Synthpro's Polymoog (video# 2)

[dburns]

Again, I'm impressed by the care you take in your restorations. And you have a great knowledge about the electronics. I enjoy your progress reports very much!

I think most of your restoration videos were filmed by you, but in this one you have a camera operator. Can you tell us who it is?

Thanks Jareth!

[synthpro]

@dburns Thank you so very much, I am very glad that you like my videos!

You are correct, I do not film all of my videos. My brother filmed for me on these videos.

Take care and thanks again,

Jareth

[muzikman2008]

Good man!... keep up the great work. You will be proud of your polymoog when it is fully restored. So refreshing to see younger people taking an interest in electronics and restoration. Well done you! :0)

[synthpro]

@muzikman2008 Thank you very much!

[synthpro]

@lexpie Thank you!

[synthpro]

@Progtologue Ah, that is another problem I have seen on these units as well. The MM5823N IC's are no longer avaliable, but I found a guy in England that makes them from CMOS IC's. I can guarentee they will work great for you because that is what is in mine and I have had them in it for about 3 years now without having any problems linked to them. I will e-mail you the information because youtube will not let me post web addresses up in comments.

Jareth

[synthpro]

@Progtologue Hi Patrick,

Glad to hear my videos interest you. Sounds like you have bad divider IC's (MM5823N). Can you tell me which notes it is that are dead? Is the dead notes only on one octave or the full scale of the keyboard? Also, is there any notes that makes sound, but only with one oscillator? The reason I ask these questions is so I can tell you exactly which chip or chips you have that may be bad.

Feel free to contact me any time if you have questions.

Take care,

Jareth

[RFreigeldorff]

bravo, great job!!!!

are polymoogs really such a pain to own? I would love to buy one, but my technical knowledge would not allow me to do anything on it..

[matelot95]

Everybody plays Replicas!!!!

Not that I'm moaning, it's what Vox Humana was created for lol!

[grabngonuts]

Bravo, young man, the polymoog and the oberheim are the most beautiful synths Ive ever heard.

[synthpro]

@grabngonuts Thank you very much! I agree with you. I also like the sound of Arp synths.

[audiowonder80s]

if youd like to see the polymoog more check out this video just released by electric disorder called clive sinclair

[bestrickie2]

Hey you've REALLY come on well with your poly moog, you know what to do, you know your stuff. INTERESTING to see the inside of it with all the circit boards & other stuff WOW you know what your doing & your getting there so it will turn out for the best I know so keep me posted I'de love to see the finished result that I know will turn out for the best Cheers From Rich

[synthpro]

@bestrickie2 Thank you very much!

[TheJuanbaudelaire]

Thanks for the demo

I just bought one that the seller says it does power up, but there is no sound.

What would you check first/

I may need you're genius in the future.

I am also buying the Sonic Six

Which would you say is the best?

Thanks for the seminar.

cheers

[synthpro]

@TheJuanbaudelaire Your welcome!

Congratulations on getting a polymoog!!!

Oh yes, I will be more than happy to help you.

I would first check the polycards and the HFO (High Frequency Oscillator) cards to make sure thay are in place because they love to come loose in shippment. Also, check the power supply voltages to make sure you have the correct voltages. If I can remember, you schould have +5,+15, and -15 coming out.

Hope this helps.

Jareth

[Desmaad]

If you ask me, you only need 10 voices, viz-à-viz ten fingers total. Total, true polyphony on an analogue instrument is tilting at windmills, IMHO.

[synthpro]

you only need ten voices, but it sure is neat to be able to hold a sustain pedal down and hit the same chord all the way up the keyboard without losing a single voice. I think this is one of the warmest polysynths I have ever played!

[yermyahu]

BTW, best of hope for you - you're almost there!

[synthpro]

Thanks. I actually have it complete now.

[yermyahu]

geez....I had no idea the Polymoog was THAT complex. Restoring it probably can't be as bad as the recent Hammond Novachord Restoration by Phil Corroco but still! BTW, did you know Bob Moog used the Hammond Novachord (built in 1938) as his basis for the design of the Polymoog?

[synthpro]

It is a beast of a keyboard. The polymoog is a lot like an electric organ. I did not know that.

Thanks for watching!

[latasha66]

Excellent!

[synthpro]

Thank you! It has taken some work, but it is worth it.

Thanks for watching!

[synthpro]

Thank you!

[analogpro7]

glad to see it's coming along.

looking forward to seeing how those cmos 8-bit shift registers work out as a sub for the divider chips.

and remember, anything that comes out of a speaker is analog =] hearing 1's and 0's would be boring =]

[synthpro]

Thank you.

I have heard nothing but good words from people that have used the cmos chips. hearing 1's and 0's are boring. the only digital synth I have used that I love is the Korg Radias. That synth is amazing once you figure it out.

Thanks again!

[machman05]

I've used the same cmos chips in my restoration and I can honestly say they work brilliantly and you can't tell the difference because there isnt one.

