on this cartridge.</p>
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<p><strong>Asteroids</strong>: Classic Atari game, but the 2600 version is not the greatest. Shoot apart the asteroids before the get to your ship. Watch out for the enemy spaceships.</p>
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<p><strong>Berzerk</strong>: Good-looking game, but gets hard too fast. Shoot the enemy robots at an angle, because they cannot return fire at an angle. Watch out for the electrified walls.</p>
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<p><strong>Breakout</strong>: Classic paddle-game. A must for any 2600 owner. The ball will speed up as you break through deeper walls.</p>
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<p><strong>Centipede</strong>: Shoot the centipede before he reaches you. Don't hit the middle, or he will just split into 2. Clear obstacles to slow down his advance. Watch out for the spider.</p>
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<p><strong>Circus Atari</strong>: This paddle-game can be fun, but it is too hard. Get some good height on your bounce in order to pop the higher balloons.</p>
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<p><strong>Codebreaker</strong>: Keyboard/keypad controller based game. Guess at the code, get feedback, then use that feedback to narrow in on the exact code. Like the board-game Mastermind, but with numbers instead of colored pegs.</p>
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<p><strong>Defender</strong>: Fly above the surface of the planet. Shoot the alien ships that are trying to abduct humans. Save an humans that are falling too far back to Earth.</p>
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<p><strong>Dodge Em</strong>: Use button to speed up. Avoid the other car, and don't get in the same slot or you will crash.</p>
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<p><strong>Football</strong>: Fun game, and easy to pick up. Choose your play, then run or pass the ball. You control the main player, and the others move semi-randomly, like one of those old vibrating-board football games with the plastic players.</p>
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<p><strong>Freeway</strong>: Great game. Like Frogger, but easier. Get the chicken across the road, avoiding all the traffic. I seem to have lost the video that I captured for this game. Picture Frogger, but with a chicken instead of a frog, vehicle traffic instead of alligators and logs, and you just move forward and back, no left to right.</p>
<p><strong>Golf</strong>: I recommend this game. Line up your player to get the right angle, hold the button to set the power, then release to swing.</p>
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<p><strong>Grand Prix</strong>: On of the best looking 2600 games. How did they get multi-color cars (aka Sprites or Player-Missile graphics)? Use the button to hit the gas, press back for the brakes, and avoid the other cars and oil-slicks.</p>
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<p><strong>Haunted House</strong>: Search the floors of a dark haunted house, gathering objects, and avoiding monsters. I do not rate this game very high.</p>
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<p><strong>Indy 500</strong>: This game requires a driving-controller, which is basically a paddle that spins endlessly, so you can race around the track in the same direction. I did not capture video of this game, since I do not have a driving-controller.</p>
<p><strong>Miniature Golf</strong>: Great game. Move your player back to set the angle, further back for more power, then fire away to watch the ricochet action.</p>
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<p><strong>Missile Command</strong>: Shot the incoming missiles before the take out your cities. Don't let your missile silo get hit, or you will run out of ammo.</p>
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<p><strong>Pac Man</strong>: Great arcade game that did not translate well to the 2600. I do not recommend this game. It is hard to see the blinking enemy and the controls are slow to respond.</p>
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<p><strong>Raiders of the Lost Ark</strong>: Horrible game that makes no sense. I think is was this game and E.T. that were so bad, that according to urban legend, they had to dump truckloads of them in the desert just to get rid of them.</p>
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<p><strong>Slot Racers</strong>: 2-player game. Drive through one of several mazes to fire your missile at the enemy car. This is similar to Dodge 'em with the slots, except you fire at the other car rather than just avoiding crashes.</p>
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<p><strong>Space Invaders</strong>: Classic 2600 game. Stop the marching aliens from reaching the Earth's surface. There are many variations on the cartridge.</p>
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<p><strong>Street Racer</strong>: 1-4 players at the bottom of the screen, obstacles scroll down from the top. Play as cars, off-road vehicles, snow-skiers, or airplanes.</p>
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<p><strong>Surround</strong>: The 2600 version of the Light-Cycle race from the Tron movies.</p>
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<p><strong>Venture</strong>: Dungeon adventure that is much too difficult. The enemies are too fast. I have never gotten past the first board.</p>
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<p><strong>Video Pinball</strong>: Pinball on the 2600.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oBHGIkfToSM" width="425" class="wrapped wrapped"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p><strong>Warlords</strong>: Paddle game for 1-4 players. Protect your king. Break down the fortress walls to reach the enemy.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/85fgtFOeFTU" width="425" class="wrapped wrapped"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p><strong>Yars' Revenge</strong>: Advanced game for the 2600. Break down the enemy shields, then fire your missile, while avoiding the enemy attacks.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UNDpBKzRddY" width="425" class="wrapped wrapped"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p><strong>Note Regarding Atari 2600 Video</strong>: It appears that the 2600 video, and modern composite video, are different, even though they are both yellow RCA plugs. I could not hook my 2600 up to my TV via composite in. Instead I had to use one of those old RF adapters, plugged into the co-ax input, then put the TV on channel 3.</p>
