TX816's Powersupply is singing.

[TRANSISTOR FACE]

So like yeah, I got hooked up with a decked out tx816 and qx1 sequencer for 125$... and they're both in pretty good condition. The qx1 had a floppy diskette melt inside the drive somehow... but I fixed that up and now it's pretty much as good as the day it came out of the box!

The tx816 needs a few batteries replaced but that's no biggy. The only real problem at this point is that I can't get the powersupply to stop singing! It just makes this crazy high-tone. Sometimes it doesnt for a bit... but it's getting harder and harder to have it keep quiet.

Are there any fixes I can do myself for this? I'm really strapped for cash and would reaaaally rather not have to pay the techs to do what I figure is a pretty standard fix.

Thanks!

[gmeredith]

The singing transformer is a known issue also with earlier TX81z's - I have 2 of them that get together and do harmonies

Does the tone also come out of the audio outputs? If so, it could be the power supply filter capacitors need replacing. This isn't a very difficult or expensive thing to do - you might even be able to do them yourself.

Check out the Yamaha Black Boxes forum - I think this thing has been discussed there before:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/yamahablackboxes/

If the noise is only physical - and not coming through the audio outs, then its's just a simple vibration issue.
In the TX81z service notes it mentions to service technicians to install a steel cover over the transformer, to prevent magnetic vibration of the steel chassis due to the transformer coils. You could probably do the same thing to your TX816 - it sounds like the same thing.

Cheers, graham

[TRANSISTOR FACE]

Thanks man! I'll definitely check out that website.

I don't know if it comes out from the outputs aswell... to be honest I havn't bothered to even plug it in yet. I'm thinking of just flipping it and making a few bucks... I already have a dx7 and am finding it hard to justify keeping the unit when I've still got some gear that needs to be fixed. but I won't lie, there's something appealing about having the FM power of 9Dx7s.

I'm also wondering if maybe it could be fun to make FM only tracks and use the qx1 sequencer as a dedicated sequencer only for the tx816. Make some really cool 80s stuff...

[minime123]

we just sold one of our tx816s which had a high pitch coming from the power supply section as well.
weve got 2 more at the moment. 1 is for sale but the other one is a keeper. next time i rearrange my studio, im going to add it to my setup as 8 x original DX7s in a 4 space rack is just too awesome to not put to use, period. a MIDI'ed korg polysix is another synth that will have to make its way into my setup as well. ive resisted for years but the time has come!
mini