Alesis Andromeda A6 voice chip replacement. How to find?

[~Zenshin Suru~]

I have done many searches all over the web and I havent been able to find a source to buy an Andromeda voice chip. I have an un-tunable voice that needs to be replaced. I'm sure I can swop out the chips on my own once I find one. Does anyone know where to get one, or where you got your replacement chip. I know this is a fairly common problem with the A6. I've tried Alesis, Pro Digital, and wavefront semiconductors, all companies that should be able to provide this chip, yet none of them can. I heard a rumor that Alesis Germany may have some available, but I'd rather find one in the states, but really anywhere I can get one at this point.

Thanks for you help people!

[kilon]

I would not be screwing with Andromeda's internals if I were you, she might bite you.

Be thankful that 15 voices work just fine and use the last one for added character or else your situation might be reversed.

[RobJB06]

They dont sell the voice chips, if it goes wrong you have to buy the whole replacement pcb, i think when i asked how much a few years ago they quoted me about £700 or something rediculous like that...

Originally Posted by ~Zenshin Suru~

I have done many searches all over the web and I havent been able to find a source to buy an Andromeda voice chip. I have an un-tunable voice that needs to be replaced. I'm sure I can swop out the chips on my own once I find one. Does anyone know where to get one, or where you got your replacement chip. I know this is a fairly common problem with the A6. I've tried Alesis, Pro Digital, and wavefront semiconductors, all companies that should be able to provide this chip, yet none of them can. I heard a rumor that Alesis Germany may have some available, but I'd rather find one in the states, but really anywhere I can get one at this point.

Thanks for you help people!

[OurDarkness]

Talk to some EE for Alesis' service center in your country. If that doesn't work talk to Alesis/Numark directly and explain your situation.

If you want the service manual for the Andromeda send me a PM.

[lain2097]

That is one reason I never wanted an A6 - all those damn SMD chips!

As previously stated, you must to contact Alesis to order a replacement PCB. Even with a good iron and wick you could never desolder a new chip at that density.

[~Zenshin Suru~]

Well, thanks for the responses. I whole new pcb then... I have contacted Alesis and that they can provide, but it seems like such a waste when all I need is one new chip. - thanks, I do have the service manual.

[SovietSpaceChild]

Have you tried re-seating the ribbon cables? I've heard of people resolving tuning issues by tightening loose ribbons.

[nofi]

......a whole PCB to replace one bad analogue voice??

they should be ashamed of themselves.

Just because some random person with a hardware store soldering iron can't rework their board doesn't mean it's not reworkable. Any chip with just leads out the side is reworkable with a half decent soldering station and the right iron tip. (hakko knife tip FTW!) Packages that attach on their underside are trickier, but I know some small places with dedicated soldering gear that can remove and replace even BGA parts in a few minutes, and would do so for anyone who needed it, for a reasonable fee..

2nd hand andromeda was always on my list of synths to pick up one day, and I always felt a bit bad I didn't buy a new one... that bad feeling is 100% gone now.


dfegadalesis.

[murphythecat87]

Originally Posted by nofi

......a whole PCB to replace one bad analogue voice??

they should be ashamed of themselves.

Just because some random person with a hardware store soldering iron can't rework their board doesn't mean it's not reworkable. Any chip with just leads out the side is reworkable with a half decent soldering station and the right iron tip. (hakko knife tip FTW!) Packages that attach on their underside are trickier, but I know some small places with dedicated soldering gear that can remove and replace even BGA parts in a few minutes, and would do so for anyone who needed it, for a reasonable fee..

2nd hand andromeda was always on my list of synths to pick up one day, and I always felt a bit bad I didn't buy a new one... that bad feeling is 100% gone now.


dfegadalesis.

Okay, so they could be replaceable if we have the chips?

[ChristianRock]

It's just the way modern manufacturing works. Quit whining.
Try going to the manufacturer that makes your computer's motherboard and tell them you want to replace just this one piece of it. If something's wrong with your motherboard's components, they'll always replace the entire thing (except what is detached like memory,etc).

[fancyPantsZero]

Originally Posted by kilon

I would not be screwing with Andromeda's internals if I were you, she might bite you.

Be thankful that 15 voices work just fine and use the last one for added character or else your situation might be reversed.

I agree, don't mess with it, just forget you ever had that sixteenth voice.

[nofi]

Originally Posted by ChristianRock

It's just the way modern manufacturing works. Quit whining.

