Rhodes Chroma Polaris

hey,

im a touring musician and i like the sound of the chroma polaris.  i 
recently purchased one off ebay only to find out that there seems to 
be reliabiliy issues with the buttons.  i was wondering if you 
thought it was a bad idea to take a polaris on tour, and if so what 
other synth you would recommend.  thanks.

-justin
--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "bkuris" <benjamin.kuris@h...> 
wrote:
> 
> I wanted to report that I sucessfully replaced the membrane 
buttons 
> on one of my CPs with panel mounted push buttons.  I expect that 
> keyboard (which also has this replaced DAC and new s/h caps) to 
run 
> until the EPROMS fail.
> 
> The whole proceedure took at least 14hrs and should be done only 
as a 
> least resort for cases of damaged flex wires, or when you discover 
> that the actual switch membrane has worn out.  Sooner or later the 
> control panels will fail on most CPs-- here is how you fix them:
> 
> 1) Remove control panel PCBs (Chroma Polaris must be open see 
service 
> manual).  Cut off or tape down the flex ribbon.
> 
> 2) Drill holes for every button.  I recommend using the upper 
right 
> corner to preserve as much text as possible.  I drilled from the 
> outside in, several of the labels (eg. "A") ripped free, but I 
glued 
> them back down.  Use a large bit to clean the hole on the backside 
to 
> provide a flush or bevelled edge for the switches.
> 
> 2) Switches.  You will need around 60 and the best deal I found 
was 
> at www.all-electronics.com for surplus sub-miniature SPDTs.  
Solder 
> leads will be very helpful (there are about 140 wires that need to 
be 
> soldered so anything helps!).  I bend the leads prior to mounting 
so 
> have as much clearance as possible.
> 
> 3a) There was still a clearance problem with many buttons hitting 
a 
> half dozen or so ICs on the control panel.  I solved this by 
removing 
> the offending ICs, desoldering the sockets (requires decent 
soldering 
> skills), and then soldering them back down.  I was able to just 
bend 
> the PCB to make up the remaining difference.
> 
> 3b) (optional) desolder old flex connectors
> 
> 4) Put the PCBs away for a while.  Print out the last few pages of 
> the service manual with the button wiring chart.  I color 
highlighted 
> to save time.  wwww.rhodeschroma.com is hosting the service manual.
> 
> 5) I used 2 different colors of thin solid-core wire (eg. wire 
wrap 
> wire).  One for strobes, one for switch signals.  Wire them all 
up, 
> it will take a very long time, be careful with how you run the 
wires, 
> try to bend into right angles and run them against the panel to 
keep 
> things neat.
> 6) Don't forget to add a wires that will eventually get solder to 
the 
> PCBs and *label them*.  If you look at where they will be going, 
the 
> switches you should use as the source of these wires will be 
> obvious.  Remember that STB0-STB2 go to a different place then the 
SW 
> lines.
> 
> 7) install PCBS and solder the STB and SW lines.  Test it all out--
 
> good luck.  I'm a skilled tech and I had 1 bad solder joint out of 
> the nearly 200 solder joints but its easy to use a multimeter to 
> troubleshoot as long as you don't scramble up the connection 
diagram 
> (in which case the LEDs will provide some clue). 
> 
> I will post a picture eventually...
> Due to the time this proceedure takes, I don't think it is 
feasible 
> to pay someone to do it for you as it would cost at least $400 
which 
> is close to the price of a used Polaris.  I would charge $500 
(more 
> if it needs to be done in less then a month).  Another option is 
to 
> have PCBs manufactured, but that also means machining a new panel 
so 
> that switches line up.  Given the size of the panel and expected 
> volume, it would probably also end up in the $500 range.  A final 
> option is to use MIDI which has performance disadvantages.
> 
> -Ben