MATRIXSYNTH: Ensoniq Fizmo Transwave Digital Synth


Saturday, February 29, 2020

Ensoniq Fizmo Transwave Digital Synth

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via this auction

"If you are reading this listing you probably know the infamous history of this synth. Part of the reason they are so rare is that many were manufactured with a faulty voltage regulator which would eventually fail and the board would be destroyed.

From what I could find, the part number of the faulty voltage regulator is LM2940. That's not what this board has; I took a photo of the voltage regulator after some research, and it appears to be L4940V5.

I am not an electrical engineer, but it's my guess that either the bad part was swapped out before catastrophe, or it never left the factory with the bad part. The fact that it's 2017, and it is still working is also reassuring. I have owned it since late 2014.

Some additional notes on its condition:

The knobs are not original.

The LED display is missing a piece of plastic that would normally sit on top. Compare the photos to ones elsewhere on the Web.

There is some major scratching by the modwheel and on the lowest key. My guess is a previous owner rocked a pinky ring.

The "Value" knob is loose and wiggles around. There is a photo that shows this. The knobs still works, and fortunately it is mainly used for data entry and not real time control.

The power supply is not original, but is in fact a NEW Nintendo NES power supply. There was some Internet synth lore that said using one would prevent the board death. This is what came with it when I purchased it, and I've swapped it for a new one that isn't a wall wart.

There are some minor scuffs and scratches in the paint, but not bad for a 20 year old synth.

Everything else appears to be in good condition and fully functional."

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