IntrepidErietag:intrepiderie.com,2005:Post/61468332013-03-05T19:00:00-05:002021-02-22T12:15:23-05:00Upgrading OS on Ensoniq TS
<p><strong>Updating an Ensoniq TS-10 or TS-12 with the latest Operating System</strong></p>
<p>http://intrepiderie.com/intrepiderie_blog/upgrading_os_on_ensoniq_ts/</p>
<p>The official Service Dept instructions for Keyboard Techs are here:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790176/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page1.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page1.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790177/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page2.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page2.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790178/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page3.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page3.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790179/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page4.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page4.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790180/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page5.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page5.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790181/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page6.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page6.pdf</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="/files/790182/ensoniqts-upgradeos-page7.pdf" data-imported="1">EnsoniqTS-UpgradeOS-page7.pdf</a></p>
<p>My notes are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>OS 1 and 2 had a 2MB Upper EPROM and a 2MB Lower EPROM.</li>
<li>OS 3 has a 2MB Upper EPROM and a 4MB Lower EPROM, so cutting/removing a resistor, cutting a trace, and jumping 2 pins is required in order to handle the new 4MB chip.</li>
<li>Updated OS is needed for SCSI, GM, tempo track (song track 12), sound finder categories, and to save sequences and save the 120-programs and sample-banks along with it. The main feature I want is the tempo track.</li>
</ul>
<p>Parts needed include:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">2 new EPROMs</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">0-ohm resister (or wire)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Manual addendums for 2.0, 2.01, and 3.1</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">TSD-300 disk (contains EDT file with 120 GM programs)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Warning</strong>: This is just a blog entry. I am not a professional. There is no editor or fact-checker, so it is quite possible that there are inaccuracies. If you make a mistake, damage or injury could occur. If you don't have experience with this kind of stuff, don't do it. This blog is for entertainment purposes only. These are not official instructions.</p>
<p>Steps (continued):</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Hold Presets buttons and press System i order to get the current OS version, jot it down.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Save all sounds, presets, and sequences before starting, because everything will get wiped.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Use EDM (discussed in another blog entry) to create 2 TSD-300 floppy disks.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Format 2 blank TS-10 floppies for later use.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Remove all cables and power.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Remove bottom cover of TS-10 or TS-12.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Warning</strong>: Use anti-static precautions for all remaining work. You can damage chips if they get zapped by static.</p>
<p>Disconnect cables (use color perm markers to note locations) from the digital board:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">20-pin ribbon cable to the analog board (4090020301), upper-left.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">34-pin ribbon cable to the disk drive, just below it.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">6-pin cable to the patch select/wheel board, just below that.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">20-pin ribbon cable to the keyboard, just below that.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">34-pin ribbon cable to the SCSI board (4090020601) should be empty since I don't have SCSI on my TS-10.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">20-pin ribbon cable to the jack board (4090020201), bottom-left.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">9-pin cable to the power supply board (4090020401), upper-right.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">7-pin cable to the keypad/display board (4090020101), just below it.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Video on digital board connections is here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-i1YZ6tsf8" data-imported="1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-i1YZ6tsf8</a></p>
<p>Squeeze 5 white plastic standoffs (there may also be 4 screws to remove) with long needle-nose pliers to remove digital board.</p>
<p>Video on standoffs is here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s1__9uSbLM" data-imported="1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s1__9uSbLM</a></p>