[synthpro]

Well, I just got my cmos chips in and they do sound great! I highly recommend them.

[analogpro7]

thats good to hear! someone did their homework to get a good substitute. I've ran across homegrown projects in the past that did not account for input voltage changes along with the sensitivity of inrush currents in cmos parts. sounds like a winner!! =]

[ChrisBoylan]

I really don't want to burst any bubbles, but Bob Moog thought it was an abomination. It was one of the things that drove him out the door.

[synthpro]

I have to agree with you. Norlin owned moog music at this time and Robert Moog had very little input on most of the instruments. I like all moogs whether made by Robert Moog or not. They are all part of moog history to me and I find them all neat.

[ChrisBoylan]

We, as users and efficienattos have a perspective on stuff like this. I owned a Polymoog Synthesizer. The one in this video is a Polymoog Keyboard. Anyway, it was previously owned by David Sanchez. My good friend happened to be an authorized Moog repair center. He had to literally go to SCHOOL to learn how to service these machines. It was an incredible undertaking to put one of these things on the bench and dare to open it. But even so, when all is said and done.... we LOVE this kind of stuff!

[ChrisBoylan]

This site sucks. It took my post and tossed it. Anyway, I owned a Polymoog Synth. This one is the Polymoog Keyboard. My friend is an authorized Moog repair Ctr. He literally had to go to SCHOOL to learn how to service these. It was a huge undertaking to put one of these on the bench and dare just to open the thing. But when all is said and done, we love them because they are SO COOL.

[synthpro]

This site does suck at times. I would like to have the synth model, but I got what I could get. I am going to college now majoring in electronics and if it was not for that, I would be lost. This is keeping me sharp on what all I have learned so far.

Thanks for watching!

[machman05]

I don't know what all the fuss posted above is all about! J has made great progress in restoring his Polymoog Keyboard. I too am in the process of restoring a 280a, its not hard to repair so long as you can understand the crap service manual.

Keep at it J, its coming along just fine, once finished you can be assured it will sound like nohing you've ever played before!

[machman05]

Superb J, its coming along real well and sounds brilliant!!!

[synthpro]

Thanks!

[socalsynths]

Outstanding- you should be proud of bringing that beautiful instrument back to life!

[synthpro]

Thank you! I am very proud to have this opportunity to not only restore it, but to also play it! 

Thanks for watching!

[64mung]

Maaaan... that machine is looking good!! Keep up the great work, can't wait to see the next update. Bob Moog is probably sitting on a cloud right now with a smile from ear to ear ;)

Capacitors dry up over time, be sure to replace them all, it will defiantly make a difference.

Nice job, synthpro!

*****

64m >:-)

[synthpro]

Thank you!

That is a good thought about Bob Moog. The polymoog was actually Dave Luce's design, but I am sure Bob had some input on it somewhere. You never hear anything about Dave Luce. Does anyone know if he is still alive?

I am going to replace all the electrolytic caps.

Thanks again!

[beezworld14]

Your videos are great, and the fact that you are restoring this classic yourself is pretty much mind-blowing.

And I haven't really seen many restore progress videos on YouTube, so it's a nice look into the workings of the poly.

[synthpro]

Thank you!!!! I am glad you are enjoying my videos.

Jareth

[DiversionUK]

Fantastic videos. I really enjoyed them. Good luck with the project, I hope you get your Polymoog working soon.

Dave

[synthpro]

Hi Dave,

Thank you and glad to hear that someone is liking my videos!

Thanks again!

[GNeuman]

You're doing a great job!

Thanks for sharing, good luck and really also looking forward to the third installment!!

[synthpro]

Thank you, I appreciate that!!!!

[attorks]

I anvy you man! I wish I could do that but my electronics knowledge is not that advanced. But glad to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Success with the project.

[synthpro]

I am majoring in electronics and honestly have to say that if it was not for some of those classes I was in last semester, I would be lost! Having the schematics for this beast helps too.

Thank you!

[analogpro7]

good work on getting that poly working better!

a suggestion about the osc not working on certain keys: follow the trace from the key back to the oscillator. since the problem is unique to a particular key/s its probably just a problem with something in series to the trace or the trace itself.

btw, why do you want to replace the bulk caps? just curious..

[synthpro]

Thank you! The actual problem with the one OSC is the divider chip. When I first got the PM that note was only playing one OSC on every octave. I tested this problem the hard way by desoldering the low octave divider chip on the dead row and putting it on the high octave level since they are in series parallel and the first Divider chip effects all the other ones in that row. After I did that the middle and high octave worked fine so that let me know that it was indeed the divider chip.

[synthpro]

Continued- The reason I am going to replace the Caps is because they are starting to bleed a little bit. I am just replacing the electrolytic caps. They tend to go bad after a few years and since I am restoring this unit, I might as well go on and replace them now.

Thanks again!