Synthchaser #099 - ARP Quadra Restoration (Pt. 1) - Testing Membrane Panel

Published on Apr 26, 2018 Synth Chaser

http://www.synthchaser.com

"It's finally time for some ARP Quadra restoration videos! I've been sitting on some broken Quadras for a while and have finally found a good home for one of them. But, before I can commit to selling this Quadra and get underway restoring it, I need to know if the membrane panel works.

So in this video, I show you how to test out the membrane panel. Important to do if considering buying a broken Quadra, or if you have a Quadra with some bad switches.

Parts, service and synthesizers available on my website."

Update:

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Serviced ARP Quadra Synthesizer with MIDI & New Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

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Restored ARP Omni 2 Synthesizer with Synthchaser MIDI Adapter

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction, also on Reverb

"Here's a nice, restored ARP Omni 2... with MIDI!! This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. And best of all, this has been fitted with the Synthchaser MIDI Adapter! This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

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ARP QUADRA w/Synthchaser MIDI + LED upgrade + more

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"This synth has been fully serviced and upgraded, making it IMO the best and most musically usable Quadra you'll likely ever come across. Modifications installed are the Synthchaser Quadra MIDI kit (very few of these kits in existence, I believe there were only around 20 of them made/sold, and it is no longer available), the Synthchaser Quadra LED slider upgrade kit, as well as a custom modification which routes the external audio input through the Quadra's glorious stereo phase-shifter effect (normally the external input is simply there to mix in an external audio source, and isn't routed through any of the Quadra's processing signal path). For info on the Synthchaser kits, you can read up on them and watch video demos via their website: synthchaser [dot] com.

Additional notes:
(1) the Midi Out can alternately be switched to Midi Thru, via a switch on the board.
(2) I also had my tech install an on/off switch for the LED lights on the sliders, as seen in photo#9, under the "la tosca INC" sticker.

This thing sounds absolutely glorious, and everything, including keyboard aftertouch, is working perfectly. It was fully serviced at the same time as the Synthchaser kits were installed."

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Serviced ARP Omni 2 Synthesizer with Synthchaser MIDI, LED Sliders & Anvil Case

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Synth Chaser

via this auction

"Here's a nice, restored ARP Omni 2... with MIDI!! This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. And best of all, this has been fitted with the Synthchaser MIDI Adapter! This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

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Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair by Synth Chaser

Published on May 23, 2017 Synth Chaser

http://synthchaser.com/

Playlist:
Synthchaser #064 - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair - Introduction
Synthchaser #065 - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair - Power Supply Rebuild
Synthchaser #066 - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair - Capacitors, Battery & Pots
Synthchaser #067 - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair - "Dead" CPU Repair
Synthchaser #068 - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Restoration & Repair - Keybed Refurbishment

Serviced ARP Omni 2 Synthesizer with Synthchaser MIDI Adapter

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

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Vintage ARP Odyssey Mk I 2800 Pro Serviced w/ New Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Synthchaser

via this auction

"This vintage ARP Odyssey has just been fully serviced in October 2023 by Synthchaser, the top ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, all new LED sliders, fully functional, tuned and calibrated, and sounding awesome! The Odyssey was ARP's answer to the Minimoog, a feature packed scaled down version of the legendary ARP 2600.

A video functional demonstration of this synth that is for sale is at the end of the pictures list.

The synth is in great condition. This synth comes with illuminated LED sliders that correspond to the colors of the original slider caps. I can disable the illumination for the buyer before shipping, upon request at the time of purchase.

Work just completed on the synth included:

Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade - All 34 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement. LEDs run off their own power supply mounted inside the synth.
Illuminated slider caps - Slider caps with a translucent plastic stripe that allows the LED illumination to shine through, while giving you something substantial to grip onto. They look and feel awesome!
Power supply rebuilt - All tantalum and electrolytic capacitors in the power supply have been replaced, and high quality, high temperature 105 deg C capacitors have been used for the power supply filter capacitors.
All tantalum capacitors replaced - The tantalum capacitors in ARP synths are ticking time bombs.All tantalum capacitors in this synth have been replaced with electrolytics to help provide stable operation for years to come.
Synthchaser 4023 Voltage Controlled Filter Submodule - This is a very fat 2 pole dual OTA filter. Synthchaser modules are true to the original designs and professionally built using premium components with superior performance and reliability to those found in the original modules.
Keyboard rebuild - New key bushings installed, keys removed and ultrasonically cleaned, bus bars removed and polished, bellcrank caps cleaned and lubricated.
Oscilloscope calibration - Calibrated & tuned using oscilloscope and frequency counter.
1/4" output made High - ARPs of this era had an RCA jack as the high output and the 1/4" jack as the low output. As today RCA jacks are an inconvenience for most, the 1/4" jack has been made to a second high output.
New rubber feet"

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Vintage ARP Omni 1 Keyboard Synthesizer Overhauled with LED Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, new reliable pushbutton switches, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

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Synthchaser #069 - Matrix's Oberheim OB-Xa Repair

Synthchaser #069 - Matrix's Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Dead Voice Card

Published on Jun 8, 2017 Synth Chaser

Yes, that is my OB-Xa. :)

http://www.synthchaser.com

"Today I'm repairing an OB-Xa for Matrix of matrixsynth.com. One voice card is dead, and others are failing autotune and sounding really inconsistent from voice to voice. In this video we take a look at the state of the synth, and troubleshoot and repair the dead voice card.

