Fully Upgraded E-mu Emulator II+ Analog Sampler

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Digital sampling with analog filters. Pics of the inside below.

"This Emulator was disassembled and systematically upgraded. Everything was removed, cleaned, and either refurbished, replaced or upgraded. The only parts that were not removed from the chassis are the main and output boards. They were chemically cleaned (with PCB component Safety II wash) whilst remaining in place.

Power Supply:
The original PSU was functioning correctly, and had obviously been monitored and maintained over the years. I opted to replace it with a brand new Meanwell T-60C to ensure many years of trouble free operation.
The wiring was rearranged with little to no alteration of the original harness, and crimp connectors were used to eliminate the need for Molex connectors. The hot wires from the switch and fuse assemblies were sleeved in heat shrink tubing for added protection. Wire ties and clips were also added for abrasion/movement control, as well as neatness.
The new power supply is mounted to the original PSU metal shelf, and does not generate significant heat. It is also silent. After initial startup, the +5V trim supply line was measured and calibrated at the HxC drive connection.

Being a modern and very different power supply from the original one, the external switch for switching input voltages is not connected. The switch was left in place, with the leads wire-tied together inside the unit. Also, there is no supply voltage available to power the old 5.25" floppy disk drives. This should be of no concern due to the HxC SD card drive now in drive 1's place. I opted to leave drive 2 in place, although it is completely disconnected. It was fully functional when last used before this project was started.

Left Control Board:
The left panel control board was removed, and every button and LED was de-soldered, using a proper de-soldering station. The 4 sliding potentiometers were also removed, as was the rotary volume control potentiometer.

The original LCD display was removed, and the high-voltage backlight inverter removed from the PCB.
After the select components were removed, the board was chemically washed.

The aging factory LCD was retrofitted with a brand new OLED blue display, that includes a viewing angle adjustment (contrast) control fitted to the back panel of the Emulator. The stock HEX inverter was also exchanged for an updated version. This is absolutely required for this type of display upgrade in an EII. Failure to do this results in jumbled, garbled characters being randomly displayed.

Every momentary push button was replaced with brand new units. I opted for some different switch cap colours other than what came from the factory. Each button and LED was tested for continuity after being soldered to the PCB before continuing. Again, I opted for some different coloured lights instead of red.

The original sliders were replaced with brand new units. This also included installing new tantalum capacitors on the poles.
The original volume potentiometer was also replaced with a brand new and spec-correct 10K pot.

Right Control Board:
As above, all of the buttons, LEDs and the sample gain pot were de-soldered and removed. The PCB was cleaned, and the buttons, LEDs and encoder were replaced with brand new parts. Various original Molex connectors were also replaced with brand new pieces.

Keyboard:
The keyboard was completely disassembled, and every key meticulously cleaned. The key contact strips were also removed, cleaned and re-installed. The contact points were also thoroughly cleaned with the correct product. The key bed frame and related assembly was also cleaned. Bye-bye 30+ years of grime.
The key bed was then re-assembled and installed.

Case:
The EII's case did not warrant re-painting. There are a few minor scratches that pretty much all EII's have, but nothing terrible. They can probably be buffed out, but that is for the new owner to decide. I did opt to replace the labels, as the originals were showing their age. All of the old decals were removed entirely, and all of the factory glue removed prior to installation of the new labels. The new labels use 3M adhesive on their backings. The new labels look great.

HxC Drive:
The HxC floppy emulator drive uses an SD card (16GB), and contains the system software as well as your sound banks. The HxC is installed in drive bay 1, and the EII boots, loads, saves and stores the operating system on it.
It is used just as if the floppy drives were still being used, but instead of disks, data is stored on the SD card.
This HxC is the latest version with no logo on the front panel. The EII disk module is used to load/save data just as with the old floppy drives.
The HxC is mounted in a 5.25" to 3.5" bay adapter, and secured to the EII drive mounting bays.
Power to the HxC is taken directly off the original floppy drive connection point, and the unused connector has been covered with electrical tape to prevent any possible shorting. The wiring has also been secured.
This device truly revolutionizes and revitalizes the experience of using one of these instruments today.

This EII is fully functional, and is fully sorted out. It sounds amazing, and is like using a brand new piece of equipment. It is squeaky clean inside and out. No jittery, crackly sliders or pots to contend with, and no double triggering buttons.
This extensive project was done right, and all of the work was carried out in a meticulous fashion. It needs nothing, can be enjoyed immediately, and will now continue to be enjoyed for many years to come. This will most likely be the last one of these EII projects that I will be doing."