PolyEvolver PE Upgrade
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- Just a quick video on the topic of the PE kit upgrade for Dave Smith's wonderful Poly Evolver. Also, a bit of a moan about rotary encoders and the seemingly short-term attitude of many manufacturers when it comes to their choice of these components....
Funny though the desktop Evolvers have encoders and don't have this problem. I haven't had to use a drop of deoxit in the 5 years since owning mine. Poly Evolver is hands down probably the best synth. It's become a Holy Grail of sorts. Well worth the upgrade.
I replaced the rotary encoders on mine about 10 years ago with some higher quality ALPS ones. The PEK has been working flawlessly ever since after that "upgrade", at a fraction of the cost of the conversion kit. Plus, I still have the encoder's functionality of picking up the values from right where they were. What I want to say is that rotary encoders are not inherently bad, it's the bad quality / low cost ones that ruin their reputation.
Did the same with my Mono Keyboard..
Do you happen to have a part number for those ALPS encoders? I never wanted to spend the huge price for the upgrade kit, and mine has sat gathering dust for years now because the encoders are so annoying.
@@deastman2 I did the same on my PEK, asked for this 12 years ago to DSI support and it cost me only the shipping (from France), they swapped them for free on a 1 week delay, what a great cutomer support it was. It works flawlessly since then. May be you should contact them to know if they still have ALPs detended encoders left.
@@deastman2 Yes, I think that was EC12E2420801, they are still available from Mouser and others.
@@boogibop2172Awesome, thanks!
I managed to buy one of the last Potentiometer editions about 10 or more years ago and shortly after found a 4-voice rack. Probably the best sounding synths I've ever owned and that inlcudes a CS80.
Only advice here Tim is, try to avoid vacuuming, the nylon hoses can have static which could mean bad things to any ROM/RAM modules onboard if there is a discharge. Maybe compressed air or the ole paint brush would be safer.
PE is the predecessor of the Tempest. Both amazing bits of kit.
Yours now looks like it came fresh from the factory, stellar job and HNY.
Good job Tim, I believe it is definitely worth it. The Evolver series were so ahead of their time and still sound great (with some external effects even better). I managed to purchase a mono Evolver keyboard / display conversion kit directly from Sequential a few years ago. Also was a breeze to replace, very happy with the kit. I managed to combining my MEK and my old Evolver desktop. I do not have to touch the desktop at all anymore, which is great.
I've got the PE version of the Mono Keyboard. LOVE it.
I had a blofeld.... encoders broke after a few weeks (from new) Sent it back
Got another a few years later. Same thing. Got rid. never again
I once said I would watch any video you make because it's entertaining, and I'm still right. I don't have an Evolver at all. Sequential has always had great designs, Ive been inside a VS that I sold and it was a breeze. I'll see how I feel after I open my 2000 though 😂
Happy New Year Tim! I hope the PE finds its way into your compositions.
Great synth. I had the rack and the PEK.... the original encoders failed a few times... DSI sent me deoxit but it went again about a year later so I went for the analogue pots and had no issues whatsoever...
Luckily i got one of the last encoder kits for the MEK. Didn't touch it for years and felt like i had a new synth, on the downside i'm still kind of pissed at DSI for even releasing synths with such bad quality, it's not that this issue came up after a few decades of heavy use.
All those AD DSPs and red PCB immediately made me think of Gravis Ultrasound... Great curation Tim, I'm sure it will pay off soon.
Good job. Enjoy 😀
Nice video Tim, very interesting informative 👍🏻
I bought the PolyEvolver keyboard when it came out. I’ve got serial #14. I did the pot upgrade and knob upgrade since the old ones got gummy. It’s been at least 10 years since I upgraded the pots and the encoders on the new board are still good. It’s an amazing synth that drew a lot of hate when it was new because it wasn’t a prophet 5 and that’s all anyone wanted from Dave smith. I’m glad it’s found a second life as it’s getting older.
Also…check reverb. The prices on them have been going through the roof the last year or so. It’s a bit bonkers.
Ive had a rather positive experience with the encoders on my DSI Mopho though. It's probably 15 years old by now. But I guess I got lucky.
I think a lot of the encoders from DSI products from this period have this encoder issue. My Rev 2 feels more well built compared to the Prophet 08 that preceded it
DSI definitely had a problem with the P08, enough of a problem for them to go public with it. But that said they do intimate it was an isolated incident...
sequential.com/note-dave-concerning-encoder-issues/
It's an interesting statement from Dave Smith, he clearly believed in the merits of encoders over pots from the point of designer/engineer.
The rotary encoder on our car radio does that - thankfully we have volume up/down buttons on the steering wheel. It's a pity they crap out so much quicker than humble potentiometers!
I have a desktop Evolver with no rotary encoder failures yet. Fluke or systematic difference, I'm wondering. Likely the same encoders were used.
I have a PEK sitting in my living room but yeah, the encoders are totally wonky. I was back at the DSI / Sequential studio last month, but no luck on finding a conversation kit. Meanwhile, my MEK PE version has never had any issues.
That's odd that your filter knob still appears to be an encoder (?). Mine is definitely a potentiometer.
I guess I got lucky I had a polyevolver and it was genuinely mint, never had encoder issue. Unfortunately & I know I seem to be in minority, but it’s the one synth I just didn’t like and I was glad to move it on...on paper it seemed perfect (& there was a lot to like) but I just didn’t like it’s basic sound 😮really hated its digital aliasing )- (& I love digital synths😀). Glad you seem to like yours so much!
I bought one of the last kits from Thomann, it came broken and send it to California and they send another and it was broken!
So Carson send another and it works great.
There is a threat in gearslutz that about the encoders problem with the part number to replace the encoders from Alps.
I wish I could find a kit for my Prophet08 but alas.. Sequential says to solder new stepped encoders on it..
I have a newer Blofeld ( I think they did put better quality encoders in the later models ) and the encoders are fine but for how long?
any info on where to find the conversion kit? I'm in the market for a PE and it'll be nice to have a kit on standby
I also can't understand why encoders have to break. There are wear-free and fail-safe optical and magnetic encoders.
Yes but those ones cost more. It's all about short term economics at the end of the day 😕
Know of any other conversion kits out there?
Took me ten years to replace all the wonky encoders on my DSI mono Evolver keyboard.
For how much EURO or USD dit you sell it?
Did it solve your problem?
Yes absolutely. It is as good as new now 🙏
Yup. Rotary encoders. Hate em. It’s enough to make one go fully vst
Well, let's not go that far. 😉
Putting the encoders on without checking if they have a line on them or blank, has made my OCD radar collapse. How can you live with yourself 😬
Haha. I actually fitted the endless encoder caps first, potentiometers second, so you can hopefully sleep well at night now! 😂
@@TimShoebridge 😅👍🏻
Let me tell you about the encoders of my MoPhO 👎🏼