Digital Piano Repair - Inside the Roland RD700 SX

[MikesMusic123]

First, Love the vib,, great playing. Appreciate the exceptional vid.

The felt , looks like the felt sits in s track? therefore all the keys do not have to be removed to install it Just fish it through?.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Cheers

[paulwwells]

@MikesMusic123 It's not really a track, more like a tunnel. You have to tie a piece of string on the end of the old felt as you pull it out, then use the string to pull the new felt in.

[78special]

@tink558, not sure if you fixed this. I'll post this for anyone else interested. I have had the same problem ages ago. Its easy to take out the keyframes. I broke a few in the middle and then swapped them with the top and bottom end ones (all the same size). The new ones in the middle have now broken so I now need to buy new frames from roland. I haven't checked the price as yet. I think the frames are too weak. I do play heavy handed though!

[78special]

I just called Roland, $6.80 per frame and there are 7 frames (+ a small 4 key frame at the end).

[paulwwells]

@tink558 I haven't taken a key frame out since so I don't know. I would try the spares at roland dot co dot uk link to see if they know or can point you in the right direction.

[bevsta55]

I have one key on my Fantom S 88 that's not working properly. You have to press it harder than the other keys to get any sound. Any feeback will be appreciated.

[paulwwells]

@bevsta55 I used to have this problem. There are two rubber switches which sense a key press. Sometimes the rubber can become mis-shapen and affect the velocity sensing (either too soft or too hard depending upon which one is affected). (see my bridge over troubled water video) Quite often just giving the rubber part a flick to return it to its normal shape will fix it - the difficulty is getting at that part. If it won't go back to shape then you'll need a new block of rubber switches.

[phriedone]

@bevsta55

I am looking for Roland mouse 9 pin and data cable

phriedone a t y a  h oo

[jerdawg553]

My Rd-700sx has stopped making noise through both the headphones and amp. If I turn it all the way up, I can hear a faint sound of the keys. I'm not sure what is actually wrong, the amp and the headphones work great independently. It seems to fix itself every once in a while when I just turn it on to see if it works...been this way for months! If you know what's wrong I will be very grateful!

[paulwwells]

@jerdawg553 I'm no expert but I'll try my best. It sounds like if you replace the i/o card you would fix the problem. The i/o card is on the left and is just behind all the external jacks. At a guess an amplifier component on that card has failed. Ask Roland for a price on a new i/o card.

[tcap8055]

Thank you for sharing!!! Do you know if i can get into my Casio Privia the same way to tighten up the keys?? Some are a little loose from playing a lot...

[FloProproductions]

Know wonder it needed repairing, you play some bloody good tunes!

[sgdehart]

thank you!! Will do.  -sarah

[sgdehart]

Thanks for the help. Seriously, you've been way more help than any repair guy I've contacted. I'll try the electronics forums.

By the way, awesome playing! Hopefully I can get to playing some of my own soon. I'm lost without my keys :(  -sarah

[sgdehart]

Maybe you can help me with my HP-1700?!?!?!? I have dead keys, do you know anything about that??? Membranes seem fine... aggghhhh!!!

[paulwwells]

@sgdehart Roland use pairs of little rubber membrane switches (as I'm sure you will have seen). If one of them gets out of shape for any reason you get zero or maximum response. You can get them to pop back into position, and they will work again temporarily. I'd try to obtain a new replacement block of switches. This is the main weakness with this type of keyboard if you ask me.

[sgdehart]

Thanks so much for your reply. I don't think it's the membrane switches only because when I move them to another section/circuit, they work. but I will try, if I can get Roland to reply. I'm trying to fix this thing in the most cost effective way. Actually, it appears that a good sized scratch on one of the traces might be causing my problem. There is exposed copper, and has maybe been oxidized. Do you know anything about this and any remedy? Thanks again so much for responding!!!

[paulwwells]

@sgdehart Ah from what you've described then yes I would agree that the PCB is damaged. Then it becomes a more general question of how best to repair a scratched board which is an electronics newsgroup thing. I would at least have a go at repairing it before buying a replacement board.

[dancingfinger]

hi paul.,i just open my rd 700sx and i forgot to re arrange the hammer.,its have diferrent shape and the hammer.,.88 hamer have number from 1 to 4 each number have 22 hamer.,could you help me.,dorry if my english were bad

[paulwwells]

@dancingfinger I don't know the answer, so I am guessing. Is the keyboard split into quarters with the largest hammers on the left? You can also contact David Wiseman (url at the end of the video) to see if he can answer.

[cmartinmusic]

Great piece Paul and thanks for the look inside the RD700 sx. I guess I'm getting old. I've never opened mine up. In the past the first thing I did when I got a new keyboard, whether it was an acoustic grand or a synth was take it apart. Chris Martin

[paulwwells]

@cmartinmusic I admit I was fairly disappointed by the inside - just one little card that does everything. I mainly found that action interested with it's weighted hammer mechanism folded up underneath the key.

[Hokumratrun]

Wow you really went to work on that instrument!

[RFTune]

What a good news, that you have it fixed now! I wonder which song is to blame ;-)

[paulwwells]

They have all contributed, but I think the glissando at the start of Dancing Queen took the A out

[marky26uk]

Good to hear you got it repaired Paul, had to repair mine a few times too.

Look forward to your future creations now you have it fixed.

Regards :)

[paulwwells]

Thanks marky - I think the felt needs replacing every couple of years anyway. As soon as any key feels as if it's hitting plastic rather than felt then it's time to do it.

[kmanleyaud]

@paulwwells

Where can I get replacement felts? Mine are worn down to nothing but I can't find the right parts for it.

[vlem1991]

Good music and a great way to show us the inside of the roland ..

thanks

[paulwwells]

Thanks vlem1991

[stratus51]

Nice

[paulwwells]

ah thanks. Glad you found it interesting.

[Jimsskot]

Yeah Yeah Yeah.

[paulwwells]

Thanks Jim :)