Parts used in this video series are available at my website. I also repair and restore Oberheims and other vintage synths for customers around the world."

Synthchaser #070 - Matrix's Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Power Supply & Voice Card Rebuilds

Published on Jun 12, 2017 Synth Chaser

http://www.synthchaser.com

"In this video, I continue the repair of an OB-Xa for Matrix of matrixsynth.com. We rebuild the power supply and voice cards, and get the synth in tune and sounding consistent from voice card to voice card. I also show you a common defect with the voice cards that prevents proper calibration.

Parts used in this video series are available at my website. I also repair and restore Oberheims and other vintage synths for customers around the world."

You can find Synth Chaser's OB-Xa calibration videos here.

ARP Omni 2 Playing Joy Division's "Decades" via MIDI

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Sep 28, 2016 Synth Chaser

SN 24730726 currently for sale on Reverb and on eBay.

"The most awesome ARP Omni 2 ever! With MIDI! This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new bushings, LED sliders, fully functional, calibrated, tuned and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo". It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR. I've made a video to demonstrate this keyboard in action playing Joy Division's classic, "Decades" via MIDI

Video showing this keyboard in action:

Overall good condition for a nearly 40 year old synthesizer, with some cosmetic issues as visible in the photos (dent to back right corner of case, etc)

· Synthchaser MIDI Adapter - How rare is it to find an Omni equipped with MIDI? The Synthchaser MIDI Adapter has support for MIDI In and Through for the string & synth polyphonic voices only, and responds to note on & off requests.

· Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade. All 15 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement.

· Synthchaser Capacitor Kit installed - 106 polarized capacitors in the synthesizer (not just the power supply) have been replaced to help provide stable operation for years to come.

· Keyboard rebuild - New key bushings installed, keys removed and washed, key contacts cleaned and adjusted

· Oscilloscope Calibration - Fully calibrated to factory spec under measurement by oscilloscope

The 4075 filter has not been modified and has the original capacitors and frequency response. This can be enhanced upon request by the buyer. There is also a possibility to customize the LED slider colors."

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Synthchaser #014 - Oberheim OB-Xa Repair

Published on Jul 18, 2016 Synth Chaser

Playlist:
Synthchaser #014 - Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Part 1/3 - Power Supply & Voice Card Rebuilds
Synthchaser #015 - Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Part 2/3 - Rebuilding The Keyboard
Synthchaser #016 - Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Part 3/3 - Tuning & Calibration
Synthchaser #016 - Oberheim OB-Xa Repair - Part 3/3 - Tuning & Calibration

Ex-Jefferson Starship ARP Quadra Synthesizer Serviced w/LED Sliders New Membrane

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Synth Chaser

via this auction

"This ARP Quadra was owned by Pete Sears and toured with Jefferson Starship in the 1980s! It has just been professionally overhauled by Synthchaser, the foremost expert on ARP Quadras! Work done included a new membrane panel, new blue LED sliders, recap of all tantalum and electrolytic capacitors, new touch sensor, keyboard rebuild, dozens of new IC chips, and more!

While many synths are listed as "serviced" or "fully serviced", they are usually devoid of any details of what was actually done. Those that do provide details or service invoices often reveal that the synth was merely superficially serviced, and not genuinely "future-proofed". I have not only serviced this Quadra, I've taken it down to the chassis and overhauled it. Work done included:

New membrane panel - The membrane panel with the switches that enable the various features and pull up the presets is a known weak spot of the ARP Quadra, and many otherwise good Quadras have been turned into expensive doorstops due to failed membrane panels. A brand new (manufactured in 2020!) Synthchaser membrane panel has been installed. It looks just like the original! Have other "future-proofed" Quadras had this part replaced? I think not!

Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade. All 35 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement.

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Vintage Serviced Oberheim OB-8 Synthesizer Keyboard w/MIDI

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction, also on Reverb

"Here's a freshly serviced Oberheim OB-8 that sounds awesome and is available at a great price! The OB-8 is the vintage Oberheim that people should get. All the kinks worked out from the OB-X and OB-Xa, but still that same killer sound! This one has what appears to be a vintage copy of the factory MIDI. Video coming later today.

The previous owner installed my Synthchaser Power Supply Rebuild kits and Ultimate Voice Board Service Kits, but couldn't get all the gremlins worked out of the synth. I acquired it, repaired any issues, and calibrated it to factory spec. I've also replaced the bushings on the keybed, and installed my OB-8 Battery Eliminator, which as the name implies, saves your presets without the need for batteries which would eventually run out. The synth is in reasonable condition, with some damage/cracking to the side panels, typical scratching and wear on the case, and the cap of the collet knob (not the knob itself) for the modulation rate pot on the bender assembly has been replaced with a 3D printed part. Hard to spot it, but I'm all about full disclosure.

