my 'first' synth

[PHOBoS]

Although I have built some modular synth stuff I've never had a 'real' synth. Untill now! as someone just gave me a KORG DW-6000
As you can see from the picture it needs some work done, but from what I understand it is functioning. I knew there is a problem with
the keybed but I think the only problem is that the last key (highest) has one of the tabs broken off that the key hinges on. The key
next to it had one almost broken off and it did completely break when I took the key out. So I cleaned it with some alcohol and glued
it together with some superglue which seems to hold. I am not sure if I can fix the other key but I will try. Maybe I can cut off a piece
of plastic from something else, shape it and try to glue it or bent it from aluminium. And if I can't fix it than it's not a total disaster to
just leave it out. At least it is not one in the middle of the keybed. It does have midi so if it has some other problems with the keys I
could probably just connect a midi keyboard in which case I might just put the synth section in a different (rack) enclosure.

Another thing I need to do is change the mains input as it now has a not so standard or outdated 2-prong connection. By the looks
of it I can simply replace it with a standard 3-prong version. At least the screws seem to be in the same place and it's almost the
same size. If it doesn't fit right away I'll make it fit So that's what I will do first and then connect the keybed to see if that all works.
Since the keybed is out anyway I might as well give it a good clean. I am a bit hestitant of removing all the keys although I doubt
anything else will break off. The keys are labeled on the back so that should make putting it back together easier. If I remove the
keys I should probably go a step further and see if the switch contacts could use some cleaning. Looks like they are the rubber +
conductive contact kind.

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KORG DW6000.jpg
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[blue hell]

A 'real' synth

[PHOBoS]

I replaced the mains input connector. I had to enlarge the hole slightly but since it is mounted on a removable bracket this
was pretty easy to do. Now to figure out how the keybed connects and power it up (fingers crossed).

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KORG DW6000 - mains input.jpg
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[PHOBoS]

so far it all seems to work!
There is another key broken though (center D#). I'm not sure if that just happened, in which case I should be able
to find the broken piece and glue it back, or if I just hadn't noticed it. I'll just go ahead and carefully remove all the
keys for cleaning. Oh, another slight problem is that I don't have the screws to put the thing back together, but with
all the stuff I have taken apart over the years I'll probably have some that fit.

[Grumble]

I almost got a korg 01wfd that wasn't functioning at all but I fixed it and had to give it back.
Turned out to be a shorted elco, replaced it with something I had in my cap box and rewired some traces that were eaten away by the pruttle of the elco and it worked again.

[robsol]

Congrats Pho! It is a pretty cool synth, AFAIK.

Do you have space for it?

[PHOBoS]

well, there is a lot of space around here but not much room The synth is pretty big but I have a clear spot on the
floor (at least sometimes ) and a keyboard stand so I can set it up, just not leave it there. I am currently doing
some cleaning and sorting stuff out so maybe I can figure out a way to make some more room for it.

[gabbagabi]

could you really imagine PHOBoS playing a prefabricated non modificated maschine?

[PHOBoS]

oh, but I did modify it by putting a 3-prong connector on it.
Since it has some digital circuitry I thought about trying some 'circuit bending'
but I am afraid it would turn into circuit frying (I do have the schematic though).
But yeah it is a bit strange for me too although I do have another pretty much
unmodified keyboard, which is about the same size so I hardly ever play it.
(I did take it out after many years and tried it with EFX for GEM JAM)

[gabbagabi]

one "angst" less
my best regards

ps: i heard today at bbc that the voyagers are still "flying", since 77 same year as elvis died, coincidence?
did you heard on your moonbase any news about it?

[DES]

Congrats on the 'new' synth! I had one of those when they came out new. Ended up selling it after a few years - not sure why. I do remember liking it quite a bit though. Good luck with it! As for the keys - for sone reason I thought Korg was with Yamaha at that time...might be able to find a suitable key looking that way...

[Werebear]

I saved up for mine for about two years and I've still got it. It's big brother was also in the same shop. I think it had split keyboard and a sequencer.

But the DW 6000 is my synth!

[PHOBoS]

do you happen to have the original presets ?
I think mine has some of the original ones but not all and I understand they can be updated with an audio file.
They are in the manual though so I could use that but it would take a lot longer and it would be a nice way to
test the cassette interface. Some other presets would be welcome too of course. I have played around with it
myself and I can get some nice sounds of it, too bad it only has one parameter control although I think you can
also access them through midi.

[MusicMan11712]

https://soundcloud.com/jphwacheski/dw-6000-patchdump-audio-data This might have some you don't have, although from the description it doesn't sound like its the original. (Be sure to save yours via a sysex dump first!) Also this seems to have a sysex of the factory presets: http://www.sysexdb.com/synth_detail.aspx?dv=69. Oh--maybe there are problems with that last file. See http://music-electronics-forum.com/t13628/ for details. Maybe the zip file has the corrected sysex?

