E-MU EMULATOR II+ Work Log

[AlphaC]

Hi there
This thread will be about my attempt to resurrect this old synth/sampler.
I bought it in non working condition. It looks like its been a victim of a basement flood or something similar. There is lots of mud, dirt and corrosion inside, but all the bits are there.
Any tips, tricks or suggestions are welcome

Some initial pix.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_DrMxZ88sqqRT2B-KiuBgLDs_JE3Eh2m
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1i_qBZEp53Tv0uKt9MaCymYa1NGNCgEGU
https://drive.google.com/open?id=10R_R8raHL9rMo18BETVi-fGmMAVSFBsv
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1U22gKTMRAyhKi4JAkC4CHsNP0WdwVxzJ
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cQfshVSOrrwSyxjh7HdQeNgSVXltFK2n
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X2CZlV-Yl6MIs_UkfRx4mfdN0F1QuoMQ


AlphaC

[Yekuku]

Yikes! Man this is mission impossible!
Before touching the electronics with bare hands you should clean the h**l out of it, I would not be surprised if rodents were partying inside it.
Also dont use ultrasonic cleaner as it can kill vintage parts, remove all socketed ICs and give the pcbs a good wash .
These cheapo DIP14 sockets tend to keep moisture , so make sure you have dried them up thoroughly .
Vintage pots and trimmers dont like washing, isopropyl alchohol is better for cleaning these parts.
Good luck man and let us know how it goes !

[AlphaC]

Yeah yikes indeed. Well the wiring loom have chew marks so rodents have been there. So far I have sandblasted the steel bottom and painted it. The top part has been scrubbed well with a toothbrush. I'm making a new wiring loom with slightly larger size wire. All the pots and sliders are new as they were too far gone to be cleaned. Working on the digital board and the left/right panel boards at the moment.






AlphaC

[Yekuku]

Man you paint like a pro , is this a spray job ?
Lately I have discovered the fiber glass eraser pens, they are great for removing corrosion from pcbs, connectors etc
I use this one:


What issues have you discovered concerning the electronics so far ?

[AlphaC]

Thanks Yekuku for your input. The digital board went into the ultrasonic cleaner aaaaand the chips oops lets hope they survived the ordeal
I have opted for replacing all the corroded dip sockets just to be sure they make good contact.



Work in progress - New jacks and midi connectors.

AlphaC

[AlphaC]

No pro spray work here just rattle can's. Etch primer - satin black - 2k clearcoat. It sure looks better than rust =)
I have one of those fiber pens in my ebay cart will order in next round
I have yet to power it up, I need to finish the wiring loom and power supply's before I can check for electrical gremlins.

AlphaC

[AlphaC]

Pulled another 12 dull and green sockets today, but ran out of 18 pin dip sockets

[Reginator]

Hi AlphaC,

Nice work so far on resurrecting your EII+. You've done a lot of work and it looking great. I have a new cleaner in my arsenal by MG Chemicals called Safety Wash II. It does the job and it's safe! I recently used it on a Casio CZ-101 that I brought back to life.

I also did major surgery to my newly acquired EII+HD from a fellow member: added a USB port (Emuser), removed the hard drive and all the SCSI components, burned some EPROMS, installed a Floppy Emulator drive, repaired a broken key, cleaned every button contact, replaced the LEDs with new colors. I love impossible tasks!

[AlphaC]

Hi Reginator thank you for your kind words!
Your EMU looks like a minter. I do plan to add a Emuser and a floppy emulator when I see signs of life.
I have a bottle of flux and watermark remover ready for the final wash in the ultrasonic. That paste flux gets so nasty sticky when it cools down

Left panel before refurb.



Left and right after replacing all the switches, pots and sliders. I have a new display incoming.






AlphaC

[Reginator]

Keep going AlphaC! Soon you'll cross the finish line!

[AlphaC]

Keep going AlphaC! Soon you'll cross the finish line!

Thanks!

Do anyone have an image of the scanner disk for setting up the wheels?

AiphaC

[Reginator]

Do anyone have an image of the scanner disk for setting up the wheels?

AiphaC

The yahoo Emulator II group has a lot of files. That's where I got the binaries to burn my EPROMS. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/emu ... -list/info

Also there is a forum dedicated to all Emulator versions, and you can get expert help. http://eiiiforum.com

Note to Mods: please delete the links if this is not appropriate.

[AlphaC]

Do anyone have an image of the scanner disk for setting up the wheels?

AiphaC

The yahoo Emulator II group has a lot of files. That's where I got the binaries to burn my EPROMS. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/emu ... -list/info

Also there is a forum dedicated to all Emulator versions, and you can get expert help. http://eiiiforum.com

Note to Mods: please delete the links if this is not appropriate.

Thanks Reginator. I will check out the Yahoo group. I am a member of the eiiiforum, no hits there as of yet.

AlphaC

[AlphaC]

New cable harness made.

Old.


New.


AlphaC

[AlphaC]

More crustiness =)

Old wonky wheels with a hint of rodent activity.







Slightly tidier.





Next up is the a new harness.

AlphaC