Service included:

· All trimmers replaced with multi-turn trimmers and all trimmers calibrated.
· New control board to voice board ribbon cable
· New pot board connector cables
· Power supply rebuilt with Synthchaser power supply rebuild kit (new beefier bridge rectifiers, new filter capacitors)
· Synthchaser OB-8 Battery Eliminator installed - no need to replace the battery in this synth, ever!
· New key bushings (this is an early OB-8 with the Pratt Reed keybed and not the noisy Panasonic keybed)

Due to the current situation, I'm not doing local pickup, shipping within the US only. The synthesizer will be professionally packed by the UPS store and insured for the full purchase price. This is a vintage electronic item, so all sales are as-is and final. But visit the Synthchaser YouTube channel and rest assured that a high quality job was done on this synthesizer by the expert on Oberheim Synthesizers."

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Original 1971 ARP Soloist Model 2700 ex Dennis P. Colin

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Synthchaser

via this auction

Some pics of the inside bits below.

Pics and video for that one captured below.

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Synthchaser Restored Vintage ARP Quadra Synthesizer Keyboard with New Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Synth Chaser

via this auction

"This ARP Quadra has just been professionally overhauled by Synthchaser, the foremost expert on ARP Quadras! Work done included new red LED sliders (illumination can be dimmed or disabled by control of a knob mounted just inside the synth), recap of all tantalum and electrolytic capacitors, new touch sensor, keyboard refurbishment, new IC chips, and more reliability enhancements!

Here is a video demo of the actual keyboard being sold:

While many synths are listed as "serviced" or "fully serviced", they are usually devoid of any details of what was actually done. Those that do provide details or service invoices often reveal that the synth was merely superficially serviced, and not genuinely "future-proofed". I have not only serviced this Quadra, I've taken it down to the chassis and overhauled it. Work done included:

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Vintage ARP Quadra Overhauled by Synthchaser

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Uploaded on Oct 3, 2019 Synth Chaser

via this auction

"This ARP Quadra has just been fully serviced & overhauled by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new touch sensor, sliders disassembled, cleaned and refurbished, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This synth was the final masterpiece of ARP Instruments and added a powerful 2 oscillator lead synthesizer to the bass, poly strings, and poly synth already found in the ARP Omni 2. Add in the lush 14 stage voltage controlled analog phase shifter, a sequencer (more like arpeggiator), assignable aftertouch, 61 key keyboard, and package it all into the coolest looking synth design ever and you have an ARP Quadra!

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Vintage ARP Omni 1 Keyboard Synthesizer Overhauled with LED Sliders SN 2483 1698

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Synth Chaser

via this auction

"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' top ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, new reliable pushbutton switches, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

Has a some scratches on the case, which is common to these synths, see photos. However, the keyboard sounds great and has been completely overhauled inside with hundreds of dollars of new parts and many of hours of labor, including:

Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade. All 15 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement. The LED colors match the color scheme of the panel graphics.

Illuminated slider caps - Slider caps with a translucent plastic stripe that allows the LED illumination to shine through, while giving you something substantial to grip onto. I just started using these caps, and they look and feel awesome!

Synthchaser replacement pushbutton switches - All 10 of the original pushbutton switches (which are notorious for having the mechanical latches break) have been replaced with retrofits. The original switch caps are still installed so they look the same from the outside.

Power supply rebuilt - All tantalum and electrolytic capacitors in the power supply have been replaced, and high quality, high temperature 105 deg C capacitors have been used for the power supply filter capacitors.
All tantalum capacitors replaced - The tantalum capacitors in ARP synths are ticking time bombs. All of the over 100 tantalum capacitors in this synth have been replaced with electrolytics to help provide stable operation for years to come.

Synthchaser 4075 Filter Enhancement Kit Installed - The ARP Omni uses the same 4075 filter submodule found in the Odyssey, Quadra, Avatar, and Pro DGX. This has been recapped, and enhanced to provide superior frequency response.
Keyboard rebuild - New key bushings installed, buss bar & key contacts cleaned, key contacts adjusted, and keys ultrasonically cleaned

Oscilloscope calibration - Fully calibrated to factory spec using oscilloscope and frequency counter."

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ARP Omni with LED Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new purple LED sliders, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section. Unlike the later ARP Omni 2, the ARP Omni 1's synth bass can be routed through the 4 Pole VCF to get fat synth basses. Video showing everything is working and an idea of some of the sounds you can make: https://youtu.be/-6lO2XqJSgQ

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Vintage ARP Omni 1 Keyboard Synthesizer Refurbished with LED Sliders

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video uploaded by Synth Chaser

via this auction, also on Reverb

"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' top ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, new reliable pushbutton switches, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' 'Moving In Stereo', and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

CLICK FOR MORE »