EII Owners: Reliability issues - The Horrible Truth

[HideawayStudio]

Having owned an EII+ for some time now and restored it to full health one it's become obivous to me that, rather ironically, most of EII's realiability issues are due to the very design feature that was supposed to make this beast serviceable...

If you have a look inside EII you will notice that -EVERY- chip (and there are over 300 of them!) is socketed. Where this might have seemed like a good idea at the time it was a disaster as, with time, these low grade sockets oxidise and develop poor connections. It's one thing having a few dry solder joints to deal with - it's another having over 5000 potentially poor connections. This is why, if your EII starts to play up, it's by far most likely that one of the chips needs to be reseated in it's socket.

The problem is made worse by the fact that the two main pcbs in EII are huge and cover 75% of the large metal base plate. These pcbs are rigidly mounted to this plate and thus when EII flexes so do the pcbs. This is why EII can often fail after being moved.

My EII recently developed a fault - after moving it the sample input signal failed (which -really- upset me!). I tracked the problem down to an IC in the ADC stages which needed to be removed, sprayed with contact cleaner and reseated in it's socket.

With lord knows how many hundred chips in this beast it's no wonder they have a reputation for being a bit flakey.

If E-mu had chosen turned pin sockets - it would have been a very different story.... it also would have been several hundred dollars more expensive! (as if $10,000 wasn't enough)

Our EII's are now well over 20 years old - in damp climates the pins on these sockets will look like they've been residing on the bottom of the sea - so get your contact cleaner at the ready and pray 

EII's SEA OF IC SOCKETS:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/download/file.php?id=634&mode=view/EII_ChipSocketsGalore.jpg

[Elmbeatz]

Yeah, been there...

[PFM]

I'm seriously considering to send a multicore cable out of my EII chassis and into a 19" rack unit, where the PSU, boards and drives would reside (a bit like a DPX1). The "only" thing going between the EII and the rack would be the keyboard connection and all the controls / buttons / wheels. It's a big venture, but very tempting. It would also probably shave a little weight off the EII beast. That PSU balancing over the analogue board has always bothered me...

[Elmbeatz]

Cool Idea!

have you seen this?:

[dr.c]

Shit !!! This IS something !!!

Congratulations !!!!!

[Elmbeatz]

Well it's NOT mine!!!!

I wish it was mine though...

[dr.c]

Is it Mr Spock's one, or what ?

[Elmbeatz]

 

I don't know.
It's from the photo section of the EII yahoo group.

[rokuez]

Elm that image is gnarly

I'm guessing Armend from NYC did that. I saw a Juno 106
that he racked along with a sp1200

[dr.c]

I will scan ASAP pictures of an EMAX II in an attche case.

[Elmbeatz]

....
that he racked along with a sp1200

 

PICS!!!

[Elmbeatz]

Okay, found it myself:



I L L ! ! !

EDIT: I attached the image, it was gone...

[HideawayStudio]

For christ sakes guys!  PLEASE DON'T DO A DELORIAN DMC-1 into a BTTF Car conversion job on what's left in the field - these instruments are becoming rare (only 3000 were ever made - and MUCH less than this exist now) - they are now of some historical value.

I am seeing this with my Novachord which is now extremely rare as so many went to the dumpster - terrible considering it was the FIRST polyphonic synth designed in 1937 (it contains 163 valves!) and only 1069 were ever made in the first place!

Surely it is our responsibility to keep as many of these wonderful samplers in as near original state as possible, not chop them up and rack them or even spray them black....

Do a cut and shut on your EII and you WILL regret it in 10 years time!

[Syncla]

Hi Guys,

this E II+ Rack was for sale a few years ago. If i´d had the money (should cost 1200,-€ at this time) i´ve had bought this. I´m looking for the rest of the pics, are somewhere on one of the many HD´s.

best wishes

Syncla

[rokuez]

I am seeing this with my Novachord which is now extremely rare as so many went to the dumpster - terrible considering it was the FIRST polyphonic synth designed in 1937 (it contains 163 valves!) and only 1069 were ever made in the first place!

Surely it is our responsibility to keep as many of these wonderful samplers in as near original state as possible, not chop them up and rack them or even spray them black....

Do a cut and shut on your EII and you WILL regret it in 10 years time!

I can't beleive you have a novachord that thing is soooo coool


pic of racked juno 106