Re: Got out the old K5 again....Inverters

Here is a link to a post I made a few years back.  I got an inverter 
from DigiKey per the link.  My backlight and inverter still work 
great and the inverter makes almost no noise.

http://www.kfuenf.org/en/k5_hackpage.html

--- In [email protected], "gdarceyclmg" <gdarcey@...> wrote:
>
> I'm not familiar with the Flatlite EL stuff. Can it be cut to size 
or is it something that is 
> filled with "glowing stuff" that if you cut it, it pours out?
> 
> Thanks for the tip on the resistor values. I'll go a bit lower. 
Changing the gain 3 times did 
> seem a bit drastic too me. 
> 
> Any ideas and sources for good replacement invertors that don't 
whine as much?
> 
> 
> 
> --- In [email protected], "Antoine Deschênes" <antdes45@> 
wrote:
> >
> > 2007/7/26, gdarceyclmg <gdarcey@>:
> > >
> > > I have had my K5 stored in the garage for the last 6 years.
> > > The last time I used it, it's LCD was getting dim and it 
aliased a ton and
> > > didn't have much
> > > output.
> > > I did have the K5 editor from Dr. T though. Too bad I threw out 
the Atari
> > > computer years
> > > ago.
> > >
> > > I dug it out tonight, hooked it into my MIDI interface and 
played with it
> > > a bit.
> > >
> > > The factory presets are pretty lame. I'd love to hear some 
others.
> > 
> > 
> > There are some in the files section of the group, but I already 
heard some
> > K5 MP3s that had much better sounds than the sounds I can find.
> > 
> > I have Sound Quest XL and it seems to work well with the K5. 
Editing the
> > > partials could be
> > > better but it's not horrible.
> > >
> > > I find that using individual out 1 is better than the mix out 
and when I
> > > run it through my
> > > SE70 effects unit and my secret stereo space reverberator, it 
sounds
> > > pretty good. It layers
> > > great with my Waldorf Microwave XT.
> > 
> > 
> > Am I the only one that doesn't hear any difference between Mix 
and 1? I know
> > I modded things a bit... Maybe that's related, or maybe some 
parts produce
> > so much noise that I don't hear the opamp noise anymore...
> > 
> > I plan on making some ambient pads which I think this will excel 
at.
> > 
> > 
> > Yep, it's pretty good at these.
> > 
> > I also used it with my Akai EWI4000s wind controller and it 
worked very well
> > > with it.
> > > Layering it with the EWI's VA synth made a nice contrast.
> > >
> > > I'm going to do the resistor mod this weekend and need to 
source a
> > > backlight and check
> > > the inverter.
> > 
> > 
> > You could do the mod with <147k resistors. 147kOhm is too high 
for mine, the
> > gain jumps high in the highest 10% of the slider and the opamps 
clip.
> > 
> > Well, the backlight... There are synth service stores which would 
sell it to
> > you for about $30-$40, but I found the FLATLITE EL rolls for 
$12/foot if I
> > remember correctly.
> > A group buy would let us save more money than just buying a foot 
per person
> > from the same store, but I'm probably not going to be the one 
buying the
> > roll since I don't have the money for this.
> > 
> > If the K5 whines as usual, the inverter is OK, but if not, it's 
probably
> > dead. You can check the PSU board solders, sometimes it's just 
that.
> > Resoldering the whole PSU board solved for me a huge hum problem 
in the
> > headphones jack and reduced the overall noise in the synth.
> > 
> > Anyone have any nice sound examples and presets?
> > 
> > 
> > Not right now, I'll load them from the K5 I don't have with me 
right now.
> > 
> > 
> > Antoine
> >
>