Troubleshooting a Kurzweil K2000 in 2021

[Franz Schiller]

Hi guys!

 

I have this K2000 that I love, and over the past six months or so, it has developed two issues (A) the samples from the contemporary rom don't play back correctly, and (B) the batteries are draining very quickly. So whereas the batteries normally last a year, lately they last a month or two.

 

Yup, I have already tried a hard reset a bizillion times.

 

I have already googled this a bit, and I have some things to try. However, I am not all that technically savvy. I can certainly use a screw driver, and plug in things with jacks, but I don't know how to solder and I'm not going to try to learn on my beloved K2000!

 

Some of the advice I've seen on the internet...

 

- scrubbing the contacts on the battery compartment

 

- use some compressed air to blow out the compartment of hair or dust, which could be causing a short.

 

- replace some diode or another, which is way outside my skill set.

 

- re-seat the RAM and ROM.

 

Regarding that last one, I'm not sure if the RAM and ROM are soldered in, or if they're like some synths I've used in the past, where the RAM is user-installable in a little socket (the E-Mu Proteus 2000 range comes to mind).

 

Anyway, I know a lot of you guys are a bit handier than I, and I'm sure some of you have experience with these Kurzweils. At a certain point, I may have to take it to a repair dude, but meanwhile...any sage advice for me, as I try to trouble shoot this?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Patrick

[ProfD]

At a certain point, I may have to take it to a repair dude, but meanwhile...any sage advice for me, as I try to trouble shoot this?

Many moons ago, I had a Kurzweil K2500XS and opened it up a few times.

 

As I have always been a tinkerer, I would open that K2000 up in a NY minute and run through everything mentioned above. The "fix" is probably simple.

 

However, my sage advice to save yourself the time of troubleshooting the K2000 is to take it to the electronics repair dude.

 

Let him deal with opening up, cleaning out and making sure everything is seated and working properly. That also keeps the K2000 running optimally for another 30 years.

[Delaware Dave]

".. replace some diode or another, which is way outside my skill set..."

 

This would be my guess, a component is draining the battery along with reeking other havoc with your board. Needs servicing from a real tech.

[Coker]

If something draining that much battery power, you may detect where it is by feeling for a warm component. That power has to be going somewhere, and that 'somewhere' ends up as heat.

[Franz Schiller]

Gentlemen, thank you for all your thoughts and advice.

 

This is sort of a bummer, because if this is that complex such that it requires a tech, I won't be able to use the K2000 properly for a while. My GF and I have been very, very vigilant to minimize all exposure to strangers during the pandemic, and especially with things being so bad, it just ain't worth it. So I'll give it a try this weekend, just light maintenance to see if that works.

 

Failing that, I guess my other options are to get another K2000, maybe a rack version? Seems excessive but whatever.

 

Thanks again fellas.

[ProfD]

This is sort of a bummer, because if this is that complex such that it requires a tech, I won't be able to use the K2000 properly for a while. My GF and I have been very, very vigilant to minimize all exposure to strangers during the pandemic, and especially with things being so bad, it just ain't worth it.

 

Failing that, I guess my other options are to get another K2000, maybe a rack version? Seems excessive but whatever.

Your apprehension to exposure to others is understood. But, if light maintenance doesn't fix it, I'm thinking you could get the K2000 serviced in the same manner that you would receive a replacement. IOW, getting the K2000 into the repair shop can be contact-less.