E-mu Emulator Sampler User Forum for the EIII EII EI and EIII XP

The guys at Forat seem to have a new kind of display backlight...
have you seen this?:

http://www.forat.com/service/##SP1200

I don't really get it though...

What is it you don't understand?
It's just a mordern LCD display with integraded backlight of LED (Light Emitting Diod).
The backlight is integrated with LCD display so to speak. It's not separated (well sort of) from the crystal display. Your can get one for about $12 from a electronic shop.
If you want to do the mod for your EII you need to do some changes to the voltage though since the new display require 5Vdc (straight) and the original LCD needs 100VAC @ 400Mhz from 5Vdc.
The price for the display -$175-  is not to consider overpriced since that's about what the electronics cost.
What is expensive is the voltage converter you need for the new display to work with your EII.

Sorry, there will be no mod to do for a 5V display, since you can pick the 5V at the converter input.
I used rather to take the same kind of display, take off the backlight wich is a separated device on its own, and put it on the old one.
This because its really a pain to unsolder that multiple data bus flat cable.

Well my EII display are broken (and not just the backlight) so I need to change the whole. I bought a new one with blue background and white text but I discovered that it didn't work. It 'flashed' very faded a short time and then 'died'. I discovered that the new display need both +5 and -5 voltage and the voltage regulator on EII don't deliver that kind of 5 voltage since it's connected to ground and oscillate. To solve that problem I think I need a voltage regulator that can change it to both + and - output and it cost about $40 - $50.

You're right dr.c: the flat data cable is a real pain to unsolder, I had to completely trash it! The plastic cover melted as soon as I startet to unsolder.

i have that display that forat is mentioning and forat did the work on my sp 12.

the display is a bit smaller then the typical sp 12 display.  But it looks pretty cool and is very bright.

My goodness.... what are you f... doing ?

Instead of buying a 60$ +5V to -5V converter, you can buy a 7905 reagulator wich changes voltages untill -35V to -5V, and it costs around 1 $

Get the documentation :

http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/L/M/7/9/LM7905CT.shtml (http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/L/M/7/9/LM7905CT.shtml)

Calm down dr.c your vein on your temple is about to burst! (just kidding)  ;) ;D

I haven't bought anything yet I'm looking around for a solution, so thanks for your advice/link.
Appreciated!

The problem is that I need to change +5V AND ground (GND) to +5V and -5V; not changing from +5 to -5.

Addendum: Sorry, got it. Forget the last sentence.

Sorry, I didn't want to be rough!!! Its just that I don't want you to destroy this machine.

Really, the best is to change to the SAME display, really, believe me, ok ?

It's okay dr.c, I like the way you express your self!  :D
Belive me I don't want to destroy my EII, I like it so much.
If I had to chose between my instruments it would be the EII that stays (hopefully that will never happen).


I belive you.  ;)

I've been tinkering with my newly aquired EII+ over the last few days and as well as fitting a 3.5" drive in the lower bay I've just successfully fitted an yellow LED backlit LCD module in place of the original display.   The results are wonderful - much better contrast ratio than the original - if you want to see my notes and a few piccies then follow the link:

http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=48114&p=514848

The disk drive was an old DSDD TEAC unit I found in the loft.  With the aid of an old drive, a drive bay convertor, a power adaptor lead and a 34 way IDC crimp header you can do this yourself for very little money.  You can use the original drive as a spare for the top drive.

That's awesome Hideaway!

Sadly my new LCD are of a different kind (not that much though), well the connections are a bit different compared to yours.
Here's what it looks like:

(http://www.kjell.com/content/media/images/items/90215.jpg)

WOW - sooo cool!

Listen, guys, what does all this mean ? I am a stranger, so its difficult for me by times.

Do you mean you have put a different display ?

Yes.
Not ONLY the backlit EL-type, but the whole display unit.
I need to checkout the technical spec's for my display to find out how and what are required to make it work.

(http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/download/file.php?id=473&mode=view/Dans_EII_NewDisplay2.jpg)

Yes, it's very charmy - good job!

why stop there?  get those old turd red LED's out of there.

i've seen the blue LED's and blue display on an EII and i was blown away.

that's what i want.   it looks totally tits

Its a beautifull job ! Congratulations !

If you look at the PCB on the panel, near the display, you will see two resistors. They are in series, one point to the +5V, the other to the ground, and the middle point to the display. If you put a small adjustable there at the place of te resistors, one side to the +5, etc... the cursor to the display, you will be able to adjust the contrast. It can be a 10k adkjustable.

I've seen that, too.
But I actually like the red LEDs more. As I like the original display colour more than that yellow display.
Well done anyway.

Wish I could do that...  ::)

Yup!! - Already bought the LEDs - I will fit them this weekend and will post a picture of the final results.   :)

Many thanks - I did wonder about an adjustable contrast but after running it for a couple of hours it really doesn't need it as the contrast seems to be stable and quite nicely setup as is.

"If it works, don't fix it !"

Hmmm I wouldn't always agree with that one - if I hadn't bothered to open my EII up I wouldn't have noticed the memory card half hanging out of it's socket, the burnt up 5V power connection, several screws just about to unwind and fall on the pcbs and the ominous bulging power supply caps!   The point is my EII works and I want to keep it working for many years   :)

Yes I must admit I do prefer the modern blue glass FTSN displays but the yellow one was kicking around in the attic - the cool blue display I fitted to both my TG and SY77 is awesome compaired to the old EL backlit one.  This is really a problem for me - I am lucky enough to own a ton of music gear BUT so much of it has older EL backlights which have failed one by one over the years - I've grown tired of replacing them and so one by one I'm finding modern LED backlit replacements for them.  The next on the list is my Wavestation A/D for which I've found a suitable LED equivalent - I just need to get round to fitting it.

The modern displays are SO much easier to read than the old EL ones - you can now read my TG77 display on the other side of the studio!

cool!

I fitted a full set of blue LEDs to go with the new LCD and it looks rather nice - as ever the pics don't really do it much justice  :)

It was not without it's surprises though... having put everything back together I discovered to my horror that there was no signal showing on the sample input/VU meter - I took the lid off and found the audio was going all the way back to the analog board as it should.  After taking the lid off for a second time I'd completely forgotten the unit was still plugged in and got 240 volt belt off the metal ring on the back of the rear panel fuse!! - Ouch!

It turned out that my EII was being a typical one - one of the chips wasn't properly seated in it's socket - I swear E-mu made EII more unreliable by making it so easy to service - all those socketed chips are a nightmare!!

cool!