You should stick to talking about something you understand.

an analogue synth with custom analogue parts where you can't replace the custom analogue parts in case of a problem is not an instrument to keep and spend your life learning how to use, it's just an abortion of a product waiting for irreplaceable bits to fail.

dfegadalesis

Try going to the manufacturer that makes your computer's motherboard and tell them you want to replace just this one piece of it.

If something's wrong with your motherboard's components, they'll always replace the entire thing (except what is detached like memory,etc).

wow... what a terrible attempt at analogy.

1) you buy a replacement motherboard for 70 pounds, not 700 pounds.

2) IT people fix computers, not service techs. and their skillset doesn't go beyond pulling out PCBs and disconnecting/reconnecting wiring looms.

3) computer technology becomes pretty much obsolete about every 9 months. A board needing repair, but just being replaced by something faster and with more features is at least an improvement in usability for the user.

[ChristianRock]

Originally Posted by nofi

You should stick to talking about something you understand.

an analogue synth with custom analogue parts where you can't replace the custom analogue parts in case of a problem is not an instrument to keep and spend your life learning how to use, it's just an abortion of a product waiting for irreplaceable bits to fail.

I've been working with manufacturing software for 20 years now, I know manufacturing.

You're not talking about a hand-made, hand-wired, discrete product here. Components are now tightly grouped together and repairs are made substituting whole parts, not just individual components. It's how manufacturing works now.

Newsflash: you're not in the 70s anymore (even if some small boutique shops still make'em like they were made in the 70s, but you pay extra for that).

[Oli]

I've also worked in manufacturing SMD hardware. The company I worked for had a service department, and would refit leaded SMD packages as required. Hot air rework stations are fine for that.

The company also published service manuals, and supplied parts to service agents.

IMO, it's just a decision that a company makes. It is probably cheaper and simpler to only maintain stock of assembled boards, and not provide for low level servicing.

[nofi]

Originally Posted by ChristianRock

I've been working with manufacturing software for 20 years now, I know manufacturing.

manufacturing software?

well I've done actual board level design for a living for the last eleven years. This means there are circuits I designed, running firmware I wrote, built up on PCBs I laid out, in various devices all over the world, doing their various jobs. And as far as I am aware, parts are available if they break down.

And for something like the andromeda to have the ONLY method of repair available being the replacement of the entire main board... that's just a ripoff. it's a complete and utter cynical money grabbing rort.

I don't care how tight packed the board is, if it's got chips for each voice, and someone with a CRO can trace a voice fault down to a faulty chip, and it's plain criminal if a new chip is not available to replace a faulty one.

[Oli]

Originally Posted by nofi

well I've done actual board level design for a living for the last eleven years. This means there are circuits I designed, running firmware I wrote, built up on PCBs I laid out, in various devices all over the world, doing their various jobs. And as far as I am aware, parts are available if they break down.

Only about three years for me, but the same thing.

I actually think SMD parts are a lot easier to replace than through hole, and much faster too. Having components on both sides of a board, and non leaded parts, complicates things a bit, but it is still manageable.

[e6400ultra]

It would have been nice if Alesis had designed their voice chips in PLCC format given the apparent high rate of failure..

[author]

Originally Posted by nofi

an analogue synth with custom analogue parts where you can't replace the custom analogue parts in case of a problem is not an instrument to keep and spend your life learning how to use, it's just an abortion of a product waiting for irreplaceable bits to fail.

dfegadalesis

That's the kind of talk I needed to hear after they cancelled my order!

I'm never going to a buy another Alesis/Numark product.

[kreeper_6]

Originally Posted by lain2097

Even with a good iron and wick you could never desolder a new chip at that density.

There are tricks.

[W-W-Int]

Originally Posted by kreeper_6

There are tricks.

so right on that all you need is a tube of superglue, a pencil, and some solder wick. since the chip is dead and needs to be replaced anyway just cut the pencil's eraser flat, superglue the pencil eraser to the top of the chip, then pull the chip up while wicking away the solder mask on the board. you can always make a new mask yourself with some plastic film and the original dead chips pins.

lay the old chip on the film and heat the dead chips pins with your iron while they are on the plastic film, using an intermediary conducter to even ly and slowly heat the pins across each side of the package. this will melt the film if you do it carefuly enough at the exact needed spots for the pins and create a new mask to lay down solder paste with.

just seat the new chip very carefully and heat the pins using the same intermediary device as before and little wick for each side and then you are done.


anyone could do it with a smd part if it isn't bga or similar.

[Mike6581]

Good grief, this is quite scary. Imagine what's going to be going on when the A6 is a vintage synth! Especially if the chip is scarce already. It's got me worried about my Prophet 08 as well now!

