Omnichord repair

[bluesman]

I have an Omnichord model OM84 that is in need of repair....any thoughts? any takers?

Im hoping that someone here is an accomplished tech & can fix it. I would much rather spend the repair bill within the Tapeop community.

Unit makes a power on speaker bump...then nothing from the keys or various buttons. Its is overall very good condition with no battery compartment corrosion or signs of abuse.

Thanks

Lee/bluesman

[germaniac]

Hey Bluesman,

I've got an OM-84 as well. Mine had some problems with intermittent controls and buttons, which I was able to solve by re-flowing most of the solder joints connecting those parts. The way the thing is built, some of those controls can eventually break loose from the PCB with use. Chances are good the problem is nothing more than this.

If you are marginally handy with a soldering iron, you can remove the back casing and touch-up all those connections yourself. IIRC, the trace side of the PCB is easily visible when you open it up.

Hope that helps!

Joe

[A.David.MacKinnon]

If you're getting a power on bump from the speaker then the amp is likely fine. No sound from of the sections (drums, harp or organ) makes it sound to me like the problem is in the mixer circuit. That would be the part under the volume controls for each sound. It's probably as simple as a bad connection where the mixer feeds the amp or something in the mixer is dead.
I'd open it up, reflow solder in the mixer section and look for anything suspect - leaky caps, burt components etc.

[bluesman]

Thanks for the tips. I will re-flow the solder this week.

I saw a guy put on an insainly funny show with one of these at a party some years ago...it really knocked me out & I have been looking for an affordable one ever since. I got this one for the right price, even if I have to put a little money into it.

Thanks!

Lee/bluesman

[A.David.MacKinnon]

My friend Jenny has made an entire career out of the omnichord -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Y5mopKu7s

Also worth noting, the omnichord is one of the best circuit bendable do-dads out there. Even more fun and tweakable than the SK1

[MisterMark]

Anyone know how to circuit bend one so that you can just flip a switch and be in strum plate mode (without the beats and the accompaniment chord) as well as be poised to select the various strum plate voices?

It's a major pain to step through the unintuitive button mashing sequence just to get there. Seems every time I want to use it I have to get the manual out. Then I end up scratching my head like a confused elderly person trying to set the clock on his VCR.

Even more annoying is if you get any part of the button sequence wrong you end up with a corny beat playing and an auto chord sustaining...

Please help!

-Mark