Jose EB5AGV

Those original SD cards seem to be very prone to fail. Maybe is related with the battery getting depleted and, at certain voltages, causing havoc to them

Well, note that the image is zoomed. And also, if you look in same detail to the big ICs soldering, the quality is not very good. I would think that chinese PCB manufacturer is not that great (as, as you can imagine, this unit is Made in China) All in all, the synth seems good enough to be fixed. Let's see what happens when the +/- analog supply voltages are back! 😁

I can relate to that 😬

Do you, or someone else, know if that action is the same than the one on the CTX-5000/3000/800/700?

It seems more like a reworked board after production (*). The unit seemed unopened, and I am very used to find small details which show an electronics item has been tampered with (as tiny marks on screws, displaced wiring, pen marks, cabling or connectors dents, ...). So maybe the PCB production was of questionable quality to begin with. As the unit seems to work, except for the audio output (which without the +/- analog power supplies is expected), I am moderately confident it will work once the switcher is replaced. Let's see! Jose (*) Back when I worked on a company which manufactured electronics, there was a full line of workers who just checked new manufactured circuits, fresh from the automated production lines, and reworked any suspicious solder point. That is what could have happened here, IMO

Well, it seems my guess was not far from the truth!. I have checked and there is a switching regulator which gets burning hot and there is no proper positive nor negative output voltages from it (is a dual voltage regulator). It is marked LBHM and corresponds to a LT3471. So a replacement has been ordered. More to come!

Well, I have finally opened the box... and here you have the first pictures of it. At least it powers up: Venom... good name! Once you remove a ton of screws and the keybed connector... Once the keybed is removed, you have the electronics attached to the top cover: And on this board should be the problem. I have already checked all capacitors but, sadly, they are OK, so it won't be a simple fix: The unit generates a faint sound, barely audible at maximum output and monitor levels, which is promissing. Next steps are to check internal voltages (it seems to be a switched power supply on that board), follow the signal from LINE OUTS to the D/A, and try to find the fault on that path. There seems to be no schematics available. I will try to contact M-AUDIO, but don't have high hopes. All in all, another interesting project ahead! Jose

Exactly same date, but 28 years later than my marriage (20/10/90). There was just 1/365 chance of being that way 🤩 I didn't play that day, thought... I was about 28 years to begin playing... exactly in 2018!. Two coincidences 😅

Well, I can't resist when I see a cheap, not working synth... Last week I saw an M-Audio Venom, in apparently good shape, sold as "only MIDI controller, unknown fault". It was 75€, shipped, so I pulled the trigger. It arrived yesterday but won't have time to even open the box until tomorrow. But I couldn't resist to open this thread, just in cause someone has gone already this way 😅 More to come! Jose

Here in Spain the unusual is to find a piano in a church, at least on the predominant Catholic ones. You can find tube organs in some larger ones, and electronic organs in others. But acoustic pianos are not usually found. In fact, I am trying to remember any church around this area with a piano, and can't remember any. So, yes, it seems a cultural thing 🤔

Here you have a short report. We did a sound check the day before. The church was large, with 15m or so ceilings and the instruments to be used were a cello, some Spanish guitars and the piano. The piano was going to be played only along the cello. I tried the B2 with just its speakers and was clearly too weak. I had taken an small 45W mono amplifier and with it at about 50% gain and the B2 at 60% output, the volume was enough for the intended pieces (classical except for some ballad from Lord of the Rings 😉) Well, the wedding was last Saturday and the piano setup was simple: KORG B2 connected by its headphones output (there are no other options) to a Behringer K450FX. The cello was not amplified but is incredible how it projects its sound. I placed the amp pointed to the public on the longitudinal section of the church (piano and cello were on the front left side) and, based on several recordings, could be heard from all the church (people behave nicely and were quiet) I was not intended to play but, as the player was only going to play the classical music, I played on the final festive piece, if just church organ chords (the main instrument there was a singer with a guitar, amplified through the church speakers). It took by surprise to my family and guests. And even myself 😅 All in all, we had a great ceremony and the humble piano setup did its job. And now I have another keyboard to play! 😁 Jose

Although already published in other threads, this summarises my minimalist setup, with good piano action. As the KORG B2 has audio and MIDI USB, wiring is minimal. And then, if more than 15+15W is needed, the audio can be amplified using the headphones output to a regular amp (done that last Saturday and worked just fine). The iPad is running AUM and several VIs, including KORG Module Pro

At least we know now the regular price for it!. I wonder why they don't put both prices when discounted... All in all, you are right, "need" in one of these is not usually accurate 😉

MODX+ model has no updates available as of today. Don't try to update it with previous MODX firmware!

Thank you all for your contributions to this thread. Lots of interesting sidenotes to it also! I have finally bit the bullet and bought several KORG Module expansions. Initially, I already had these, also bought on previous sales: KORG Module Performance Expansion KORG Organ & Clav Collection SYNTHOGY Ivory Mobile American D SCARBEE Classic EP-88M KORG Wurley Electric Piano KApro Monumental Choir Dreams KApro Orchestral Dreams KORG Mellow Tape Keyboard KAPro Dreamy Synths Now, I have added these: KORG 80s Dance Pop KApro London Symphonic Orchestra KApro Supreme Cello KORG Far North KORG Hybrid Synth Pack 2 And, as a plus, I have got also MIDI Layers So I am set until next sale! Jose