.:Music Technologies Group:. - LCD & Memory upgrades for Yamaha DX7 and other synths and drum machines

.:Music Technologies Group:.

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* Yamaha DX7 Upgrades & Expansions *
Bring your 80's and 90's gear back to life!

Yamaha DX7 Backlit LCD Kits

This kit replaces the old non-backlit LCD on a Yamaha DX7 with a beautiful new LCD with long-lasting LED backlight.

Everything is included!
Easy to install!
GREEN Kit = No soldering required, only screwdrivers.
BLUE Kit = Soldering required of only one wire. No cuts or jumpers.
Uses same Yamaha LCD connector so no hook-up mistakes!!
Step-by-step instructions.
The back-light is current-limited to protect the DX7 power supply from working too hard.

Where to buy? Please order off my eBay page

DX7 SuperMAX Expansion!?

I have the opportunity to pick up a handful of these legendary (better-than-E!) expansion boards for the DX7. New! If you are interested drop me a line. I will perhaps put together a pre-order or deposit list for these as they are like gold. Here is a brief explanation of the expansion:

Memory expansion to 256 voices & functions
32 "Factory" sounds utilizing SuperMAX functions
16 note x 1 voice normal polyphonic mode
2 powerful stack modes (8x2 or 4x4) with detuning
4 mode arpeggiator; the most sophisticated ever
Custom "Sound Creator" voice functions
3 independently assignable MIDI keyboard zones
On-board delays to 9.7seconds, with 15 variable repeats
User defined chromatic and fine tuning
Compatible with standard RAM and ROM cartridges

Here is a link to the abbreviated manual. And here is a link to a 1988 Keyboard Magazine Review of it.

Yamaha DX7 Special Edition EPROM

This Yamaha Canada SER (Special Edition ROM) replaces the old DX7 oeprating system EPROM and adds a few new features. Special Edition EPROM Manual

Function parameters for each Voice can be saved to Internal Memory or a RAM cartridge.
Current Master Tune settings are displayed.
Expanded MIDI Channel Information features allow you to enable or disable Program and Control changes.
Expanded MIDI System Information On/Off features allow transmission of system exclusive data of a single Voice or all 32 Voices contained in Internal Memory.
Initialization feature allows initializing Function parameters of a single Voice or all 32 Voices.
An enhanced MIDI Receive feature allows selection of Omni mode or any one of the MIDI channels 1 through 16.
An enhanced MIDI Transmit feature allows setting to any one of the 16 MIDI channels.
Aftertouch On/Off feature. This parameter can now be stored with each individual Voice.
An enhanced Main Volume Transmit feature allows tranmission of MIDI volume data by utilizing the Volume jack with a FC7 Foot Pedal. This parameter can be stored to each voice.

I also have the regular OS EPROMs v1.7 and v1.8 (these fix various OS bugs) and other great chips on my EPROM page. These can be ordered by email/paypal.

* No Longer Available *
My source of reasonable parts has dried up

Yamaha DX7 7-segment LEDs Kit

This kit replaces the old red (dim) 7-segment LEDs on a Yamaha DX7 with bright new white ones.

These are impossible to find elsewhere (I know -- it's taken me months to track ones down that will work)!!

Includes two single-digit, 7-segment, bright white LEDs.
Uses "roscolux" or "leefilters" colored gels/filters to set the color you want (I will include a couple of good samples!).
Step-by-step instructions included.
The old ones must be unsoldered and the new ones soldered in place -- requires some experience with soldering.

I also have the DX7 Special Edition EPROM as well as regular OS EPROMs v1.7 and v1.8 (these fix various OS bugs) and other great chips on my EPROM page. These can be ordered by email.

Yamaha TX7 Backlit LCD Kit

This kit replaces the old non-backlit LCD on a Yamaha TX7 with a beautiful new LCD with long-lasting LED backlight.

