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Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

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Thread

My Dodgy VZ8M module.

My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-06 by chrispoacher

Hi everyone I'm a newbie to this group and have just purchased a VZ8M 
synth rack.

I'm a previous VZ-1 owner so I love the sounds it makes but had to 
sell it due to lack of space and felt at the time it was not required 
with the amount of Roland gear and softsynths around now.

However, I listened to one of my old albums recently that I used the 
VZ-1 on, and the memory's came flooding back. I still have a dump via 
sysex of all the sounds I programmed and was chuffed when I picked up 
a cheap VZ8M from ebay recently.

Only problem is i've been sold a dud, When I power the machine on it 
works but only for around 1 minute or so until it hangs completely. 
All midi notes are stopped (sometimes hanging) and I can't get any of 
the buttons to work at all on the front. Sometimes the screen is 
garbled, but everytime I have to switch the unit off, leave if for 
about 10 seconds then power back on.
Then the whole sequence of events starts again.

I'm gutted as It's got some lovely clarity from this thing but it's 
unusable in it's present state.

Just wondering if anyone else had had a similar problem with a casio 
unit and would have an idea of what it might be to fix it.

Any help greatly appreciated...

Thanks

Chris Poacher
chrispoacher@...

www.myspace.com/emula2or
www.adsr-music.net
www.myspace.com/digitalmotionuk

Re: My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-06 by narfman96

Hi Chris,

  Without looking at the beast I'm thinking something is overheating 
and shutting down the unit. Have you had the cover off and looked for 
hot components? Be careful there are lethal voltages inside. 

  If nothing is getting too hot then possibly the power supply has 
too much ripple and the cpu finally stops midstream. This can be 
checked with a voltmeter.

  I can help further if you want to check it out. I haven't seen the 
Service Manual around for the VZ8M. Has anyone else?

Fran 

--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "chrispoacher" <chrispoacher@...> 
wrote:
>
> Hi everyone I'm a newbie to this group and have just purchased a 
VZ8M 
> synth rack.
> 
> I'm a previous VZ-1 owner so I love the sounds it makes but had to 
> sell it due to lack of space and felt at the time it was not 
required 
> with the amount of Roland gear and softsynths around now.
> 
> However, I listened to one of my old albums recently that I used 
the 
> VZ-1 on, and the memory's came flooding back. I still have a dump 
via 
> sysex of all the sounds I programmed and was chuffed when I picked 
up 
> a cheap VZ8M from ebay recently.
> 
> Only problem is i've been sold a dud, When I power the machine on 
it 
> works but only for around 1 minute or so until it hangs completely. 
> All midi notes are stopped (sometimes hanging) and I can't get any 
of 
> the buttons to work at all on the front. Sometimes the screen is 
> garbled, but everytime I have to switch the unit off, leave if for 
> about 10 seconds then power back on.
> Then the whole sequence of events starts again.
> 
> I'm gutted as It's got some lovely clarity from this thing but it's 
> unusable in it's present state.
> 
> Just wondering if anyone else had had a similar problem with a 
casio
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> unit and would have an idea of what it might be to fix it.
> 
> Any help greatly appreciated...
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Chris Poacher
> chrispoacher@...
> 
> www.myspace.com/emula2or
> www.adsr-music.net
> www.myspace.com/digitalmotionuk
>

RE: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-07 by Scott Nordlund

Does the VZ-8M have a blue-green electroluminescent backlight (I know the other VZ models do, but the 8M has a different display)?  EL backlights will gradually degrade and lose brightness.  They tend to fail by going open-circuit.  The high voltage power supply that drives it doesn't like this and will generate high voltage spikes that can crash the machine (by EMI or by polluting the other power supply rails, I'm not sure which).  It may also produce an audible high-pitched hum (coming from the unit itself, not the outputs).  If this is the problem, you can replace the EL backlight or just disconnect the high voltage power source.  Of course, if it's got another kind of backlight, this is totally irrelevant.

