Is it FATAL ??? My Akai AX 60 ... plugged in with plug conv

[computer__controlled]

hey guys first post here .. long time user of VSE .. love the work thats done here.. anyway..
heres my problem..
today i bought an AKAI AX 60 @ auction .. untested......
ok so i rush home keen as to try it out .. im in australia so it uses a different voltage to what we use here..
i used a plug converter to plug it in .. totally not thinking .. just blinded with excitement as its been a while since ive had a new toy.. anyways i am now aware those plug converters dont convert voltage.. and i think i plugged in the wrong slot anyway...
short and curly is it turned on and went zzzzzztt.... now the best part is did not smell any electrical burns or anything just the noise ... so i mopened her up and found this fuse blown...
is this all i have damaged and simply need to replace the fuse and get a step down transformer .. or may i have seriously fkt my new board upp beyond repair..
i added some photos for you to look at .. the fuse iin red is the blown one the others are fine....
anyways
thanks for any help peeps ..
there aint much info or repair info at all re this particular synth...
i hope it aint fatal or ill be kicking myself ...
peace C.C

[Stab Frenzy]

If you're really lucky just that fuse will have blown, but that's the mains fuse and it's rated at 250V so Australian mains won't blow it. Also if it's made for 110V power it'll be rated for twice the current as it would be for use in 240V countries, so it won't blow from the current. Chances are you'll blow one of the other fuses down the line after the transformer before the mains one, but if you're lucky someone will have replaced it with one that blows below 240V.

Check the other fuses with a multimeter as well, sometimes they'll blow and still look fine. There's a chance you might have blown a voltage regulator as well, hopefully that's the extent of the damage.

[computer__controlled]

hey stab ..
thx for the quick reply mate..
ok well the fuse thats at the front of the line the one i circled red ..
on the board where it sits it has printed 125v 1.25a.. the fuse i have pulled out of that slot says on it F3.15A 250V....
re checking the other fuses with a multimeter.. can you tell the process for doing so .. power off/on etc .. the synth has the american plug says on the back panel AC120V 60hz 26w .... what would the next steps i should take to diagnose whats happened here.. do i need to get me a step down transformer or something im at a loss as to what to do next..
thanks
c.c

[Stab Frenzy]

If you don't know what you're doing take it to a tech that does. Doing one thing wrong in there could kill you. Where abouts are you? There's a Sydney tech who posts on here from time to time, in Melbourne probably contact the Swop Shop in Carlton and they'll hook you up with someone.

[computer__controlled]

i am fairly familiar with electronics . ive bent a few machines on purpose , but i havent graduated to working on a machine which i payed substantial money for yet, .. just some help on where and what to do after i replace the fuse .. ill replace all of them.... and then should i be getting a step down transformer just to see if it will turn on again ...??
funds are tight and im wanting to learn more about how to diagnose these kinds of problems...

just some guidance would be appreciated..
, last thing i will do is go and grab hold of a live wire ... i like my life !!!
even if my synth is broken...
c.c

[sam]

You check the fuses with a multimeter....Does yours have a buzzer..? Is it a digital one..?

It looks like that synth was stored in a damp place.

Anyway you should be very careful when testing power supplies...Do you know anyone who has some more experience.

[computer__controlled]

no sam it dont have a buzzer on it... i got the synth at an auction house .. where it was b4 that who knows... yeah look if its any help i used to be a hardware technician and worked on computers so i am familiar with working on live boxes with mains power running through them.. i just have never done thos to one of my synths before so its a bit new ... ive been into circuit bending etc for a while but hey i am still learning .. um dont really know anyone else thts why i came here...
last resort shell out x amount to have someone tell me its screwed .. i just need to know what to check... where to check it etc ..
cheers
c.c

[cartesia]

have you tried just replacing the fuse?

that would be the first port of call.

[Mooger5]

There´s a VDR there. It´s the blue thing near the fuse. If it´s rated for the japanese line then it saw 240V as a constant spike and the inrush current was probably what caused the fuse to blow up first.
I´d disconnect the transformer secondaries from the power supply board before doing anything else. It´s the white connector with the five wires attached. Only after that I´d replace the fuse and power up with the step-down transformer. Then I´d check the voltages in the secondaries with the multimeter set for AC. If they match what´s in the service manual, it should work.

[computer__controlled]

anyone know where the service manual is for this board.. i can only find the operators manual...??

[Mooger5]

Well, I can´t find a free copy of the service manual either. I´m interested to know how Akai dealt with the voice chips... anyway seeing at that point the power is not yet rectified nor regulated, I think the voltages don´t need to be so specific as I might have suggested. My English is still a bit awkward, sorry. Well, the black wire is certainly for the zero volt tap. The blue wires for the 5V tap (for the digital circuitry) and the red wires for everything else, probably around 12-15V. Or vice-versa, but I bet the red wires are carrying the higher voltages, or currents. Set up your multimeter to read AC in the 20V range or so, put the black probe on the 0V tap and the red probe on each of the other taps. The readings should fluctuate randomly but the higher values should be close to those voltages. With black probe at black wire (0V), red probe at one of the blue wires should read a higher value of 5V. It should be near the same value for the other blue wire. Same procedure withe red wires. Each should read more or less the same values as the other.
Be careful when probing, don´t short anything, be aware of high-voltages, etc. You´ve made yourself clear about it but it´s always good to recommend. Also have in mind the above is what I´d do, but I´m not a tech. I´m sure others here can give the best advice.

Good luck

[computer__controlled]

wow very in depth mooger... quite appreciate your input , very helpful indeed...
Lets just say that they built them tough in the old days... new fuses and step down transformer .... for an untested , auction house synth its sounding great ,stays in tune, very aggresive filters on these things .. the kind of thing any virus Ti `s or whatever name dropping you wanna do you just cant emulate an analog filter like this (imho),
this thing is very bitey.has a very wide range of sonic ability ... reminds alot of my mates prophet-P1 etc nothing like a roland synth.... anyway its fixed,all is well and im one happy camper..
if anyone would like i could post a youtube of the thing in action as there does not seem to be many vids ive been able to find... anyway thx alot guys for your help... particulary you mooger , .. very helpful .. peace

[sam]

Well done the AX is a good if not unusual synth with a wicked filter and super fast lfo...

[Niijaooh]

if anyone would like i could post a youtube of the thing in action as there does not seem to be many vids ive been able to find...

Please do. Demos are always fun Also is yours a bit noisy even without chorus? I think the filter distorts to easily. I tend to turn off noise and then fade down the osc to get a more clean resonance.

[computer__controlled]

hi niijaooh
ill get some sounds up soon for you ...
yeah mine seems ok ... not overly noisy... the filter is great , very powerful and somewhat unusual but in a good way....i like it alot , one thing i want to ask you ... i just tried to sync the arp with my 707 .. no syncage ?? could net get it to work ??? does it not work with a roland trig ?? or have i missed something ??.. i know my trig on the 707 works cause ive just finished rocking out a jx-3p + 707 sequencer jive ...
im very dissapointed now was looking forward to getting some arpeggio action on the ax & 707 happening ...
god i miss my juno 6 !!!
re the AX filter distorting to easily.. ive found its a very fine line right in the middle of the cut off an res but there is really amazing sweet spots amongst the madness ....
it is indeed a very unusual synth ..
nice work akai ...