I have tried several keyboards as MIDI controllers for the Model D with the Korg being the perfect match. Yes the Poly-800 front panel pitch bend range slider really does work with the Model D. I tried a Casio PX-5S 88-note velocity keyboard first. The pitch bend wheel bent the Model D a whole step ...

Some MIDI controller keyboards will allow you to adjust pitch bend range. I'm using an ancient Korg Poly-800 as a controller for my Model D. The pitch bend slider on the Poly-800 will adjust the bend range from zero to an octave up and down. A few pluses to using the Poly-800 as a controller are tha...

In the 80s you could usually get a pretty good discount on higher-end musical gear if you paid cash. I went to Guitar Center to buy a Jupiter 6. I offered $2700 cash out the door for a Jupiter 6, Anvil ATA case, and Ultimate Support 3-tier A-frame stand and they took it.

The Jupiter 6 with Europa has extensive Arpeggiator capabilities. Beginning on page 30 there are twelve pages of the Europa manual dedicated to Arpeggiator operation.

http://www.synthcom.com/Europa/support/ ... deV1.0.pdf

Consider the Vox Pathfinder 15R. Loud enough for rehearsals and has Tremolo and Spring Reverb.

Richie Close is credited with playing Prophet 5 on "Sunglasses".

I wasn't going to buy one of these but they lowered the price so much I couldn't resist. A Behringer Model D from Guitar Center for under $200 with the 15% off coupon code.

Roland S760's came along a few years later in the 90's. The S770 was very new in 1989 and wasn't widely available until 1990 so the 16-bit Roland S-series is not likely a possibility. If he used anything besides Yamaha, Fairlight, or Synclavier it could be an Emu, Akai, or Roland 12-bit sampler.

Howard had an association with Yamaha beginning in 1982 so he tended to favor Yamaha products. The only Yamaha sampler available around this time was the TX16W. He also could have had an SY77 or earlier DX/TX series gear. He was a big fan of KX88 MIDI controllers and owned several.

Hum can usually be eliminated by replacing the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply.

The Roland Go Keys is cheap with high quality sounds. No sound editing but has sampled sounds and some Synth sounds in mono mode. If you want something more versatile check out the Casio XW-P1. It has dedicated Synth, Organ, and Sampled sections all of which can be edited. A bit more money but look ...

Nord Stage 3 Compact. These things are so expensive but I finally got one of these after months of looking for a good deal. Found a perfect condition B-Stock unit for almost twelve hundred dollars less than A-Stock.

An experienced tech would have tested the unit to make sure it was working properly. I would take it back to him and have him track down the problem.

It seems Juno 6/60's are at about $1200 minimum asking price right now wherever you look. There is this Akai AX60 on CL for $700 and a couple on Reverb for a bit more. It is pretty much functionally equivalent to the Juno 6/60/106 but has VCO's, Split, Mono-Mode and Pitch/Mod Wheels.

The SY99 is better if you have the space.