To: CZsynth@yahoogroups.com
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: chrispoacher@...
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 21:13:52 +0000
Subject: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.
















  


    
            Hi everyone I'm a newbie to this group and have just purchased a VZ8M 

synth rack.



I'm a previous VZ-1 owner so I love the sounds it makes but had to 

sell it due to lack of space and felt at the time it was not required 

with the amount of Roland gear and softsynths around now.



However, I listened to one of my old albums recently that I used the 

VZ-1 on, and the memory's came flooding back. I still have a dump via 

sysex of all the sounds I programmed and was chuffed when I picked up 

a cheap VZ8M from ebay recently.



Only problem is i've been sold a dud, When I power the machine on it 

works but only for around 1 minute or so until it hangs completely. 

All midi notes are stopped (sometimes hanging) and I can't get any of 

the buttons to work at all on the front. Sometimes the screen is 

garbled, but everytime I have to switch the unit off, leave if for 

about 10 seconds then power back on.

Then the whole sequence of events starts again.



I'm gutted as It's got some lovely clarity from this thing but it's 

unusable in it's present state.



Just wondering if anyone else had had a similar problem with a casio 

unit and would have an idea of what it might be to fix it.



Any help greatly appreciated...



Thanks



Chris Poacher

chrispoacher@...



www.myspace.com/emula2or

www.adsr-music.net

www.myspace.com/digitalmotionuk




      

    
    
















_________________________________________________________________
Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

RE: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-07 by Andy Joyce

Could it be the internal battery? I've had some pretty weird stuff with different keyboards and the battery.

Scott Nordlund <gsn10@...> wrote:          
Does the VZ-8M have a blue-green electroluminescent backlight (I know the other VZ models do, but the 8M has a different display)? EL backlights will gradually degrade and lose brightness. They tend to fail by going open-circuit. The high voltage power supply that drives it doesn't like this and will generate high voltage spikes that can crash the machine (by EMI or by polluting the other power supply rails, I'm not sure which). It may also produce an audible high-pitched hum (coming from the unit itself, not the outputs). If this is the problem, you can replace the EL backlight or just disconnect the high voltage power source. Of course, if it's got another kind of backlight, this is totally irrelevant.

To: CZsynth@yahoogroups.com
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: chrispoacher@...
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 21:13:52 +0000
Subject: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.

Hi everyone I'm a newbie to this group and have just purchased a VZ8M 

synth rack.

I'm a previous VZ-1 owner so I love the sounds it makes but had to 

sell it due to lack of space and felt at the time it was not required 

with the amount of Roland gear and softsynths around now.

However, I listened to one of my old albums recently that I used the 

VZ-1 on, and the memory's came flooding back. I still have a dump via 

sysex of all the sounds I programmed and was chuffed when I picked up 

a cheap VZ8M from ebay recently.

Only problem is i've been sold a dud, When I power the machine on it 

works but only for around 1 minute or so until it hangs completely. 

All midi notes are stopped (sometimes hanging) and I can't get any of 

the buttons to work at all on the front. Sometimes the screen is 

garbled, but everytime I have to switch the unit off, leave if for 

about 10 seconds then power back on.

Then the whole sequence of events starts again.

I'm gutted as It's got some lovely clarity from this thing but it's 

unusable in it's present state.

Just wondering if anyone else had had a similar problem with a casio 

unit and would have an idea of what it might be to fix it.

Any help greatly appreciated...

Thanks

Chris Poacher

chrispoacher@...

www.myspace.com/emula2or

www.adsr-music.net

www.myspace.com/digitalmotionuk

__________________________________________________________
Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



                         

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RE: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-07 by Scott Nordlund

It probably wouldn't be the battery if it functions properly for a while before locking up.
To: CZsynth@yahoogroups.com
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: kingvidiot83@...
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 20:44:33 -0800
Subject: RE: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.
















  


    
            Could it be the internal battery? I've had some pretty weird stuff with different keyboards and the battery.