Shame that manufacturers have such a throwaway ethos these days though that being said, imagine how big and unreliable an A6 made with an analogue path made entirely out of descrete components would be. And imagine how much it'd cost! I don't think a Japanese firm would justify such a silly folly.

[nofi]

- fun desoldering tricks!

if I don't have a reflow iron available or there's lots of small parts around I don't want to blow off, and it's a dead chip or a cheap chip, I'm more likely to cut off all pins with a craft knife, then clean up the pads with a bit of solder wick...

As for putting the replacement back on, no need to make a paste screen - SMD soldering isn't really about making single joints, as it is about making a bunch of joints, and using the surface tension of molten solder. That hakko knife tip I mentioned before. I've soldered down to 0.65mm pitch parts with one of those, and most of the time I don't even have to go back for a 2nd pass. you flux up the area heavily, run the tip along the edge of the part with a good solder feed, and it just works.

[~Zenshin Suru~]

If anyone ever does come across one of these chips, I'm sure I can replace it myself. So please let me know. Let's say someone does have some bad voices and they replace the entire pcb board. the board that they pulled out has some working chips on it.... that's probably the only scenario that would work out for finding single chips individually?

Please help me out with this: I have an A6 that I want to sell. The thing was gifted to me still in it's originally box, never opened. Original owner bought it, never opened it and after a couple years, gave it to me; he got really sick and never got a chance to get into it. Anyway, by the time it came to me, it was long past the 1 year warranty period. I've opened it up and realized that voice 9 is not able to be tuned. The 9/10 chip is bad. I wanted to get the thing up to 16 fully working voices before I tried to sell it. Other than that one voice, the synth is in great shape. With that voice turned off, it sounds great, but still NOT really my thing. I want to sell it to fund some diy projects, etc.

I want to be fully honest and up front with a potential buyer about one voice being down, so in your-all's opinion, what would be a fair price for this synth knowing what you know about it. It really hasn't spent much time out of it's box, if that even matters.

Thanks in advance.

[Don Solaris]

Originally Posted by ~Zenshin Suru~

If anyone ever does come across one of these chips, I'm sure I can replace it myself.

Every Audio/Video service can do that for you and it doesn't cost much. They have professional soldering stations that do the job within minutes.

thumbsup

[~Zenshin Suru~]

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

Every Audio/Video service can do that for you and it doesn't cost much. They have professional soldering stations that do the job within minutes.

thumbsup

Right on, I'm pretty confident I won't have trouble with installation. I pm'd you about the possibility of being able to source those chips. Thanks.

[Don Solaris]

Guys i will let you know about these chips after the supplier CONFIRMS me he still has them.

Until then i can't guarantee anything.

[Reptil]

Originally Posted by ChristianRock

I've been working with manufacturing software for 20 years now, I know manufacturing.

You're not talking about a hand-made, hand-wired, discrete product here. Components are now tightly grouped together and repairs are made substituting whole parts, not just individual components. It's how manufacturing works now.

Newsflash: you're not in the 70s anymore (even if some small boutique shops still make'em like they were made in the 70s, but you pay extra for that).

dumping pcbs in a landfill or shipping them to china is going to be impossible in a few years. the whole thing will change (again).
yes of course these boards can be reworked, I know a tech here that invested in machines to do just that. It's not a consumer product, and doesn't fall under the same regulation. Therefore it should be repairable.

[Reptil]

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

Every Audio/Video service can do that for you and it doesn't cost much. They have professional soldering stations that do the job within minutes.

thumbsup

ehm yes, what he ^^ said

[JeremyPaulCarrol]

Originally Posted by ~Zenshin Suru~

If anyone ever does come across one of these chips, I'm sure I can replace it myself. So please let me know. Let's say someone does have some bad voices and they replace the entire pcb board. the board that they pulled out has some working chips on it.... that's probably the only scenario that would work out for finding single chips individually?

Well… guess what? I may be replacing the voice board in my Andromeda - Several voices have gone, but most are ok. The only thing that’s been stopping me is the price of the voice board (and having to deal with Numark/Alesis here in the UK).

If I get this sorted, we could come to an arrangement. Only thing is how desperate you are to get it done quickly (I’m broke, so can’t afford to get the new board at the moment!)

Cheers,
Jem.

[Xero]

wow this is kinda scary, we were just talking about how vintage synth parts are easier to find because they were often discrete/off the shelf, now with andromedas they're just replacing whole boards, it's only going to be a matter of time before they run out.....