ChromaTalk Archives: June 2001
- Warranty Reimbursement Form (3 messages)
- Good news! (2)
- Chroma for sale for repair or parts.
- David Clarke's Chroma knobs in Keyboard & PowerOne Supply (6)
Warranty Reimbursement Form
Chris Ryan [21030691] · Sun, 3 Jun 2001 22:31:19 -0700
I've posted a scan of the Chroma warranty reimbursement form.
Thanks to Chris Now for providing the original.
While this may appear to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, I should have some interesting things to post in the coming months. I've received permission from the the current holders of rights to an obscure old British publication, Electronics & Music Maker, to post their Chroma review along with an article about the Chroma/computer interface; I'm currently waiting on an inter-library loan so I can get good quality scans. A couple of people are working on restoration articles. And the long-delayed Philip Dodds interview looks like it may finally be completed some time soon.
Dave Bradley [16330135] · Mon, 4 Jun 2001 18:59:25 -0500
This is not the Interface Manual, correct? Because I have a clean manual if that is what you need.
And the long-delayed Philip Dodds interview looks like it may finally be completed some time soon.
Very cool! I've been anticipating this for a long time.
Turns out it wasn't done until the spring of 2002 ...
Chris Ryan [21030691] · Mon, 4 Jun 2001 18:38:01 -0700
This is not the Interface Manual, correct? Because I have a clean manual if that is what you need.
No, it's an article describing the Apple II hardware and software. Erik Vellinga sent me scans of the article some time ago, but I am trying to get originals so I can do better quality scans of the pictures.
At some point in the future I'll probably get around to doing PDF versions of the manuals, including the Service Manual. I've got them all, including the Chroma Interface Manual and Program Printouts for factory sets 1-3 and 4 & 5.
Good news!
Paul Hackett-Evans [21010094] · Wed, 27 Jun 2001 02:14:08 +0100
Hi Chris and Chroma friends!
Just to let you know my Chroma restoration is about finished. It looks virtually new, shiny,gleaming and solid. Boy did THAT take some doing! There is still a little bit of work to do on the electronics so I'm taking it down to Roy Paynter's at the weekend for him to work his magic. Then the Chroma will resume pride of place in what will be a music room in my house. I've taken a lot of photos and now I can get writing for the website, (Eventually.....)
More good news - Do you remember the Chroma which I mentioned as having belonged to the Newcastle School Of Music here in the UK? It was the first one which I and my friend Peter Riani ever encountered back in 1983 when we were students there. (We left in 1987 ) The last weheard of it, it had developed a fault in the power supply some years ago and had been handed over to the College's Electronics department as a strip-down project for their students. We couldn't find any more info than that earlier in the year and we thought "our" old Chroma had been destroyed.
Never one to give up the faith, Pete has been making efforts to locate the Chroma (or what's left of it) for months and he finally got a result. A technician at the college said to him "Oh, yeah, that broken piano thing. Doesn't work. I don't know where it is, but we'rejustgoing to throw it in the rubbish skip if we find anything left of it." Pete persuaded the tech to look for it and afew weeks later, he got a call. He went to the College to find out what the tech had discovered. The Chroma was languishing in a walk-in cupboard together with various accessories (an Apple system interface which the College students used with the Chroma and a box which Pete thinks is a midi converter, plus some pedals, footswitches etc). The instrument was partially disassembled and covered in lots of old junk but the Tech and Pete searched around and Pete is fairly confident it's all there.
The tech had to formally write it off from the College's inventory. The rules say thatwritten-off equipment has to bedisposed of by being placed in the garbage skip, at which time the College has no further interest. So the Tech let Pete know where the skip was and exactly whenthe Chroma and its parts would be put in there, so that Pete could be ready to rescue it. When the time came, Pete helped the Tech put the Chroma in the skip and get the signature to certify disposal.
Then he got it straight back out of the skip, and drove home with it.
That wasTuesday, June 19, 2001 and Chroma no. 21010250 is now being restored by Roy Paynter and Pete, much as mine has been.
I know of a gent in the States who has a working and a non-working Chroma to sell for parts, we'll be in touch with him if we need anything for Pete's or my Chromas.
Pete and I will draft a history of his Chroma for the registry soon.
...and then we can start making music together again!