Scott Nordlund <gsn10@...> wrote:          

Does the VZ-8M have a blue-green electroluminescent backlight (I know the other VZ models do, but the 8M has a different display)? EL backlights will gradually degrade and lose brightness. They tend to fail by going open-circuit. The high voltage power supply that drives it doesn't like this and will generate high voltage spikes that can crash the machine (by EMI or by polluting the other power supply rails, I'm not sure which). It may also produce an audible high-pitched hum (coming from the unit itself, not the outputs). If this is the problem, you can replace the EL backlight or just disconnect the high voltage power source. Of course, if it's got another kind of backlight, this is totally irrelevant.



To: CZsynth@yahoogroups.com

From: chrispoacher@yahoo.co.uk

Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 21:13:52 +0000

Subject: [CZsynth] My Dodgy VZ8M module.



Hi everyone I'm a newbie to this group and have just purchased a VZ8M 



synth rack.



I'm a previous VZ-1 owner so I love the sounds it makes but had to 



sell it due to lack of space and felt at the time it was not required 



with the amount of Roland gear and softsynths around now.



However, I listened to one of my old albums recently that I used the 



VZ-1 on, and the memory's came flooding back. I still have a dump via 



sysex of all the sounds I programmed and was chuffed when I picked up 



a cheap VZ8M from ebay recently.



Only problem is i've been sold a dud, When I power the machine on it 



works but only for around 1 minute or so until it hangs completely. 



All midi notes are stopped (sometimes hanging) and I can't get any of 



the buttons to work at all on the front. Sometimes the screen is 



garbled, but everytime I have to switch the unit off, leave if for 



about 10 seconds then power back on.



Then the whole sequence of events starts again.



I'm gutted as It's got some lovely clarity from this thing but it's 



unusable in it's present state.



Just wondering if anyone else had had a similar problem with a casio 



unit and would have an idea of what it might be to fix it.



Any help greatly appreciated...



Thanks



Chris Poacher



chrispoacher@...



www.myspace.com/emula2or



www.adsr-music.net



www.myspace.com/digitalmotionuk



__________________________________________________________

Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!

http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Do You Yahoo!?

Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 

http://mail.yahoo.com 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




      

    
    
















_________________________________________________________________
Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-07 by chrispoacher

Hi Again,

Thanks for all the help and comments.

I think the only way to check is to crack it open and have a look, 
changing the battery in the process just for good measure. 
The display is not like the other VZ modules, it's a 2 line 16 char 
green on black, a bit like the Yamaha TX81Z. It's certainly not going 
dim in any way so I reckon a power supply, dry solder joint or 
something overheating more likely.

I know pretty much bugger all about electronics so I'll just be 
looking for something obvious. I know as much about electronics as my 
g/f does about cars, i.e. bugger all...

I'll let you know when i've broken the seal on this ark and reply 
with the details.

Thanks again..

Chris Poacher

RE: [CZsynth] Re: My Dodgy VZ8M module.

2007-11-08 by Scott Nordlund

If you have a multimeter, test the power supply output voltages and compare to those in the service manual (should be about the same as the VZ-1/10M, so you can use that service manual).  They should be reasonably accurate and stable over time.

To: CZsynth@yahoogroups.com
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: chrispoacher@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 19:14:55 +0000
Subject: [CZsynth] Re: My Dodgy VZ8M module.
















  


    
            Hi Again,



Thanks for all the help and comments.



I think the only way to check is to crack it open and have a look, 

changing the battery in the process just for good measure. 

The display is not like the other VZ modules, it's a 2 line 16 char 

green on black, a bit like the Yamaha TX81Z. It's certainly not going 

dim in any way so I reckon a power supply, dry solder joint or 

something overheating more likely.



I know pretty much bugger all about electronics so I'll just be 

looking for something obvious. I know as much about electronics as my 

g/f does about cars, i.e. bugger all...



I'll let you know when i've broken the seal on this ark and reply 

with the details.



Thanks again..



Chris Poacher




      

    
    
















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