Help replacing Internal Battery on KORG T2

[Sydney]

Hello all,

I am getting an error message on my KORG T2 Synthesizer (which I bought back in 1992~1993), and the message is "Internal Battery Low". After doing some investigation, I found out that it needs a new CR2032 Lithium Battery. However, I have no idea where it goes. I am assuming that I will have to open up the synthesizer, and am a little worried about doing this correctly so I don't hurt, break, or ruin the synthesizer. Any advise, precautions, step by step instructions, comments, etc.?? I would greatly appreciate any help.

Also, I'm wondering if once I replace the battery (assuming I do it successfully), will I still get all the same sounds that I had saved on the synthesizer before the battery went bad, or will the sounds default back to the original sounds that came with the synthesizer back when I first got it?

Thanks,
Sydney

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Syd:

I have a Yamaha DX7 and it too has an internal battery. But, because of some great luck or a super battery, mine has held up beyond belief. [knock on wood]

I don't know if your Korg is set up in a similar fashion, but, if I had to replace my battery, I'd lose the internal patches on the synthezer; however, I have a ROM which would put all of the originals back in after a new battery was installed. I would lose any patches that I created myself unless I wrote down the paremeters which I don't do.

I suggest you contact a Korg dealer and let them put in a new battery.

I once got a complete print out of how to replace the battery in my DX-7; after I read it, I threw it away because it is too involved for me to open up the DX-7 and de-solder and re-solder the contacts. Hence, I suggest you let a professional do it.

But, if your Korg is similar to my keyboard, you might lose the original patches but I'm not sure.

Green Hornet

 

[brzilian]

I have a Korg M1r and the battery was VERY easy to install. If you know how to the one on the motherboard on your computer, this should be a piece of cake. The battery iself is in its own little socket and you just pop the old one out.

The M1r was real easy because you pop the case off like you would on a computer and everything was right there - not sure about the T2 keyboard. I would imagine it involves un-screwing the bottom screws and opening up the case. Look around on the web - the procedure is prolly the same as the M1. http://www.synthzone.com would be a good start. You will loose all your internal memory though so back it up to the T2's floppy before you do anything. Older Korgs do not keep factory patches in ROM so when you change the battery everything will be INIT SOUND (I think just the piano waveform with no envelope, etc...)

I also have a DX7 and agree that it is a BITCH to change its battery. Somebody had the bright idea to solder it to the mainboard instead of using a socket/holder. I do find the way the DX7 opens up to be VERY cool. The whole front panel hinges back to provide access to the circuit board, etc...

 

[Sydney]

Thanks!

Hey thanks for the info Green Hornet and brzilian. I got up enough nerve to open it up and replace the battery- it was quite easy! Luckily there was no soldering or anything involved.

I did lose all of my programmed sounds the first time I received the "Internal Battery Low" message. From that point on, all the sounds read "Init Comb" or Init Prog". When I put in the new battery, I figured that the original default sounds would come back, but they did not! Man, luckily I had some sounds backed up on a disc, or I'd be creating sounds from scratch, which I do not have a talent for.

Anyway, one more question: do you know where I might be able to get some new sounds for my T2 (like on a disc or something)? I tried Korg tech-support but they are useless when it comes to the T series.

Thanks,
Sydney

 

[zadar]

hi sydney,

if you are looking for some additional programs for your t2 synth then have a look at the korg m1 programs. the t 1-3 series is compatible with the m1, so you can download thousands of m1 sounds from the web for free as sysex dumps.
the only restriction is, that you probably will find only few t2 combinations on the web. so for us t2 users the only way is to program the combinations ourselves.
i mainly use programs and not combinations so this is not really a restriction and let´s face it, a maximum of 16 voices in program mode is not really much and divided by the number of programs you use in a combination the maximal usable voices in a combi are mostly very few.
if you want some m1 sounds in sysex format send me mail.

regards
zadar

(trinkmara@beer.com)