My SY99 has been put to bed.

[Lunk84]

Evenin' all...

It has been a while since I had the opportunity to post anything up on here.
For the past however many months since it started warming up in Britain, I became busy sorting out a lot of things (such as job and messing about with a Triumph Sprint), and ended up putting my beloved SY99 back in its flight case, and up in the attic. Why? Because I don't have time to use it, and it ends up with stuff piled on top of it (not by me) if I left it out, and getting dusty.

I am thinking of getting her back out again, as I miss those wonderful crisp FM sounds. But, there were a few issues that I would like to clear up.

1) The LCD kept turning itself off after a while; quicker especially when it was a warm day.
2) The power cord, if wiggled will turn the machine off.
3) The keys can become dislodged if you accidentally pull them, while pressed down (noticed during moving it), because I forgot to put the white plastic bar back over the top of the keyboard, when I had it open to clean - this is in the flight case with the SY99).

I can fix the power cord issue, which is likely needing a new flex, or soldering joints repaired...
I can fix the keys, because that is simply a plastic strip that needs putting back on...
But I have no idea where to start with the screen.
Is there a good alternative that I can order? Not too pricey?

Any help is appreciated.

[purcell]

Hello Lunk 84!

Some informations SY 99 display and used/ebay .

I just put that to GOOGLE: sy 99 screen
Result:

https://www.google.de/search?q=sy+99+sc ... kwWO-oiAAg

and this

SY99 Backlight Replacement - SUCCESS!!!

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/for ... 18/363926-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Yamaha SY99 COMPLETE LED / LCD DISPLAY SCREEN REPLACEMENT

$ 159

That´s expensive!

Good luck!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a look:

Yamaha SY99, SY77 & TG 77 ebay.de

http://www.ebay.de/cln/mejia2168/yamaha ... 0331173013

Yamaha TG-77 SY-77 SY-99 Kurzweil K2000 K2000R K2000VX Graphic Display !
EUR 78,32

A used SY 99:
USED YAMAHA SY77 Music Synthesizer Keyboard Wolrdwide shipment
EUR 376,98

Vintage YAMAHA SY99 WorldWide Shipment Around 12/13
EUR 251,31

[Lunk84]

Thanks for that. I managed to get the complete tutorial PDF downloaded, so that I can make sure I don't go in guns blazing, and miss something... like I did last time I opened it up.

I said that the LCD turns itself off, when actually, it stays lit. The text disappears. So, that is the entire LCD as a problem, I would guess. It doesn't look too difficult to replace. Can't be any worse than most of the work I have done to my bike.
It became such a problem that I ended up using it as a controller with DEXED VST on a PC.

This looks like an interesting read:

viewtopic.php?t=4846

[Derek]

Hi.

Do not give up on this monster machine!

My guide for the display upgrade: http://www.xfactory-librarians.co.uk/Do ... pgrade.pdf

My TG77 had the same problem as yours. I purchased it for £80 on a chance as it was on eBay advertised for spares and repairs. As expected the backlight was shot, but the LCD would only work for 5 minutes, so like your problem apart from no backlight. The "cool blue upgrade" fixed both problems. http://www.xfactory-librarians.co.uk/Do ... pgrade.pdf (same upgrade as SY99).

My guide for key repairs (done on the SY99) http://www.xfactory-librarians.co.uk/Do ... cedure.pdf but you already have the most probable culprit in that you need to get that plastic strip back in, which you can do if you tackle the display.

The power issue sounds like a loose connection or dry joint somewhere, so whilst the synth is open (with the power off!!) check all the solder or socket connections in that area.

So the display is probably your most complex problem, but there are plenty of people who have done the upgrade.

[Lunk84]

Thank you so much for these guides. I had a read through, and you even have the part numbers listed against the appropriate vendor. This is more help than I ever could have asked for!

By nature, I am a technically minded person, who loves taking things to pieces, and fixing them. I started from the age of about five, taking an Atari ST apart just to mend a stuck key. Nobody else would help me, so I figured out how to unscrew the case, and fixed it.
Since then, I have been steadily learning about electronics (which still fascinates me), but spend most of my time doing software development, writing both games and business software.
Getting my hands dirty on this precious piece of musical hardware will be fun, and a project that I look forward to cracking on with.

Right now, it's in a flight case, which is up in the attic of my in-law's house.
The previous owner kept it in his music studio as a controller. He had it listed up on Gumtree for £170 (from memory) as an SY77, over a year ago. After probing for information from him, it turns out that he is a retired producer, who has worked with many famous bands.
He mentioned the issue with the display, but said that it wasn't really a problem for him because it keeps sending MIDI data, and that's all that matters.
Then he confesses to me that he made a mistake on the listing, and that it's really an SY99; not an SY77, and that he is happy to refund me. I frantically protested that I am still more than happy to buy it - knowing from my research that I am getting a real bargain. I arranged the courier and got it home to me. I plugged it in, downloaded patches onto a 720kb disk, played around with it, and could have cried at how happy I was with it.
I am never going to sell this beautiful machine.

Once I get the project underway, I'll try to get as many photos and videos of it.

Thanks so much for the guides

[parametric]

Reading your posts Lunk84,

It seems to me that you were "designed" for these Forums, and indeed you have already come across some "like-minded" people in here.

The SY Boards were great and are justly venerated for their facilities, sounds AND build quality - which makes them so repairable . . .

I still have my 85.

Sure, the technology has moved along since they were made - and some of the constraints (floppy disks for instance) are a pain we have

largely forgotten . . . . . That all becomes insignificant when you HEAR them being played . . . .

I wish you every success in your determination to fix your 99. After a while, when you've been inside a number of boards,

it becomes clear that there are only actually a few ways that things can be done - and it gets more familiar as you go.

When you are finished - you'll have a working SY99, PLUS the satisfaction that (a) the inside is no longer a mystery

and (b) that you fixed it yourself . It's a great feeling.

ATB

parametric

[Derek]

Hi,

As Chris says, you have come to the right place. Plenty of advice and support. The SY99 is still an awesome sounding machine as is the SY77, and they do sound different (due to the Wave ROM and the effects). I was lucky I got my SY99 for £250 and it cost me about another £100 to get it fully working. But still a bargain. I have it maxed out with Sector101’s memory cards. A small plug, but when you have it working then please check out my sy.factory librarian as a means for managing all of those wonderful sounds!

PS. Sweden is a lovely country. I went to Vidsel area on business around 2000, and fell in love with the place and the people. It must have rubbed off on me, as I had two SAABs; the last a 93 2.8V6 Turbo that went like a dream until some idiot went Into me and wrote it off (his Citroen came off far worse, mind ) and a Nord G2 Engine.