Kurzweil 1000 Series Upgrade Process #1 *

Before you begin read the Static Handling information.  Then read the Basics information and Chip Data. Then read this page and understand how to download the chip data you will need.  If your upgrade requires a jumper change, look at the Jumper Pictures.

Several members have upgraded one or more Kurzweil 1000 series keyboards or modules. Each person may use different chip burners and/or take a slightly different approach. Before you attempt to upgrade your unit, read each approach. The more you know the better success you will probably have. 

This is Process Documentation #1:  For an alternate process documentation go to upgradeprocess2

You will need to find a source for the PROM/EPROM chips required for your upgrade. Specifications sheets for the various types can be found in the Manuals page. The 'speed' of the chips you purchase may be important so review all the notes regarding the upgrade before you purchase chips. You can find a beginner's discussion about chips, eproms, roms etc at http://www.ustr.net/memory.htm (this will open a new window).

The raw data (zip files) required to burn the chips is in the Chip Data page. Choose the file for your desired upgrade. Note that the 8 (Eight) button boxes have two possible OS chip sets.  Details in the Chip Data page.

Process Documentation #1:

Historical Information: 1000 series Kurzweil midi tone modules, Sample ROM players.

Kurzweil sold the 1000 series instruments with a strategy of upgrading the modules in a series of steps.  The motherboards had 12 sound ROM sockets but only 3 or 6 ROM chips were included with the first modules. The upgrades add more ROM chips to the empty sockets and upgrading the 4 OS chips so the module can find the sound.  Some upgrades had names such as: SXA, HXA, PXA, PXB, AX.  With each upgrade more chips were added.  When all 12 sockets were filled with ROM chips the final modules were renamed: Pro1, Pro2, and Pro3.  This project is to clone the missing chips for the early modules to create one of the final Pro Series Instruments. The Pro1 and Pro2 are excellent orchestration modules.  

The Keyboard version (Pro76) is possible from the K1000SE if you have the daughter board installed.  There are many modules on the used market from the initial series which generally bring $30-150 on eBay.

Pro1, Pro2, and Pro3 have 370+ unique sounds in the modules. 

6 Pro2 voices and 18 Pro3 voices appear in the Pro1. 

The Pro2 and Pro3 share 54 voices with each other.

Disclaimer:  Concept came from the Yahoo Kurzweil users group and the desire to upgrade our old modules. We notified Kurzweil of our intentions both in writing and phone calls. They were not interested, and never responded. I personally phoned them, and I was told, "Very interesting!  We'll get back with you…"   (the proverbial brush off). I am not selling chips here, we are sharing information to keep our modules running. These are not Kurzweil chips, they are chips that will work in a Kurzweil.

Start your upgrade process here:   $19 to $49 approximate cost. (very approximate because of chip price fluctuations) 

Disclaimer:  David Brown is not responsible if your module is damaged in any way by these "therapeutic measures."  This upgrade completely changes your module so backup any sounds (Patches you may have created in RAM).  To backup your voices try Dennis Spanogle's Kurlewin . 

This will bring the module up to full MIDI specs so you can PAN, and use ALL controllers over MIDI which you could not do with the early modules.  The Kurzweil has empty motherboard sockets where the upgrades go.  U50, U51, U52, U53, U54, U55, U56, U57, U58, U59, U60, and U61.  If you have a chip in a sound ROM socket already you won't need to make new ones. 

You can make any Pro series from any staring 1000 module but if any of the sound ROMS are soldered to the board it will lock you to a particular upgrade destination.  If your Kurzweil has all the U50-U61 sockets filled, you have a fully upgraded module and you don't need to upgrade. 

You will be replacing all 4 Operating System chips,  U21, U22, U32, and U33.

The Upgrade consists of four general steps: 

1 - Motherboard preparation : The most common motherboard is 33037001 printed on the board near the audio out it will say Board # 3303701 (or 33049001). You MUST read about this in the bulletin issued by Kurzweil. Motherboard information/Static handling. 

For board number 33049001 read the information here: Motherboard information. 

For board number 33037001 ONLY: 

Two jumpers need to be changed;  JP03 and JP04.  These are located at the end of the chips U21 and U22. JumpersPix.htm  On the 1000 PX page is a picture of the jumper location, and a close up of the board. Remove cover, face plate towards you, locate sockets # U21 & U22. Jumpers are very close to front end of U21 and U22 chips. There are 4 jumper locations, JP01 thru JP04 but the labels are deceptive look closely and you will see that label JP03 is under actual jumper JP04.  The Label JP04 is to the left of actual JP04.  Get it?  If you don't, stop here and email me. JP04 needs to be open:  scratch the trace with an exacto knife.  It's only paper thin, don't go deep, use magnifier.  Test for open with VOM meter.  JP03 needs to be closed:  put a drop of solder between the two pins to close connection.  MINIMUM amount of solder.  don't get any solder on the other connection points.  A 15 Watt gun with small tip is preferred. Later model boards may have installed jumper posts that you can just move the pin connector from JP04 to JP03 and you are done.  This change allows the system to address the larger 64k x 8 bit memory chip required for U22 and U33 (the Setup ROMs) in the Pro models. The original PX modules has a smaller 32k x 8 bit EPROM installed.

David G has discovered some of the mother boards require some adjustments to JP05 also.  This should be done only if the unit fails to boot when upgrades are completed.  JP05 seems to be related to the high address bits of the sample roms (see schematics).

