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Kurzweil Forte Service Manual


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I received my Forte back after having some warranty service performed on it and there is something rattling around inside that sounds like possibly a screw or nut rolling around ... Ive contacted Kurzweil and they issued an RMA for it so I could send it back but Im in Maryland and the Kurzweil service center is in Mississippi so Id rather see if I can just open it up myself without having to pack it up and ship it back there just for what could be a very simple thing.

 

Ive never attempted to open it before (Ive opened some of my Korg and Yamaha keyboards before though) so was wondering if any of you have and if so is there anything too difficult doing it as DIY? I was trying to locate a service manual (or video on youtube) that would be able to show the process of taking it apart but had no luck, so if anyone has access to one or was able to find one would you be willing to let me know where you found it and/or share any parts of it? Thank you all for any help!

 

Btw - I like the new forum ... thanks for the hard work ... just wanted to say its much appreciated!

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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If you don't want to open it yourself, you might want to check with Kurzweil and see if you can take it to a closer authorized service center. There is a great shop in Charlottesville VA, for example.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Thanks Tom, I though of that too but the one near me here in Baltimore told me it could take up to a week to get it back to me ... I just figured if it was easy enough to just open it up myself I could save time and do it myself ... just wasnt sure if there was some special/weird things I needed to know about opening it up that could present an issue DIY ... hoping someone here has already done it and can let me know if its not too much trouble to do ... your advice is much appreciated and i may end up doing just what you said if nobody has already done it ... thanks again!

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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This is something I wouldn't think twice about dealing with on my own. I guess you risk the warranty by opening it yourself though. Seeing as how most reasonable people would say it's the service center's fault there's a rattling screw, Kurzweil should arrange with the closest competent electronics repair facility to have you bring it in for what will probably take all of ten minutes to take care of. You would think that in the process of packing the unit to send back to you, they would have noticed this.
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was wondering if any of you have and if so is there anything too difficult doing it as DIY?

 

Not difficult at all; I've had my Forte 7 open on several occasions: link --> Kurzweil Forte Tips, Tricks & Other Cool Stuff

 

Use an Allen hex wrench to remove the plastic end caps, then a standard Philips screwdriver to remove the thin metal side plates immediately behind the end caps. You can now see through the Forte, end-to-end, with its full structural integrity intact. If you're lucky, you can just stand it up vertically, give it a few gently shakes, and your loose piece will likely just fall out.

 

 

 

Legend '70s Compact, Jupiter-Xm, Studiologic Numa X 73

 

 

 

 

 

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Brad - you rock! Thanks for that detailed info and taking the time to post it! This is what makes KC great!

 

Reezekeys - I agree it should have been noticed when shipping back to me, but stuff happens so hopefully its something simple and everything will be back together in short order ... also, I'm at the end of warranty period on this anyway so Im not concerned with voiding it at this point ... thank you for the reply...

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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Yea, good luck. I hope you haven't turned it on there's the small possibility the screw is lying somewhere on a circuit board & creating a short. And if it was me, I'd be looking all over to see where that screw came from I would want it back in place and tightened! :)
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Yeah thats a good point ... Ill begin the hunt for it tonite and fingers crossed it will be easy to locate it and figure where it came from ... its gonna drive me nuts if I have to just remove it not knowing the origin lol ... thanks!

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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Don't have a Forte, but have PC2, PC3, did have K2000, K2661. If you do have to take it apart more than the end caps, all the screws aren't the same, Remember where each came from. Also, most of the Kurzweils I've opened up (used to professionally service musical electronics) are built on a "clamshell" design, with the keyboard assembly attached to the bottom part (and panel with mod wheel and pitch wheel), and numerous cables between the top section, where the circuit boards are inside, and the visible knobs, sliders, display, etc. are. First, place the unit on something sturdy like a good size table or workbench, which is covered by something soft (like a cotton blanket) to keep from scratching up stuff. Second, take pictures before disconnecting ANY internal cables - partly so you can be sure to get them back on the right connector but also to see the routing. Normally , there are slots and channels where said wires go through, if you don't put them in the correct location, they will be squeezed and compressed when unit is put back together, possibly shorting stuff.

VERY important: don' touch ANY of the internal electronics without knowing about and having the right stuff to prevent static electricity damage. Many of the Integrated Circuits and some other parts are very easy to damage with static electricity. You can find information on the web about methods (and tools) to reduce the probability of damage.

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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This is a common problem with the PC3Ks. I'm not sure if the Forte has the same end-cap design, but what I've done on more than one occasion with the PC3Ks is to remove the screws and the little clamp holding on one of the end-caps and stand the keyboard on its end until the offending screw falls out. Much easier than trying to open up the entire keyboard, and on the PC3Ks all the end-cap screws are of the same type.
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So I was easily able to take end caps off with no hassle but of course whatever was loose inside is nowhere to be found (probably wedged into a crevice somewhere) so ill be taking the rest apart today to find it and get to see whats under the hood of this baby! Saga to be continued ...

 

TechEverlasting- Ive had a PC361 for probably 5 years or so and have been fortunate to have not had any screws come loose on it (yet) ... I have taken the end cap off once to replace it when it was cracked from a short fall while in the shaft case and that was also very easy to replace ... other than that its been rock solid ... hope I didnt just jinx myself lol ...

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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Got it all apart and found the offending loose screw stuck to some electrical tape bundling some other wires in there ...I was also able to find where it came from and put it back ... it was a very easy task but, as others above have mentioned, just make sure you keep track of which screws came out of which parts since they are not all identical ... all is well now ... thanks all!

 

Heres a link to some pix if anyone is interested in what it looks like inside the Forte (also a pic of the loose screw and where it came from):

 

Forte innards

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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