Unfortunately, I don't own this synth anymore. I ended up selling it and got a MKII. Loading patches on it is somewhat similar to the MKI. I do have a video on how to do that with Windows here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHTNp56depV8pc0 In a previous comment, I left a link to an article that goes over the process for an MKI using a Mac which I'll leave here: (keyboardchronicles.com/2020/04/06/uploading-patches-to-your-dx7-on-a-mac-with-osx/). There is also a link to a huge collection of patches at the end of the article you should snag while you are there. They include the factory sounds as well as a bunch of others that are worth checking out

To answer your other question; No, you can't change the battery while also leaving power to the board. I wouldn't recommend it if you could.

Looks like I can't it find on ebay either. I did find a site selling them though. Check out AnalogClassics.com and do a search for Yamaha DX7 battery replacement.

@@deltamumusic awesome thank you!!

@@deltamumusic I just wanted to reach out because maybe you’ll know since I’m new to synths or maybe you could point me in the right direction. I successfully replaced the battery and the screen lights up with solid numbers but once I hit the switch to turn it on it turns off right alway. Which was the same symptom before I replaced the battery the only difference is the screen did not display full numbers like it does now that I replaced the battery. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!!

​@@midwestrest9817sorry for the late reply, but I haven't had this problem before, so I can't provide much help. I would suggest maybe looking for any loose connections or cold solder points before digging into it too much. If that isn't the issue, you can try searching forums to see if someone else has a simular problem. I don't know if it was you, but I saw a post the Facebook group "synthesizer spares and repair" of a dw6000 with your problem. That group is a great resource. There are many knowledgeable people in that group. I was able to get help from some one there for a different project where I couldn't find a schematic for something and need to replace an exploded capacitor. The guy that helped me was able to name the value of the cap from memory

@@deltamumusic thank you! I actually joined that exact group a couple days ago and was able to find help. Really appreciate you always helping and reaching back out. Have a great day!

There aren't any reset buttons. Removing the internal battery will result in the presets being clearned though

Thanks for watching and I'm glad to hear it provided some useful information for you. As you mentioned, this video was made to help those considering the upgrade or currently undergoing it and want some additional support. Syntaur's instructions are pretty good but I wasn't a fan of the black and white scanned photos that were part of it. It was nice of them to pack instructions with it but I feel like they could benefit from providing a link to a pdf file with better quality photos. This would also provide would be buyers with some insight on what is involved. Well, until they change that, I hope this video continues to help others like you

I have not delt with a problem like this before so I can't provide much help. But I would start with testing voltage across the battery (with the test on the unit itself and also with a multimeter with the unit off and unplugged). Best case the "new" battery is faulty and just need to be replaced. Batteries do have a chance of showing up DOA or hopefully in your case, lacking enough charge to clear the message but enough to store the patches

Where can I find your free DW-6000 editor?

I would start with the electrolytic caps on the power supply and see where that gets you. It's best to get start there and then work you way inwards.

@@deltamumusic I recapped the power supply, still having the issue. I decided to now recap all the electrolytics on the mainboard. I'm almost done. I'm also going to try to replace the transistors that detect the battery voltage, that might be why I'm getting a change battery issue.

Honestly, I haven't made much time to utilize it yet. But I went through with the upgrade for a couple of reasons. 1. I wasn't given any floppies with it 2. I had no floppies that would work with it. (Double-sided Double-density aka DSDD, other kinds are prone to errors) 3. Floppy disks of the right kind are some what expensive. (Maybe $25 for a 10 pack of 720KB disks) The emulator drive came with a 6 or 8GB flash drive which is more memory then I'll ever need. I did find a huge collection of patches online. A Google search for "Ensoniq SQ-80 Patches" should lead you to Gearspace post called "Ensoniq ESQ-1, SQ-80 - ultamate patch collection". Now for the reason why I haven't really used it yet is because these patches can't simply be dragged and dropped onto the usb drive. They have to be loaded one by one via sysex on to the synth and then saved onto the drive. A bit of a daunting task considering there are hundreds of patches in that collection. As for waveforms, the only way to get more is to access the "hidden" waveforms that come with a firmware upgrade. If you have a floppy from a TS10 it may work in the SQ-80. I say maybe because the TS line also excepted DSHD on top of DSDD floppies. If it's a DSDD, you clear and format it, It should work for ya.

