Korg M1 repair and restoration.

This is my second movie I made about repairing a vintage Korg, I really love these machines. This time I am going to replace some capacitors and also I will put in a brand new bleu LED display and replace all the Tacktile switches.
Have fun watching.

[@conan5885]

I always love to see someone brave enough to do a full switch and cap change on these synths. Me...? Not as brave (or experienced and precise with a soldering iron). I can take apart (part by part), fix and do maintenance and put back together any late 80's to mid 90's Korg synths with my eyes closed and a hand tied around my back. M1, T3, 01/W, Trinity, Wavestation, etc... De-soldering and soldering components on a circuit board...? Hell no.... Great video.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Thank you so much for your comment.👍

[@WalterGalindo]

Good vid, nothing like the peace of min$ of a fully rebuild power supply, good catch they were swollen already, enjoy your M1

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Thank you so much Walter

[@thesiffer298]

Good repair, I've a question about my t3, I opened it up to replace the battery now nothing is working no lights come on just some horizontal almost bar like lines on the display. I searched online and multiple other people have the same issue but with the m1 and 01wd where after changing the battery bars light up on the screen and the keyboard is in a frozen state. Changed the caps also just in case they were causing this to no avail.

[@GiuseppeBusu]

Congratulations on the instructional video and the details you have provided. My korg t3 has the problem of no sound. Visually no capacitors are damaged, do you think I should try to replace them all equally?

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Do you see anything in the display?? and if so what is it saying.

[@marianfotescu1808]

Thanks for the video. I'd like to try to repair my M1. How can I identify the correct capacitors when I order them?

[@TomatoFettuccini]

Ahh, capacitor plague. This was an ongoing issue for capacitors from the mid90s to the mid-2000s. It affected huge numbers of computers with early hardware failure and the resulting massive amount of e-waste can't be calculated. I would've replaced all the caps, even the ones that look ok, since caps have a finite lifespan and these ones are probably nearing the end of their lives. Man, I forgot how much electronics have miniaturized. Those PCBs look massive compared to today's. What's with the seizure-inducing flashes at 13:20?

[@cf9978]

I turn it up mine today and is acting very strange when i play i some keys it plays very loud others dont play it sustains notes from nothing, i swaped the battery and remains the same.... any ideias? cheers

[@tecladistadelrancho7276]

I have a problem with my korg m1, the keys do not work but I have connected it as a module with another keyboard and it does sound but the volume is too low, just like I can play the demo but it sounds very soft. I have also noticed that when I turn on it always starts me at preset 02 and not at 00 as it should be. I hope your help please Thank you

[@prezzy8984]

Hi ARK. Which coutry are you based? I've been trying to find a good technician to repair my KM1

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Hi i live in Zweden. What is wrong with the Korg?

[@eulbk6909]

Nice Video. Just curious why did you replace the Capacitors on main board? What signaled you to change? Any specific reason?

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

I replaced the capacitors on the main powersuply begouse they where bulging and almost ready to burst and if that happen the Synth. will be damaged bij a power overload and will be verry hard to repair. Hope i answered your question with this.

[@eulbk6909]

@@arnoldsretrokeys189 yes i agree. I overlooked the video. Thank you...

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

@@eulbk6909 Your welcome

[@grupokzadoratlanta4773]

Thats a great job you did with such a beautiful synth, I would like you to fix my 2 korg m1s one is working just the bottons have to press real hart to have them to work the other one stars but no sounds at all.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

I realy woult love to help you but i am In Holland and shipping the M1 is verry expensive.

[@MrMediterrano]

Hi, on mine some buttons do not work. Can you repair them for me? I'm in Switzerland.

[@albertcontreras8284]

i’m looking for replacement red lights for my t3. i know the m1 and t3 use almost the same replacement buttons and lights. any idea where i can get them? i’ve been looking all over the internet and nothing

[@sam-zy2dn]

Thanks for sharing. I bough a Korg M1 from a seller that actually suppose to be perfect but unfortunately it has some noise when I play (when it is plugged to the speaker the noise is very low but when I press a key I hear noticeable white noise with the sample until the wave loops finish, My perception is that the noise level is constant during the sample playing until it finish the sample) with it from all the lines. The forth line has a small buzz noise. Do you have any idea what the problem could be that I start it from to repair? thanks

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Mostley the problem is the powersuply, openn the Korg and look for swolen capasitors, if so you need to replace them for new ones. Is the display still working properley??? begouse that can also be a problem.

[@brianwilson2904]

@Arnolds RetroKeys I have 2 Questions, 1what is the Brand and Part number for the Polypropylene Film Capacitors? 2 where did you get the new display from? thanks for the video.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Hi Brian I bought all the parts here: www.synth-parts.com/ if you ask the ohner of the website the parts you need he will tell you all about it, i am sorry but i realy dont know anymore wat brand and part number. The display he is selling the display plug and play with all the connectors on it. The parts for recapping the powersuply he composed for mee and the parts where verry cheap. Hope I ancered your question.

