Date: Sat, 26 Aug 1995 02:33:43 -0700 (PDT) From: MACHINE MEDIA Subject: Re: mks-80 operating software Cc: analogue@hyperreal.com > labeled mks-80module 7934012001 on the bottom and 22925156-02 on the > top.there is also a chip under the voice boards marked mks-80 A and 5 is > highlited.what i'd like to know is, are these the latest,and if not should i > bother getting newer roms?does roland stock them?or what? anyway,sorry for > maybe boring everyone,and, is it really difficult to read my predominantly > lower case writing? jeff Yes, It is :P I have the service docs for an MKS-80. My MKS-80, as I have just discovered, is before SN511800. All units according to this documentation after that serial number are the new version. I have no plans to upgrade, and have no idea if I still could. I read as from the scripture quoted thusly: Affected components are as follows: - Change VCO, VCF and VCA IC's on the Module board to customized-ICs. - Re-layout the Module Board to accommodate new ICs. - Reprogram CROSS-MOD and RESONANCE adjustments through the revisions of CPU Board PROM A and MODULE Board PROM B. Note: New module produce slightly different timbre when compared with that from earlier modules. This is due to characterstic differences between these ICs. The difference will prove if data (memory cartridge) saved from products with SN11799 and below is loaded into the later units. Reason for timbre difference [ the first refrain will be for SN450100-511799, the second refrain will be for SN511800-UP as pico is editor Roland did not make ] - Difference in RESONANCE LEVEL High RESONANCE LEVEL Waveforms clipped when played in UNISON. Low RESONANCE LEVEL Waveforms kept below clipping levels. - Difference in GAIN characteristic of VCA IC Fast Decay rate due to non-linear GAIN characteristic. Linear GAIN characteristic makes Decay rate reasonably slow. - Difference in CROSS-MOD LEVEL High CROSS-MOD output causes overmodulation with particular settings with CROSS-MOD Pot. in MAX. CROSS-MOD output is kept below the level at which overmodulation does not occur. [ the columns following show each change as each show thusly ] MODULE BOARD ASSY (7934012000) MODULE BOARD ASSY (7934012001) PCB 291-947 (2291594700) PWB 292-156 (2292515600) VCO IC CEM3340 VCO IC IR3R03 VCF IC IR3109 VCF, VCA IC IR3R05 VCA IC CEM336 [mu]PC1252H124 PROM A Ver. 4 PROM A Ver. 5 PROM B Ver. 2 PROM B Ver. 3 MEMORY CARTRIDGE (2237560300) MEMORY CARTRIDGE (2237560301) CAUTIONS in relation to Change. - A new MODULE BOARD and a previous one are interchangeable, but there will be some difference in timber when interchanged. (The difference can be modified by editing timber DATA.) - Do not mix-use two PCB versions on the same unit. - Both module board versions require specific parameter setting for their patch program. Memory cartridge used on one version needs rediting when loaded into the other version, for correcting timber difference. - ROM A Ver 4 and Ver 5 are not interchangeable. - ROM B Ver 2 and Ver 3 are also not interchangeable. PEACE OUT :) MARK From: Haible_Juergen#Tel2743 Subject: MKS 80 Date: Tue, 29 Aug 95 10:11:00 PDT First of all, thank You, Mark, for the description of all the differences between old and new MKS-80's. Now I wonder, which units are the better ones. Let me see: The old one has some clipping in unison mode: Is that pleasant distortion or a rather ugly one? The old one has exponential VCA's. Should be better with percussive sounds, shouldn't it? The old one allows overmodulation with Xmod. Guess it sounds the same as the new one with low Xmod amount, but adds overmod noise if You want to go to extremes ... The old ones have CEM VCO's, the new ones have Roland custom VCOs. What are the differences in sound? The CEM3340 are well-known in their character; how do the Roland ones sound? Which instrument do the users prefer? (guess it's the same thing as with old Prophets ...) JH. Message 20/25 From I. Onsager May 11, 96 10:17:10 pm GMT Comments: Authenticated sender is Subject: Re: MKS-80 Question Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 22:17:10 GMT >I found some info in the archive about an older version and a newer >version. The older has the CEM VCO's and newer one has the custom >Roland VCO's, did anyone figure out which is better? They sound very different, at least in my ears. So different that you cannot transfer patches between them. According to Roland the changes (in addition to the new osc. chip) are: -linearized VCA gain for lower decay-rate -cross-mod lowered to avoid over-modulation -resonance lowered to prevent clipping in unison mode (none of the JP's except JP-4 is capable of self oscillation though) >Is there anything else I should know about this unit? LCD backlit is a weak point. It's my impression that the Curtis version has a bit more stable tuning. It's also my impression that the failure rate of the MKS-80 is above average for a Roland product. Might be caused by temperature, the module gets very warm. It might be difficult to get the Roland osc's in the future. As far as I know they were only used in the MKS-80. Guess Roland had plans for them, but then came sampling.....:( CEM's will probably be around for a while. New version starts at serial no. 511800. -- Ingar, Norway