@@deltamumusic Thanks, I didn't realize the workflow for the emulator would be so time consuming. I've got that emulator in my TS-10. Now I wonder if it is the same sysex based workflow to copy patches. Thanks for the tips!

@@anonymous_friend Yeah, I wasn't aware of the hassle till after I got it. Kind of a bummer, but I'm not too upset about it. We aren't going to get the conveniences of modern equipment on old machines. Back in the day these were cutting edge tech, but they were also working with little to no standard format since the tech was so new which is why we have some the problems we do with older stuff. The TS line came out maybe 5 years after the SQ-80 so maybe something was changed between that time period that would make the work flow easier. Hopefully that's the case because you can load samples onto it

Thanks for watching and I'm glad you liked the video. Unfortunately, I haven't had any experience with either of your issues so I don't have any advice or wisdom to pass on to you, but I do wish you the best of luck on your endeavors.

I just repaired an ESQ-1 keybed with four broken plastic bushing mounts. By 'bushing mount', I mean the extended plastic that the little rubber bushings fit over. I had to make replacements, as I only found one of the original mounts broken off inside the keyboard chassis. I'll come back to those in a minute. Regarding the keys on the ESQ-1, the back spring is the same. You have to remove that either using the screwdriver method in the video or some needle nose pliers. Before you do that, though, you have to remove the small contact spring under each key. If you don't, you'll risk stretching that spring out and that's what actually makes contact with the busbars and triggers the key. To remove it, I used a small pair of tweezers and gently grabbed it by the end that enters the plastic piece under the key. The other side of the spring is soldered to the PCB, so don't remove that unless you're replacing the spring. There is no tab in the back of the keys on the ESQ-1. Regarding this Syntaur modification, my only concern is that with the mod the only thing stopping the down travel of each key are those plastic bushing mounts, which are not very thick. As I mentioned, I had to repair four broken ones on an ESQ-1. I would be worried that without anything to stop the key travel, like the original aftertouch pads that are removed for the Syntaur mod, it would far too easy to press too hard and start snapping those bushing mounts. Maybe some thin felt could be glued in place of the original aftertouch pads? Just something to stop the keys from going down too far and putting too much stress on the bushing mounts.

@@JimAlfredson I haven’t worked on an ESQ-1 before, but I have heard of those dreaded contact springs. With the SQ-80 being the successor to the ESQ-1, I’m going to take a guess and say Ensoniq noticed the problem with the contact springs, got rid of them, beefed up the mounts, and moved over to the induction set up. [Each key has a metal plate on the underside and there is a matching coil for each key on the circuit below the keys. The coils produce a magnetic field which is affected by the metal plates on the keys traveling through them. So in essence, velocity and aftertouch are controlled by messing with magnetic fields, which is pretty interesting stuff if you ask me.] I do get your concern about the posts the bushings are on and I did think of adding something to replace the foam, but decided not to since Syntaur did not mention or recommend anything. I’m confident they know what they are doing and have considered that as well. I think if they felt it were necessary they would have included it in the kit or at least recommend something as optional. I have recently got an EPS, and opened it up to give it a thorough cleaning. The EPS and SQ-80 were released around the same time and it shows. They both used the same keybed and share many other things in common. Once I got to the keys, the goal of Syntaur’s rebuild kit became apparent to me. The black keys had the “shelf” that Syntaur said some versions had and none of the keys had foam on them (they do not even look like they could have been scraped off). So, seeing all that, I came to the conclusion that Syntaur is trying to mimic a revision Ensoniq made themselves on later releases.

The internal memory gets wiped when the battery is replaced. You will have to reload it with patches. The easiest way would be with the cartridges, but you may want to try it via MIDI. (keyboardchronicles.com/2020/04/06/uploading-patches-to-your-dx7-on-a-mac-with-osx/) The link above should send you to a page on how to do that. It is written for Mac, but the process is similar for Windows. Also don't forget to follow the link at the end of the article to grab a bunch of patches

Thank you very much for the quick and detailed reply! I am going to attempt a restoration! Wish me luck!

