Repairing a dirty synth from 1989! ROLAND D5

[@luisluna175]

My dad just gave me this synthesizer as a gift, nice to see this as video as my first search. Love the video, keep going.

[@garrettbb1215]

Found one of these bad boys in my alley last night. It has some dead keys and might need a new power jack. So glad you made this video 😊

[@TheRepairLair]

hope you get it back up and working! the d series are lovely synths. Happy to know another one will get saved from the scrap :))

[@electroborg]

The battery on my D5 died today. Never replaced. Bought in '89. Stored without being plugged in for YEARS. This stuff is awesome.

[@muffintrap1337]

Thank you so much for this video and also giving the links to replacement parts. I got one of these synths for cheap since not all of the buttons were working and now I think I can repair it.

[@nancyfjord]

I own another repair lair in minneapolis. I repair camping gear and outdoor clothing. Really happy another Repair Lair fixes really cool stuff.

[@TheRepairLair]

I'm located in the UK. Two Repair Lairs, very far apart, both repairing cool stuff. Awesome :))

[@Saolinn]

Awesome video! It was so satisfying watching every replacement part being installed and generally the ending scene! Please continue like this you are awesome!

[@Cindy-rq5gx]

amazing video ❤️❤️ i find so much effort was put in it and i was really suprised your composing ability!! you are so talented 🥹 Thank you for making all of this, so satisfied to watch

[@davidtorreira]

Excelente video! Restauración increíble! Pero tengo una duda... Al quitar la pila interna no se borran los sonidos?

[@timmiller9164]

Really great video! Very clear, well-shot, the explanations are very good. Very helpful thank you!

[@TheRepairLair]

I'm very happy you found it helpful!

[@shahamshahan8825]

Hi, I have a Roland D50 it's problem of the sound, can you fixed please, Thank you 🌹🙏. Im Live in newcastle upon tyne.

[@smokey90]

You're awesome, thanks for making this video.🎉

[@JedHelmers]

Nicely done

[@TheRepairLair]

thank you!

[@josephdobesh9007]

I would have used alcohol on the key contacts to remove any residual soap. Also, I just replaced every button on the front panel. That way I did not have to go back later and replace other ones. They are cheaper when you buy them in bulk. This unit looks very similar to the U20 I have.

[@TheRepairLair]

good point! i must have missed showing it in the video, but i did clean all the contacts with a contact cleaner spray.

[@flexokorg1]

Extra profesional video. Thank you friend. Very good. 🎹🎹🍻👍

[@TheRepairLair]

very happy you like it! thanks for the comment :)

[@GreenFrxg]

Would you happen to know how to resolve the check battery message? Is it basically just replacing the battery?

[@TheRepairLair]

If the battery has died, you will need to replace the battery, and then restore the patches using a usb midi cable and an original midi sysex file.

[@GreenFrxg]

@@TheRepairLair oh man. Do you have a tutorial on how to do that? I purchased mine from a pawn shop for 80 bucks. It's in great condition besides the battery issue.

[@TheRepairLair]

@@GreenFrxg Sadly no, but generally speaking you just need some pc software to play midi sysex files (lots of free variants available), a usb midi cable, and the original roland sysex patch restore files. You put the d5 into sysex download mode (download and find info in manual), and start the sysex playing on the pc.

[@dvamateur]

I didn't realize that the D-5's keys had leaf springs instead of the coil springs like in the D-10/D-20.

[@TheRepairLair]

Yes, it seems to me the d10/20 are somewhat higher build quality, the springs on the d5 seem rather fragile in comparison. Although i can't tell much difference apart in the sound of the d5 and d10 (sound engines must be nearly the same, except for the d10 having some built in effects like reverb)

[@dvamateur]

@@TheRepairLair Back in those days, the effects chips must have cost a lot. For instance, the main difference between the Technics SX-KN600 and SX-KN800 was that the KN600 did not have the effects, which resulted in drop of the list price by $700.

[@NoelineCahill]

Hello The Repair Kit, I have a Roland G 1000 and it is developing a problem with the LCD display in that the colour is fading from blue to a yellow brown and can hardly read it, it is strange that if I lean back I can see that the writing looks normal but leaning forward when I want to edit it looks pale I can hardly make it out, maybe it is only the light or something more serious, upon looking around to try to find a part for it I stumbled on your site, you know so much about the keyboards I thought I would trouble you for some advice or you may have a part very willing to pay of course, as I can't a find a part anywhere and I am feeling sad that if the light goes out that's it, otherwise the keyboard is in great condition as I have looked after it with service etc. I am wondering if you can help as to whether you may stumble on a part for the Roland G1000 or if there is a generic or if another model can act as replacement, I also contacted Roland Corp with bad news as to a replacement, your help would be greatly appreciated hoping my request is not too much trouble await your reply Kind regards Noeline

[@TheRepairLair]