[@brianwilson2904]

@@arnoldsretrokeys189 Thanks for the quick reply.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

@@brianwilson2904 Your welcome, hope you will fix the problem 👍

[@hanskurzen]

Thank you for the video,the flickering doesn't bother me. I bought one 10 years ago. I only get the basic 50 sounds,,,I have no cards,,,joystick doesn't work and my Son could not upload any sounds to it when I got it. Some buttons were bad. Having seen this has inspired me to open the thing up and replace the bad components. 2 questions please. Where did you source the buttons and was your old display faulty ?. Many thanks,,,,John.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Hi John The display was ok but I want it to look the same as the other synths I repaired. The buttons (Tact switches) I bought at Synth-Parts in Germany, here is the link. www.synth-parts.com/. it is easy to replace the factory sounds on the M1 with Midiox, thats a little program you can find online to read sysex files and replace the factory sounds on your synth. I will make a tuturial about how it works soon. I hope I helped you whit this ancer.

[@hanskurzen]

@@arnoldsretrokeys189 Thank you very much Arnold. I will be making a start in a few hours. I'm hoping to avoid losing the factory sounds by attaching a 3V battery supply to the CR2032 solder points and then replace the old battery.. I switched it on yesterday and there are 5 dead buttons. I also intend to replace all the caps. I found these switches on ebay. Worth a punt.www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6x6mm-Momentary-Tactile-Mini-Miniature-Push-Button-Switch-PCB-Mounted-SPST/254639606283?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=554395120104&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649. Looking forward to your next tutorial. Regards,,,,John.

[@hanskurzen]

My attempt to replace the battery without losing the memory was a success.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Verry good to hear, I am happy it worked out well.

[@hanskurzen]

@@arnoldsretrokeys189 Thank you. I've just stripped the machine down and cleaned it. I managed to break one of the multi plugs so a little bit of extra soldering to do. Waiting on the new tactiles arriving. All the capacitors look in good shape so I don't think I'll change them. No signs of any burn marks. What do you think of this Arnold ?.www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Korg-M1-Universe-M1R-M1R-EX-Legacy-Custom-patches-editor-DOWNLOAD/251993168482?hash=item3aabf69a62:g:FlkAAOSwJ-Bax4nl

[@Ludwig2121]

Hello i have a M1 and i replace the battery and i have the same messager in the Screen Low Battery and when i turn off the piano he lost all the sounds

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

I think the new battery is maybe not good, try another one and its normal you loose the sound and you need to restore them with the factory sounds that you can find on internet and install them with MIDIOX. Hope it will work.

[@MisterExcelsior]

Help! I’ve purchased a Korg M1 when the seller said it was in excellent condition but it came in the mail with no patches just a single sound. I’ve purchased a memory card for $100 but it still wouldn’t read it..

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Hello Iggy First you need to replace the backup battery from the Korg, than you need to download the factory patches using this link www.korg.com/us/support/download/software/1/139/3374/ Than you need to use a midi to usb addapter (thats a cheap item) and the program MIDIOX to patch your M1 to the factory sounds. Download here www.midiox.com/ On KZbin ara alot of helpful tuturials. If you need more help than just ask me, but i am shure you will fix it. Its not a divicoult fix. Good luck.👍👍

[@SpaghettiEnterprises]

USA source for a replacement display?

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

I only know Synth-Parts from Germany, look for the shop synth.parts on google, he has aal the displays and also sent it to the USA.

[@phk70]

Video is flickering at 13.00 -othervise nice. I’ve the same repair 10 years ago, remembering painstakingly unsoldering the tactswitches 😉

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Yes you are right, i will try to remake the video, i dont know wat hapen, thanks for the update.

[@rashidshukurov5227]

hello my synthesizer i30 works I put the sound of a1 piano and play i don't change the sound. but program sound itself is changing and styles too problem in touchsrenn or display?i want know help me pls thanks

[@sanelleric8875]

It's all good except, you should have removed flux, when you've soldered new switches.

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Yes you are right Sanel 👍👍

[@boussaidmed3414]

Bonjour si vous voulez M'aider et de sauver mo korg m1 . Des boutons Curseur du programme de son de 00..99 nimirique ça marche pas

[@norrihvalayden5609]

vous etes situes ou ?

[@ElectricEddieDaus]

STOP WITH THE CLOSED CAPTIONS FOR THE DEAF........ SPEAK ENGLISH.................................... POOR CHOICE OF MUSIC. THE DRUMS ARE OUT OF TIME WITH THE SYNTH BASS TRACK...

[@arnoldsretrokeys189]

Thank you for your feedback, i am not a pro KZbinr but i just try to help people to repair old synths. i am not good in speaking Englisch thats why i just type instead of speak.