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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

927.0. "Korg PolySix MIDI Retrofit (Upgrade)" by AQUA::ROST (You used me for an ashtray heart) Wed Sep 02 1987 09:29

    
    The new issue of Electronic Musician has a review of a Korg factory
    upgrade for the Polysix keyboard to make it MIDI.
    
    Apparently you also get 120 patch memory (upgraded from 32 patches)
    and the arpeggiator can be synced to MIDI clock.
    
    Cost is $395, wasn't sure if that included installation at a Korg
    service center or not.
    
    Are there really that many Polysix lovers out there????
    
    
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927.1New lives for old synths?AITG::ARNOLDCurrently at Brown UniversityWed Sep 02 1987 15:1510
    Thanks for posting .0   I'd stopped asking for a PolySix MIDI upgrade
    a long time ago.  I just figured that it would never happen.
    
    Will the upgrade allow such things as SysEx programming of the PolySix
    internals?  Will incoming velocity information be used or ignored?
    
    Until I get my hands on a copy, any additional insight will be
    appreciated.
    
    - John -
927.2Would appreciate more if you're still watchingFROST::HARRIMANbzzzzzzzzztTHWACK!hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmWed Sep 30 1987 23:446
    
    I, too, would appreciate more info. I had read of a company called
    "miditech" who was marketing an install-it-yourself retrofit MIDI
    interface for a Polysix, however they want $250 and they're in Canada.
    
    /pjh
927.3Better late than never?AITG::ARNOLDJohn E. Arnold | DLB5-2/B10 | 291-8011Thu Dec 31 1987 16:1437
    Sorry for the long delay (since Sept. 30!).  I've been busy with
    school, my wife jad a baby in late September, the list of excuses
    goes on and on.  (I haven't even gotten around to getting a copy
    of COMMUSIC II yet.)
    
    I got the PolySix MIDI upgrade in October via Union Music in Worcester,
    MA for $395 installed.  They seem to have done a good job installing
    it and the design has added a lot of features.  
    
    One thing I should mention is that Union Music claimed that the
    upgrade took a lot longer to perform than Korg leads dealers to
    believe.  At first, the person who wrote up the repair tag had listed
    the price of the Upgrade Kit separately from the labor charges.
    (This was because Korg said the upgrade should take about an hour
    and took something like 4 or 6 hours!).  Needless to say, the total
    came to more than the $395 installation included price mentioned
    in the review in Electronic Musician.  I mentioned this to the
    salesperson with whom I had dealt (Charlie) and showed him that
    it was publicized as $395 including installation.  So, I ended up
    paying the $395 and they were going to try to figure out why Korg
    thought they should be able to do it quicker.
    
    So, my suggestion is to get the price FIRM before ordering the upgrade
    to make sure the place that does the work doesn't try to charge
    you more that the $395.  (Of course, if Korg has raised the suggested
    retail price, this strategy may not work.)
    
    If anyone needs more details, I'll try to bring in the new Owner's
    Manual that comes with the upgrade and find answers.  I'm very pleased
    with the upgrade and now use my MIDI-retrofit Yamaha PF-15 to play
    the PolySix without any problems.
    
    Like Craig Anderton, I'd give the upgrade high ratings (though it
    is a bit pricy if you aren't trying to recoup some investment in
    a machine that no longer gets much use.)
    
    - John -