Vintage Synth Explorer Forums

Hi there!
I need to replace pots on my PRO-ONE monosynth. Have anybody done it before, what type of pots you used, and where to buy them???

Thanks a lot
Andrew

Try Wine Country.

Before changing them, you can try to clean them. Deoxit (from Caig) does a great job. MG Chemicals contact cleaner is very good too.

If it fails, all you need are 100K linear potentiometers (if I'm not mistaken). Available at every good places selling electronic parts, like Digikey.com, Mouser.com, etc. Less expensive than Wine Country.

Check the value printed on your pots. You'll know exactly what you need. The value is usually printed underneath the pot.

Maschinengeist wrote:Before changing them, you can try to clean them. Deoxit (from Caig) does a great job. MG Chemicals contact cleaner is very good too.

If it fails, all you need are 100K linear potentiometers (if I'm not mistaken). Available at every good places selling electronic parts, like Digikey.com, Mouser.com, etc. Less expensive than Wine Country.

Check the value printed on your pots. You'll know exactly what you need. The value is usually printed underneath the pot.

i haven't found a good online resource explaining how exactly to clean pots- both sliders & turn. also, how standardized have the sizes been over the years?

The sizes remained constant as far as I can tell. Sometimes a slide pot has an odd dimension but it's rare (and usually customized).

There are a few methods to clean them.

The fastest is to spray special cleaner inside it. Recommended: fast dry, no residus. This method doesn't require you to dismantled the synth and desolder anything. Do not use any cleaner or contact cleaner. Seek specialized one like Deoxit for best result. That are just for that. And no need to apply a lot. Best to this is more than one instead of a big shot.

The pro (and long one) is to desolder the pots, dismantled them in pieces, clean them all with a Q-tip and denaturalized alcohol.

There are others but I'd like to keep a few secrets to myself

Definitely follow Maschinengeist's advice, he's a professional tech and knows exactly what he's talking about. However, if for whatever reason you need to go with Wine Country, I cantell you the service was satisfactory.

I got a fixer-upper Pro-One that needed key bushings (dont get these from WC!!! their price is ridiculous!) and also had a pot with a busted-off shaft and (obviously) missing knob. I ordered an OEM replacement pot and knob from WC and it came quickly all the way from the other coast and was just the right stuff. Easy solder-in replacement and let me clean the board really well while I was in there. The end panels had some kind of tape residue all over them but I sanded them down to bare wood and refinished and they look nice now. I also replaced the power cord since the old one was decomposing and cracking. It's still got a busted and glued-together key that needs replacement but it's not a priority.

Hi there!

What about contact cleaner, it ofcourse can solve a good jub, but what about quality - I hate this pots, they are not smooth. Some of them working good, but some of them sways and have cracking noise!

I'll be very happy to find some metal pots that'll fit correctly into pcb, also it'll be good to mount this pots with nuts onto pannel.
It'll be great to buy black finnished ALU caps from mouser:)

ALSO have an idea to replace slide switches onto toggle swithes, with black & flat tongue.

but I cant find it - maybe you can help me with my idea???

also

TUNE , and two PW knobs ahould have center detune!!!!
And 2 OCTAVE switching knobs, should be replaced also, thay're so hard while switching.

So my mods will bring new life onto my pro-one.

Also it's possible to put two white leds under pitch and mod wheels - and it'll looks like MOOG Voyager:)

If somebody know or have some practical thoughts about it- please answer - will be very thank full to you!!!!

Andrew