Best regards
Paul
Dave Bradley [16330135] · Tue, 26 Jun 2001 23:04:49 -0500
Congrats, Paul!
Speaking of Chroma pics, I have a gallery of pics up at my website of mostly analog synths I've gigged with over the years, with my Chroma rigs featured prominently. Here's a link:
http://www.hotrodmotm.com/gallery1.htm
Yes, I've included a link to Chris' great Chroma site!
Dave
Chroma for sale for repair or parts.
Eirikur Hallgrimsson [21030467+] · Wed, 27 Jun 2001 16:36:41 -0400
(Chris, you may post this to the ad section.)
I have a complete Chroma with everything except the power supply believed to be working. I was trying to fix the crash-on-boot problems and have simply burned myself out on it. The power supply blows fuses at present.
You get a complete Chroma, missing most case cover screws (it's been open for months). It comes in the flight case, but wrapped in plastic to avoid any further foam problems. The wooden case has some small areas of foam damage and a couple of scratches. There are a couple of keys that have a couple of tiny holes burned into them by some seventies excessive pyro (not me). No pedals at all come with the unit. Cosmetically and electrically all controls are in excellent shape, all knobs intact, etc. V1.4 firmware with, (thanks, Dave) the original V1.0 velocity curve table.
Arbitrary digital photos available (tell me what kind of shots you'd like).
I'll split the shipping. I'd like a bank check in advance (I have references on this list). I would have to have a shipper come pick it up here in Nashua, NH. The road case just doesn't fit in my car, period.
I would like to get $500.00 or $750 with the Syntech MIDI adapter, but I only have a few weeks to get it out of here.
David Clarke's Chroma knobs in Keyboard & PowerOne Supply
Christopher Now · Wed, 27 Jun 2001 13:45:54 -0700
Got the recent issue of Keyboard yesterday and immediately noticed a featurette on David Clarke's hardware Chroma controller with picture [see ChromaKnob at this site for more info]. Nice to see the Chroma mentioned once again, and David, when will you be offering a kit for this project? ;-)
I also wondered if anyone has a good source for the PowerOne supply that Don Tillman uses in his Nuclear Powered Chroma article?
Paul Hackett-Evans [21010094] · Wed, 27 Jun 2001 22:10:59 +0100
Chroma knob
Christopher,
What issue is that please? I'd be interested to see it, if it's available in the UK.
I agree with you, I'd love a hardware programmer for the Chroma.
The software editor which Mark David's developing looks like a "must-have" if Mark is intending to make it available to others. How about it, Mark, and how's it going, by the way?
Go to reply (July 2001)
Christopher Now · Wed, 27 Jun 2001 16:16:41 -0700
Re: Chroma knob
Paul -
It is the July issue of Keyboard magazine, and David's Chroma knob is on page 20, as "Keyboard of the Month" Gotta love that a synth that is nearly 20 years old is Keyboard of the Month!
Rob Vandivier [21030396] · Thu, 28 Jun 2001 03:16:18 -0400
I also wondered if anyone has a good source for the PowerOne supply that Don Tillman uses in his Nuclear Powered Chroma article?
Thanks check bobs synth repair shop in florida i found him in your repair page he came and picked up my chroma minus the case i havent heard from him in a while
David Clarke [21030085++] · Sat, 30 Jun 2001 15:56:55 -0400
Got the recent issue of Keyboard yesterday and immediately noticed a featurette on David Clarke's hardware Chroma controller with picture.
Yikes! I guess that means I should actually pick up a copy of the magazine :-> (I had sent a little note into them in July of 2000).
I also wondered if anyone has a good source for the PowerOne supply that Don Tillman uses in his Nuclear Powered Chroma article?
I believe Don used the Power-One MAP 80-4000. I see that it is in the Digi-Key catalog. While they're not always the most inexpensive place to buy they're usually pretty quick in shipping and do offer reliable over-the-web ordering.
Taking a quick look it appears that they've got 249 units currently in stock, at a list price of $169US (http://www.digikey.com/). You could also pick up any other little parts you needed there.
Don Tillman · Sat, 30 Jun 2001 13:34:29 -0700 (PDT)
It was a long time ago, but my memory is telling me that I bought the Power-One unit from Allied Electronics. These are pretty popular power supplies, so most serious electronics distributers should carry them.