Hi! Old LCD's tend to fade over time, especially the early ones. Lots of different synthesizers have this problem. I'm not sure what LCD the g1000 has, but this seems to be exactly what you want? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355160590129 I suggest disassembling the synth and taking a closer look at the part. Don't mind the fact that the color is different (it seems from pictures online the g1000 is blue, while the replacement is green) - i had replaced various LCD's where the original color version is not possible to find. Let me know if you need further help :)

[@NoelineCahill]

Hello The Repair Lair, Thank you for taking the time to reply to my enquiry and sending the Ebay link, I did see that item but because he hasn't shown photos of the wiring, the back etc., I am not sure it it is only a replacement front or the whole part, I have sent him photos of the item showing the back, the number of pins and the wiring it should have, I have asked him if he could send detailed photos i would feel happier if he did this. It is interesting that he has shown full photos on the Yamaha and not the Roland. I will let you know how I go with this, I am sure you would be curious. Kind and best regards Noeline

[@IJN_Haruna]

Can you give me tips on how to repair a Fujifilm Finepix S4000??? Its buttons are good but the screen when i try to turn on it just flicker white screen before black screen again HELP!!

[@TheRepairLair]

Hi! I think you should try to replace the screen, as the screens seem to die on the finepix series. It's not very hard, you can find a video on a similar finepix with a similar problem on my channel :)

[@IJN_Haruna]

@@TheRepairLair thank you you were so fast to respond unlike other channels and I just discovered you! And My I ask does the Fujifilm Finepix S4000 take good photos in you're opinion?

[@TheRepairLair]

@@IJN_Haruna I think for the price, those small old fujifilm finepix cameras are a lot of fun, BUT, most modern phones probably take better pictures with less work

[@IJN_Haruna]

@@TheRepairLair ahhh ok but you think the camera can be used for wildlife spotting vintage photo taking?

[@TheRepairLair]

@@IJN_Haruna I think those older digital cameras definitely give an interesting old look to the pictures, but i don't think it will be good for wildlife

[@johngrant7643]

I have this synth it has about 5 dead keys scattered over in different places across the key bed is opening it a cleaning everything likely to help someone told me thatt the keys had lost there conductivity bit i really dont know lol.

[@TheRepairLair]

it is possible that there is either dirt, or that the keys have lost the conductivity. The rubber contacts can be slightly painted over with a pencil (both on the PCB side and on the rubbers themselves) to restore conductivity to some extent

[@ClawedHorse84]

How can I contact you?

[@TheRepairLair]

therplair at gmail dot com

[@kenharlan7129]

I live in Phoenix, Arizona USA and own a Yamaha W-5. It needs some maintenance. Can anyone suggest anyone with the patience to work on these? No one here will even look at it because it is a 1995 and it weighs a ton. It works, just the usual sticky buttons and back light. Please help!!! I don't want to give it up as it is a part of me. Also I would be interested in trading for a W-7 as it is lighter. I am in my late 60's. Thanks

[@TheRepairLair]

I think both of these issues sounds like something you could definitely successfully do by yourself! Sticky keys just require disassembly, cleaning, lubrication. You don't have to wash them by hand, a comment on one of my videos left a brilliant suggestion to simply throw all the keys into a dishwasher on a low temperature with some mild detergent. Regarding the backlight, if you're uncomfortable with soldering you may just be able to find an entire replacement screen assembly. Even though the assembly may cost more than just replacing some lights, swapping it out by yourself will still save you significant cost over having a repairman do it for you, and the entire process doesn't require any specialized tools other than some good screwdrivers!

[@Ar_Tin]

A few yrs ago, whilst changing the battery after 25(!) years, I kinda made things worse… should have watched this video first 😅

[@TheRepairLair]

what happened? maybe its still fixable :)

[@Ar_Tin]

The keyboard no longer works, only the lower octave. I probably didn't put the plastic wiring back properly. I was hesitant to open the D5 up again (no video example of the correct approach) afraid of making things even worse 😂😂

[@TheRepairLair]

@@Ar_Tin i think i know exactly the problem!!! if you remove the keyboard, the ribbon cable that goes to the motherboard also has a connection point on the underside of the keyboard! Its held onto the keyboard by two plastick push pins! if you moved the cable aggresively, the contacts may have gone out of alignment. You should remove the pushpins, disconnect the cable, clean everything up and reallign. If ot still doesnt work, you can use a pencil to draw on top of the contacts to improve the connection (carbon is conductive). If that doesnt help, then it might be the lack of pushing force, so you can insert a piece of rag under the entire connector, allowing the two pieces to push strongly together. It might sound weird but what im saying will make sense once you open it up and take a look! let me know if you need extra help :)

[@Ar_Tin]

That’s awesome, thank you so much! I’ll dig up the D5 from the garage and have a look at it… it would be great to get the keyboard up and running again. I actually prefer the D5 keys over my modern Juno DS 😅

[@TheRepairLair]

@@Ar_Tin good luck and let us know how it goes :)