Vintage Synth Repair

Hello,

  Have you considered getting a scanner and digitizing the manuals?  It's a lot of work but it assure that they won't be lost when your non-technical relatives sort through your life's accumulations upon your death.

  Don't hesitate to cut the binding off of a manual if you have access to a single-sheet scanner than can do the entire job needing a person to flip the book around constantly (like a flat bed scanner requires).

  Check the web to see what manuals have been done by others previously to avoid duplications.  Consider contacting the people at the companies who made the equipment as to whether they have scanned the manuals already.  In the electronics business the company might be long gone, but the people behind the company usually aren't.  A zipped collection of JPG images of the pages is usually better because people can add notes or corrections to the JPG images whereas it is often impossible to do so to PDF files.

  Upload the single file of the manual to several sites in different countries.  A countries' copyright law can change or be reinterpreted which can result in the disappearance forever of hundreds of obscure manuals if the website is forced to close because some corporate asshole claims to still 'own' some 30 year old schematic. 

  As technologies rapidly change, the old circuitry becomes incomprehensible to young people who have had no need to learn legacy technology in great detail.  Consider getting and using a speech-to-text program and describing how the circuit works  (i.e. ... 'op-amp 1B feeds the LFO signal into the 2 Hertz low-pass filter comprised of R23 and C15...').  Combine the text file that results from your spoken description in the zip file or PDF file of the schematics.  Recent versions of MS Word include a speech-to-text program buried with all the other often-overlooked features.

  Keep in touch here and don't hesitate to start your own Yahoo! group, even if it's just for a particular instrument or company.

Alan Probandt
another obsolete electronics technician


--- On Mon, 7/26/10, Scott <painintheamp@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Scott <painintheamp@...>
> Subject: [vintagesynthrepair] Re: New to the group
> To: vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, July 26, 2010, 6:08 AM
> 
> 
> --- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com,
> "jabathaslut" <warlandr63@...> wrote:
> >
> > Just wanted say hi and thanks to the moderators for
> letting me join this group. I have been involved in
> electronic music since I was a "wee lad" which was a long,
> long time ago. I am (was, I'm semi retired due to spinal
> injury) an electronics tech/engineer by profession and have
> > been repairing and building electronic music
> instruments for most of my life.
> > 
> > I have amassed a huge collection of documents
> (manuals, tech info) over the years pertaining to synths etc
> and I guess one day when I drop dead, it will drop dead with
> me..lol
> > 
> > I hope through my involvement with the members of this
> group I can share this knowledge of mine and keep many bits
> of gear in the working condition they deserve to be in. As
> this area of electronics has always been a "hobby" as aside
> to my profession, generally I have never sought to profit
> from the work I have done for people. (to my wife's
> disgust)
> > 
> > Personally I have a deep interest in drum synths and
> have designed and built quite a few "clones".
> > 
> > Anyway, I hope that I can help you guys as I hate the
> idea that classic analog gear at times hits the dumpster!!
> > 
> > Ciao
> > 
> > Richard
> >
> That's awesome Richard that you've offered us folks some (
> sorry about the spine though)
> 
> I personally welcome you and you gifts and talents to the
> page.
> 
> I service keyboards and synths here in VT and will probably
> be picking-your-brain on occassion.
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
>     vintagesynthrepair-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
> 
> 
>