<p>On component side (side with all the chips, caps, transistors, and resistors showing):</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Remove the 2 old EPROMS using scribe, make note of the direction of the notch.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394758/3423c561aff95336af84cc96ad0f7f85e20198ba/original/3-oldosepromchips.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTE1eDQ4NCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="484" width="915" /><br>Insert the 2 new EPROMS, with notch going the same way as the previous chips.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394758/2366e10a4c26590ff75443a08cb67f4c4aab8c36/original/4-newosepromchips.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NzQ2eDQ3MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="472" width="746" /><br>Upper EPROM (U6) is on left, Lower EPROM (U5) is on right.<br>Cut out or desolder the 0-ohm resistor from R1 18 location, just to the right of Lower EPROM, before getting to the square Motorola processor.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394758/b2ad1ac72df1fd6db2e095262d0fb834701e9235/original/9r18.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTg5eDUyMSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="521" width="989" /><br>Install 0-ohm resistor (or wire) into R1 17 location instead, next to the old R1 18 location.</p>
<p>Video on EPROM chips is here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJDIYA93X0" data-imported="1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJDIYA93X0</a></p>
<p>On solder trace side (side with no components showing):</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Cut the curved trace (all the way through) coming off pin 31 (2nd from bottom right) of the Lower U5 EPROM. Make sure you can re-do trace later if this cut needs to be backed out.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Jumper pins (using short piece of wire or just solder it) 31 and 32 (bottom 2 on right) on the Upper U6 EPROM.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Video on cutting trace and placing jumper on pins is here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S91hEnpUd3s" data-imported="1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S91hEnpUd3s</a></p>
<p>Putting everything back together:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Put back digital board and re-connect all ribbon cables. Now you will be glad that you marked everything so well.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Put the back cover into place and screw it back together.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Re-connect power and put in headphones to hear the new sounds.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Hold Presets button and press upper-left soft button to reinitialize.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Hold Presets buttons and press System to get the new OS version number.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>For backup, save these files to the 2 floppies that you previously formatted:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">60-SEQ/SONGS with 120 programs</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">120-PRESETS</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">SYSTEM-SETUP</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">SAMPLE-BANKS</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Load a GM sequence and the patches 1-128 should all match up correctly as long as you turned on GM mode.</p>
<p>Go to Song track 12, and you will see that it can now be used to mixdown tempo changes.</p>
<p>You can now select patches via category, as long as the newer version of categorized instruments are loaded.</p>
<p>See if MSB and LSB are still either/or settings. Looks like this did not change, too bad. You can still only select MSB or LSB for the patch on a track playing external gear, not both. Looks like Ensoniq never fixed that, even with the latest OS.</p>
<p>You can now save a sequence, and it will ask to save the program patches along with that sequence.</p>
<p>You can now name files using the keys on the keybed, cool.</p>
<p><strong>7-Feb-2017 Update</strong>: The trace cuts and jumper and new EPROMs and everything are working like a charm. I still use my Ensoniq TS-10 as my master keyboard controller and sequencer. I do not use the keyboard naming or GM features from the new OS. The feature I wanted, and use all the time, was the tempo track. The only thing that the TS-10 lacks is filter resonance sweeping, and ability to set both MSB and LSB when working with external tone modules. Floppies are fine, I actually prefer boxes of well-organized floppies to working with sketchy SCSI drives.</p>
<p><strong>Response to Comments</strong>: Thanks for all for your comments. Rather than have a long thread of replies, I have deleted the comments and will respond in general below:</p>
<p><strong>What is EDM</strong>: Ensoniq Disk Manager (EDM) is a tool created by Giebler many years ago to manage files on TS format floppy disks. There used to be ads in Transoniq Hacker newsletter, way before the Internet. It works using DOS machine (Win98 or earlier) and an internal floppy drive (not USB), so I run it from an old Win98 SE laptop that I have dedicated for running all my old retro floppy and sysex librarian programs that run under DOS. There may be other newer tools out there, but I cannot comment on those, as I have always used the Giebler software - I think you can still buy it even today.</p>
<p><strong>What if your OS got wiped</strong>: With a unit like the ASR-10, the OS was on the floppy, so you could just get a new OS floppy to boot from. But with the TS, the OS is in the internal EPROMS, so if your OS is wiped, then something really bad happened like a surge that fried the chips. You can get the OS chips online. I am not going to mention the seller I used, because I cannot recommend them due to poor business-practices and they may no longer be around anyway. Do a search or look on eBay. Make sure the OS chips are socketed on your board (easily replaced), otherwise I would not try it because you need to de-solder all the pins and it is really difficult. Whenever I have vintage gear with un-socketed chips, I jut clip them off nice and level, throw away the old chip. and solder the new chip onto the old pins.</p>
<p> </p>
IntrepidErie