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Roland W-30 Information

This is my little trove of technical information on the Roland W-30 Music Workstation.

Contents


Servicing and Modifications


All information in this section is provided as-is, without any warranty or guarantee. These are notes of my experiences with my instrument, and are provided for information only. These mods or changes should only be done if you're a competent engineer. Otherwise you might very well damage or destroy your W-30. You have been warned!!

What you will need is the Roland W-30 Service Manual (PDF, 5.6 MB) kindly supplied by Roland themselves.


Front Panel Buttons


The buttons on the W-30 front panel a little sub-mini tactile switches (6mm x 6mm, SPNO, 5mm height). The original ones are made by Alps (part no. SKQJAB010), but replacements are available from:

Supplier Order Code Estimated Price Manuf
Maplin (www.maplin.co.uk) KR89W 37p Unknown
Farnell (www.farnell.com) 535-916 21p Bourns 7906H-001-000 (datasheet)
Rapid (www.rapidelectronics.co.uk) 78-0605 14p MEC

W-30 Front Panel PCB with shiny new buttons

As there are 29 in total on the front panel; its probably worth replacing the entire set, mainly because of the hassle of getting to them (see below)!

It is possible to quickly test all the front panel buttons without booting up. Hold down F1 and F2 then turn-on. The W-30 will go into a hardware test mode, where you can test the RAM blocks (option F1), front panel buttons (option F2), and controllers (option F3). When you're done, either power-down, or hit F4 to reboot.


Power Connector Replacement


The standard power connector is that annoying Roland 2-pin connector (also found on the MKS-70). Fortunately, the panel cut-out is just the right size for a standard IEC 3-pin connector, as found on virtually everything else. Access is easy -- just remove the bottom panel (22 screws) and the two for the old connector. Remove the old shrink-wrap and unsolder the wires. Substitute in the new connector and wire up as the old one was. Remember the shrink-wrap!.

Now, what about the Earth? The instrument is supposedly double-insulated, but I find I do get a very mild, almost imperceptable, tingle off the front panel, most likely due to the switched-mode power supply filter capacitors. Which, funnily enough, goes away when you plug the synth into a mixer. Personally, I'd rather that earth current not go through my mixer, thank you very much. So, connect the earth pin to the chassis at the same point as the PSU earth point.

The picture below shows both these mods as done to my W-30. The new IEC 3-pin socket is seen bottom right, with the three leads coming off it covered in black heatshrink tube. The green/yellow earth lead snakes round and joins the chassis at the same earth tag as the PSU (top right).

W-30 Earth Lead Modification


Opening Up A W-30


In a word: grief. To get to the previously mentioned front panel buttons, virtually the entire instrument has to be taken apart -- both main PCBs and the keyboard mechanism must be removed in order to get to the front panel PCB. I'd allow an hour to reach it.

In case any screws are missing or get lost ("disappear" :-) while servicing your W-30, the majority of the internal screws are No.4 type B thread-forming screws, either 5/16" or 3/16" long, zinc plated (yellow) or chemically blackened (black). These should be available from any good hardware store.

The one or two exceptions are:

  • The PSU earth point screw;
  • The two screws holding the keyboard to the plastic fascia;
  • The screws holding the bottom panel to the chassis;
  • Two small screws on the front panel PCB.

Cleaning The Keyboard


As already described, the keyboard mechanism must be removed in order to get to the front panel PCB. So, what better time than now to give the keyboard a complete strip-down clean?

This is a standard Roland spongey conductive rubber keyboard mechanism. Each key presses down on a double-contact conductive rubber switch, pressing down onto a PCB with a diode matrix for scanning. Each plastic key is held in place by the return spring and the hinge, and a clear plastic strip, held on by double-sided sticky tape, stops the key falling out.

Carefully peel off the clear plastic strips and keep them safe. Then, using needle-nose pliers, remove the springs. Each key should then slide out, revealing the grey rubber contact. This just sits on the PCB, with locating lugs sitting in holes in the PCB. This should be carefully peeled off.

The PCBs can be cleaned with iso-propyl alcohol (IPA). Don't use switch cleaner as it leaves an oily residue behind. Use cotton-wool buds, dipped in alcohol, to wipe the contacts clean.

The conductive rubber should only be given a wipe with a dry cotton bud. The alcohol could attack the rubber or conductive coating, resulting in a damage to the switch.

The plastic keys can be given a thorough clean in warm, soapy water. Don't use abrasive cleaning agents on them though, or they'll loose their smooth polished surface.

Once everything is cleaned to your satisfaction, reassemble the keyboard, taking care to align the rubber strips with their respective PCB alignment holes. After the keys have been seated, the plastic strips should be reattached to the frame with fresh double-sided sticky tape.


Where to get bits


Some parts are tricky to find. Here are a list of companies that may be able to help.

I cannot vouch for these companies, only that the links may be useful


Copyright © 2001-2024 Neil Johnson