2-  Chip creation:  If you really, really need chips burned, contact David B. through the users group. Otherwise, use an EPROM burner to make your new chips, such as the EPROM+ by arlabs.  ( http://www.arlabs.com  for $289).  This burner is simple, computer connected, menu driven and easy to use.  No experience needed.  Cheaper burners are available from  www.willem.org  for $49.  Manufacturer states they will burn the chips needed for this project.  The more adventuresome can build an Eprom burner from a kit even cheaper. If you wish to avoid this expense someone on the user group can make the chips if you provide the blank chips.  The data to make the chips are on the Chip Data page.  Total cost is about:  $19 for 3 chips, $34 for 6, and $49 for 9 chips.  Most upgrades will cost $34. Some of the chips that have been used are:

- Sound Rom (32Dip 120 nanoseconds)  Atmel 27C080  prices may be $13 each or more.
  ST27c801 (these are sometimes available and have been used in the modules.
- OS/Setup (32Dip 120 nanosecods) AT27c512R-70PU prices may be $2 or more.
  M27C512 - 90B6 Seem to be one of the few that are not special order $2 or more.
- NOTE: See information on the Chips page about Alternative Sound Rom chips.

3- Chip insertion:  Insert new chips in the same numbered empty sockets.  Be sure they face the right direction.  NOTICE THIS.  With the module the notch faces the front.  With the keyboard the notch faces the rear.

Also, while working on this I came across a note in the Atmel datasheet:

 

"3. System Considerations Switching between active and standby conditions via the Chip Enable pin may produce transient voltage excursions. Unless accommodated by the system design, these transients may exceed datasheet limits, resulting in device non-conformance. At a minimum, a 0.1 ?F high frequency, low inherent inductance, ceramic capacitor should be utilized for each device. This capacitor should be connected between the VCC and Ground terminals of the device, as close to the device as possible. Additionally, to stabilize the supply voltage level on printed circuit boards with large EPROM arrays, a 4.7 ?F bulk electrolytic capacitor should be utilized, again connected between the VCC and Ground terminals. This capacitor should be positioned as close as possible to the point where the power supply is connected to the array. "

 

Looking at the motherboard there is a 220uF across the supplies at the power connector (this suffices for the 4.7uF noted above). For all the ROM's there are provisions for the 0.1uF, however I noted that on some of my boards Kurzweil did not fully populate with 0.1uF. So I did this. Not sure if it actually bought anything, but it is always a good thing to do what the manufacturer recommends.

Well that's it. Upgrade now fully accomplished, though a little more work than I expected. Hopefully you can put this info to good use for the general user community should anyone else run into problems with the upgrade.

4- Testing (after the upgrade):  Most just boot right up and work fine without fiddling around.  Try it.  If not continue.  Do a hard reset and erase everything.  Press and hold 'yes'-'no' and turn on.  If menus appears enter master and reset.  Check your work!  Are all the chips facing the right direction and all the pins in their holes?  Are all the chips level and seated?  If this fails you can enter a testing mode to determine what is wrong. Press and hold the 2 'Parameter' buttons and turn it on.  A menu may appear.  Choose burn in or an individual test. The test will tell you where the problem is located.  This doesn't always work. Occassionally a test will return an error.  Examine your chips and be sure they are oriented the right way.  This testing involves a 'checksum' test. A ROM error will tell you which ROM chip isn't right using the "U" number, such as U59.  Examine the chip carefully to check for bent pins etc.  If all this fails then the problem is with your mother board and you will need to trouble shoot the power supply first. 

Now reload your saved voices and test it out!  Kurlewin:  an editing program that will make these modules sing.  

More Trouble Shooting:  

JP05: Read all the notes regarding JP05 near the bottom of the Chip Data page (The Long Version of which chips to use for the Sound ROMS). If appropriate, jumper (close) JP05.

Hard Rest:  press and hold YES/NO as you power up then choose to reset.

Test routine:  press and hold Program/Parameter together and power up.  It takes a minute be patient.  Be patient. A menu appears that you can navigate and test the RAM, ROM, OS, LCD, Buttons, and Battery. It can go over the test repeatedly.  It may return errors.  This is not fast.  ROM takes 4 minutes.  Midi Loop test typically fails and should be ignored.

ROM 33   I saw the following error message: 

er 4 lset rom   -33 EXCKSM 

49c4 OBCKSM CD1f                      This message was related to improper motherboard preparation, see Step1.

Power Problems:   Many users report that the P1 connector on the power supply board is the root of many startup. (Especially the HX modules). Everyone reports that the P1 on the bottom side of the power supply board gets "cold" and fails to make a good connection.  This is known as a 'cold solder'.  The solder is grey and dull rather than shiny and bright- so resolder it.)  This problem is sometimes so elusive that it appears to be any other problem.  If something doesn't get better quickly

Won't start:  Startup click?  bootup sequence has an audible click about 3 seconds after the ON button is pressed.  If no click the Relay on the mother board is stuck.  Open the unit and tap gently on the relay.  The relay is on the Motherboard is printed  # Q 005 a box labeled "zettler", over near the audio outs.  The relay is a standard electronic part.

Weird behavior:    Sometime pins in sockets get oxidized.  Pull each chip carefully and clean carefully.  Use standard chip puller.

Sounds seem like random waves? Electrical connection on a chip is lost.  During insertion of a chip you bent, broke or failed to insert a pin.  A ROM chip is in the wrong socket. Oxidation

No sound:   ROM chip is HOT? You inserted it backwards.  Check audio board area for burn marks, audio boards seldom fail.

screen freezes:  generally this means the OS can't complete it's boot sequence and any work that you just did needs to be carefully reviewed.

Known repair guys:

Advanced Musical Electronics in LA, USA

Synth Service Centre, London England

Process Documentation #2:  For an alternate upgrade process and documentation go to upgradeprocess2

* From the ex-Alzerom site with approval of David B