- Joined
- Apr 7, 2020
- Messages
- 983
- Karma
- 792
- Website
- www.soundclick.com
- Gear owned
- 2488's, DP-32 & -008(ex)
MOD's: this is in the "DIY/REPAIR" category, even though it doesn't specifically refer to Tascam gear. Feel free to move it if appropriate.
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OK...turns out I'm just a liiiiiitle less stewpyd than I appear.
Have had several projects going lately where I was programming/assembling drum parts on my ZOOM "RT" series drum machines (I have several - LOVE 'em).
Had a very typical experience: sat there for hours writing out arrangements, programming the patterns, then assembling them into songs, for playback as a full track to be recorded onto the DP-32.
Then - I'd shut down, have dinner, then drool down my chin for a few hours watching reruns of "The Voice".
Then the horrifying experience of firing it up the next day to work with the stuff I'd done - and it was all GONE.
Now, anyone who's not as stewpyd as I am knows that MOST of this kind of gear has an internal battery that saves settings etc...I should KNOW this, having been through this remarkable experience lately.
In the case of these ZOOM units, it saves the drum kits you create, all their settings/volume/pan/etc, and of course the patterns & songs you create.
Well...my ZOOM units are not new...in fact, my first one (MRT-3b) is probably at LEAST 15-16 yrs old.
SO - it isn't surprising that the internal batteries in these have drained.
The ONLY way to retain what I programmed was to stuff 'em full of AA batteries, or leave it on the wall-wart and turned on 24/7. FLOCK that, right? I usually forget anyway.
SO - I opened one up and found that - sure 'nuff - there's a 2032 on the board, the kind with tabs that's soldered directly onto the board. Guess those designers didn't think the machines would be used long enough to drain it, or didn't care, or weren't authorized to go to the expense of putting a battery-holder on the board, so it could be replaced. "User serviceability" is the polar opposite of "limiting manufacturing costs", and not to mention rarely very high on mfgr's priority list.
I did a very careful disassembly (complete w/photos at each stage, to reassemble exactly); I unsoldered/removed the soldered-on battery, and replaced it with the little battery holder and a new 2032 battery. Carefully re-assembled. It now works like the day it was made, right down to the pad sensitivity and such...and of course now retains all my user-made drum-kits, patterns, songs, etc.
I've now done it to ALL THREE of my ZOOM RT's (MRT-3b, RT-123, and RT-234).
Gotta go lay down now - my head is so swollen, I can't stand up.
//////////////////////////////////
OK...turns out I'm just a liiiiiitle less stewpyd than I appear.
Have had several projects going lately where I was programming/assembling drum parts on my ZOOM "RT" series drum machines (I have several - LOVE 'em).
Had a very typical experience: sat there for hours writing out arrangements, programming the patterns, then assembling them into songs, for playback as a full track to be recorded onto the DP-32.
Then - I'd shut down, have dinner, then drool down my chin for a few hours watching reruns of "The Voice".
Then the horrifying experience of firing it up the next day to work with the stuff I'd done - and it was all GONE.
Now, anyone who's not as stewpyd as I am knows that MOST of this kind of gear has an internal battery that saves settings etc...I should KNOW this, having been through this remarkable experience lately.
In the case of these ZOOM units, it saves the drum kits you create, all their settings/volume/pan/etc, and of course the patterns & songs you create.
Well...my ZOOM units are not new...in fact, my first one (MRT-3b) is probably at LEAST 15-16 yrs old.
SO - it isn't surprising that the internal batteries in these have drained.
The ONLY way to retain what I programmed was to stuff 'em full of AA batteries, or leave it on the wall-wart and turned on 24/7. FLOCK that, right? I usually forget anyway.
SO - I opened one up and found that - sure 'nuff - there's a 2032 on the board, the kind with tabs that's soldered directly onto the board. Guess those designers didn't think the machines would be used long enough to drain it, or didn't care, or weren't authorized to go to the expense of putting a battery-holder on the board, so it could be replaced. "User serviceability" is the polar opposite of "limiting manufacturing costs", and not to mention rarely very high on mfgr's priority list.
I did a very careful disassembly (complete w/photos at each stage, to reassemble exactly); I unsoldered/removed the soldered-on battery, and replaced it with the little battery holder and a new 2032 battery. Carefully re-assembled. It now works like the day it was made, right down to the pad sensitivity and such...and of course now retains all my user-made drum-kits, patterns, songs, etc.
I've now done it to ALL THREE of my ZOOM RT's (MRT-3b, RT-123, and RT-234).
Gotta go lay down now - my head is so swollen, I can't stand up.
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), you try following the manual instructions, typically "navigate the menus to get to the display settings, scroll down to the contrast then press + or - to adjust"... that's when the catch-22 sinks in. You need to be able to do this blindfold, so before you start, note the exact button sequence and if there's any scrolling involved, how many times to press the cursor buttons.