[PHOBoS]

Thanks steve I think I saw that one while looking for the presets before but had already forgotten about it.
and yes, I wil definititely save what it has now first. I think sysex is also how it is possible to control the parameters.
I think I even saw a hardware controller for it. I might actually be able to figure it out myself which would mean
I could probably add CV control as well.

[Werebear]

I think I still have the manual and original patch sheets somewhere but please don't hold your breath as I haven't seen them in ages. I never had the patches on cassette and I'd forgotten you could do that.

Times past when the battery in the memory went I repatched by hand as the presets where pretty good after a few tweaks, but even with the single pot interface it wasn't too onerous.

I'll see if iI can find the manual.

Jim

[Werebear]

Ha! I've just found the manual and patch sheets. I'm such a hoarder!

Over the weekend I'll see if can scan and post the patch sheets - six sides of A4.

If you would like a copy of the manual again I'll have to scan it etc.

Jim

[PHOBoS]

Thanks, but I had already found the owners manual here
and the service manual here

If you have some custom patches those are very welcome of course.
At some point I will probably just manually set it back to the factory presets
and post an audio file here for future reference.

[Werebear]

That's great!

It's a great synth in its own peculiar way though sometimes - in my imagination perhaps - I hear quantised steps in the LFO.

To be honest though I haven't switched it on in a couple of years. It was my main instrument for fifteen years, bought just after my band split up in the early 80's.

Have fun! Don't be put off by the single slider, two button interface. I would leave it set on reso or some other parameter and it gives you another performance control.

Jim

[PHOBoS]

I managed to backup the presets to an audio file (fsk according to DrSteve) and then I checked all the sounds and changed them
back to the factory settings using the manual. Luckily there were only 3 altered sounds but I still had to go through all of them
(64 in total with 35 parameters each).

I then made another backup of the settings which is posted below in case anyone else needs to set it back to the factory presets.
Note that I recorded through my mixer so it's probably not the ideal quality, but I have verified it and it works.

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KORG DW6000 - factory presets (by PHOBoS).wav
Description:	factory presets for KORG DW6000	Download (listen)
Filename:	KORG DW6000 - factory presets (by PHOBoS).wav
Filesize:	935.75 KB
Downloaded:	855 Time(s)

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[PHOBoS]

Now that I have all the presets backed up I can start messing with sysex messages to see if I can control it that way.
My goal is to make a hardware controller with knobs/faders/switches maaaaybe a display that I can place on top
to control all the parameters. I also want to add CV inputs for those although probably not all (would be a bit much).

I recently started messing around with an arduino which seems ideal for something like this. The first thing to do was
make a midi output and test it, so I followed along with this video and that worked without a problem. Next I had to
figure out exactly what data to send to change all the parameters. The manual has all the information but no examples
so it took me a while to figure out. I found some useful information here but still couldn't get it working. So I checked
the midi section in the manual and that's when found out I actually had to change a setting on the DW6000 itself to receive
the sysex messages. After that it worked perfect so I now have the arduino increasing/decreasing the filter cutoff frequency.

This is probably a project that I will work on once in a while, but at least I now know it is possible and not too difiicult to do

[PHOBoS]

here's the arduino sketch for the filter sweep code.

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DW6000_test2.ino
Description:	DW6000 controller test code for Arduino nano V3	Download (listen)
Filename:	DW6000_test2.ino
Filesize:	2.12 KB
Downloaded:	581 Time(s)

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[Werebear]

Wow! All that's way over my head at the moment! Great work. I keep toying with the idea of "re-boxing" my DW into a smaller format and using a RockBand keytar to control over just midi but at the same time wary of f*cking one of my favourite toys.
BTW I bought the keytar for pennies originally to strip the keybed out.

[PHOBoS]

That thought crossed my mind too as it is rather large and I don't have a lot of space. However, since almost everything is
controllable by midi I could just place it upright in a corner behind something else and have it connected to a much smaller
controller. Would be a lot easier than rehousing the thing. I also don't like destroying things, I much rather create. Of course
if you want to use it for live performances a smaller case would be much easier to transport.

btw. I didn't see any data to control the key assign settings (POLY 1, POLY 2, UNISON) remotely. However those settings are
saved with the presets, so there might be a way. Maybe reading the settings of the current voice and than overwrite them using
another key assign setting could work.

[Werebear]

Well haven't performed live in years and I'm still only learning what transistors do so I prpb. wont do the re-box plus it"s special - it was my first and still only polysynth. Took about two years to save for it in the '80s so I don't want to break it!