I've been using Gunk Contact Cleaner

Definitely VCO and max polyphony is 7

I was unaware they were advertising this playing drum sounds. This is a mono bass synth with no noise oscillator so the best you'll get is something like a kick or tom. Maybe they were showing it being used as a controller for something else to make the drum sounds

Haha yeah I though I broke mine some how and freaked out a bit as well. Luckily DX7s are pretty popular, so there is a lot of information out there. Still took me a while to figure it out, but I was so relieved so find out it was something as simple as that

check the breath controller settings

Thanks for watching and for the advice. I was trying to keep these videos short-ish, but I guess I took things too far lol. I have also been considering adding my own closed captioning, but it's good to hear that atleast youtube can understand me

Soldering isn't too difficult, but certainly takes some practice to master. I would imagine anyone who is a tech should be able to handle the job. Hopefully you can find someone to do it for a reasonable price. I recall one time picking up a DX7 from someone who claimed a technician wanted $175 just to look at it. That number may have been thrown out there because he didn't actually want to deal with it but it could also be a realistic number. I honestly don't know what the going rate is on that kind of work. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with that. It would be really cool to hear, with a bit of practice, you built up the confidence to do it yourself, but I also understand if you go the route of seeking out a tech. In that case I hope you find someone who can do a great job at a price you feel is reasonable.

Your welcome

It kind of does, doesn't it

Thanks!

Thanks!

I can't wait to hear what ya make!

@@deltamumusic I am partial to a bit of ring modulation, so there will certainly be some jagged edges here and there.

Yeah, if I were to do it again now I would go through the trouble of taking it out. I really would have made it much easier at the cost of a little more time.

What he said. A job worth doing...

Your welcome and I'm glad to hear it has installed some confidence in you. That's what I ultimately hope you achieve with these repair videos

I luckily have an electronics store in my area that has a nice collection of stuff. As for knowing which ones to replace, there are a few things to know. Typically it's electrolytic capacitors that fail. They are the cylindrical one. Sometimes you may see them swell and bust open. Other times they don't show any visual sign of failure. Providing you have proper documentation, you could test points with a meter or scope. I choose to just replace all of the electrolytic caps on the DC board (where power comes in). A lot of the time on older equipment, that's where the problem(s) start. Also since I have a shop near by where I can get parts at a fair price, it wouldn't have made much of a difference to get a few capacitors or all of them. I'm not sure how ordering that kind of stuff online is like, but I could imagine it being kind of pricey (relative to parts) and that you may possibly have to buy a larger quantity than you need.

Your welcome and thanks for watching I thought I was going to have to replace that peice, but after a lot of careful work I was able to get them straightened out. I skipped a majority of that work in the video because I may have been at it for about an hour or so till I got them right. I sure you could find an extra one (or peices) out there on ebay or syntaur if yours is that rough of shape or if you think that buying a replacement is a wiser investment than your time

I use rubbing alcohol as my cleaning solution. A rag is good for the larger areas while I use a combination or cotton swabs and a toothbrush for the tighter spots. I also used the toothbrush a bit to clean the button tops because the rag wasn't getting everything because of the texture

Yeah, I've read about the trouble those capacitors could cause. I didn't replace mine (even though I should have) because all off my gear stays unplugged if it isn't plugged into a power conditioner that would need to be turned on first. As for cleaners, I'm using Gunk electronic cleaner - contact cleaner and a high percentage (+90%) isopropyl alcohol. Adding a ground to the power cord would a nice mod. You might have to drill the chassis a bit to make room for it though. I would like to hear how that turns out

I've been using Oatey. Not for any particular reason other than it's what I've had on hand for ages.

N° 5 @@deltamumusic

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I'll make sure to work on that for future videos.

Haha yeah I should probably work on that. Admittedly, it wasn't a priority. I was just looking to have something break the silence. Thanks for pointing out where I should improve.

Unfortunately not. The knobs are analog potentiometers, not digital encoders