Everything is included!
Easy to install!
No soldering required, only screwdrivers.
Uses same Yamaha LCD connector so no hook-up mistakes!!
Step-by-step instructions.
The back-light is current-limited to protect the TX7 power supply from working too hard.

I also have the TX7 OS EPROM v1.4 (fixes various OS bugs) and other great chips on my EPROM page. These can be ordered by email/paypal.

Yamaha RX15 Backlit LCD Kit

This kit replaces the old non-backlit LCD on a Yamaha RX15 with a beautiful new LCD with long-lasting LED backlight.

Everything is included!
Easy to install!
No soldering required, only screwdrivers.
Uses same Yamaha LCD connector so no hook-up mistakes!!
Step-by-step instructions.
The back-light is current-limited to protect the RX15 power supply from working too hard.

I also have the RX15 OS EPROMs "ver1.1 '84.05.24" and "ver1.1 '84.11.01" (fix various OS bugs) and other great chips on my EPROM page. These can be ordered by email/paypal.

Yamaha DX100 Backlit LCD

This not really a kit but really more of a DIY project. The TX7 LCD I sell (but without connector) can be used in a DX100. Soldering and plastic cutting with wire snippers required. Also you need to reinstall the old LED or a new one using wires. In a nutshell:

Open the case and fold over the main PCB. Unscrew the old LCD.
Snip out all the old LCD plastic as flush with the front panel as you can.
Remove and desolder the connector from the old LCD and install on the new one. The old VSS pin attaches to pin 1 on the new LCD.
Glue the new LCD in with RTV silicone (not hot glue or crazy glue).
After drying, wire in the old or new LED with wires from the PCB.

* Older Projects *
Photo	Description
	Lexicon MRC blue LCD. We all know how bad the E.L. backlit LCDs get over the years. The MRC has to be one of the worst. Click. The nice blue color scheme unfortunately filters the LCD brightness a lot too. So these are two photos of a new LED back-lit blue LCD. It was hard to get the exposure right, so I shot two photos instead. Excuse my poor photography skills. This one was a big challenge because of the goofy 74HCTLS logic chips used. The old LCD didn't mind the glitches on the interface, but the modern LCDs sure do. I had to swap out some of the logic to make it work. Anyway looks great! This is a terribly under-rated MIDI control surface. It's super powerful and compact. I also have v2 and v4 EPROMs for the MRC if anyone needs them burned (see my EPROM page). I am looking for v3.x if anyone has them for sale or trade.
	Emu PX-7 blue LCD for a customer. The customer supplied the LCD, I just had to tweak the LED current limit circuit and built a suitable cable. Looks very nice.
	Sequential Circuits Pro One synthesizer modification to change the old red LED to a new blue one. This is very easy to do. Note the flat edge on the LED when you put the new one in place of the old. You should probably change the resistor to a higher value too, or else the newer higher efficiency LED will blind you. See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VeTU_nrSwU
	LCD on a Yamaha DX27 synth This synth was a complete refurb. When I got it (insurance write off?) people told me to wear a mask when working on it. It was better than new when I was done.
	This one was actually a bit of a nightmare. There were a lot of devices made in the 80's and 90's with EL backlit (electroluminescent) LCDs. The EL panels burn out after while and the LCDs become unreadable. In this case the pretty blue LCDs are too thick to fit within the depth of the MX8 subpanel so it means you have to machine or nibble out a huge chunk of the aluminum sub chassis. It sure looks good though.
	RX15 LCD: For some reason Yamaha cheaped out in the early 80's and didn't use back-lit LCDs. They are pretty hard to use on a dark stage but they can all be updated.
	Yamaha TX7 LCD: Once more with feeling. Same LCD, better photograph.


MIDI Bass Pro owners manual PDF	I got the OM from 360 Systems for the MIDI Bass Pro and have OCR'd it and added bookmarks. You're welcome. I'm still looking for a user manual and schematics for the original (non-pro) version. Please help.

Contact information
grant[at]musictechnologiesgroup.com
Orange County, CA USA

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