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HI. Sorry if the video does not make it clear rethe number of banks of 32 patches if using the Grey Matter expansion. It may be worth viewing the beginning part of the video again which may clarify for you. Thanks for viewing.

Hi. I used 'Maxell Data Cassette' "DC-300". A data cassette is not the same as an audio cassette although it is the same physical size. The main thing is the MTR100 uses 'Data Cassettes'. I expect other manufacturers produced 'Data Cassettes'. I believe it may be possible to locate new 'old stock' if required.

@@ActiveInventories Hello again thanks very much for the info , i have just managed to get hold of an MTR 100 and it`s coming from the USA , also i have the rest of the kit, its only took around 40 years to get :} Sheffield my old home town , born and bred :} used to go in the Old Limit club on west street , saw all the main late 70`s 80`s acts there ,great days :}

Congratulations on getting all the kit. I am sure it will not disappoint. As a tip. Make sure you regularly keep pressing all the keys (to stop gunk forming on the contacts and not making a connection). If not you will eventually have to clean the button contacts which is a pain. (I used played in Sheffield may times in the 60's. Mojo club, Black Swan, City Hall etc. Bit before your time. Good luck with your MC4 project. Did you get hold of the original brochure (marketing sheets etc)? @@MAXERNEST

@@ActiveInventories Hello again most of the vintage stuff now is or was for the home Japanese market ,my MC 4B is an 100 volt model to have to use a step down transformer for it, the MTR 100 is US 120 volt yes i have another transformer, and just got hold of a OP 8 M the midi version super rare cost me a bomb but got that from europe so ok :} i have the old Roland Catalogues with them in :} Electronics and music maker and most of the music press did reviews ,i have one from January 1983 , the cash price then is now about 10k equivalent :} in todays costs I did not live far from the MOJO club it was Peter Stringfellows place? my older friends who were your era saw the Beatles there, i did not go out till just after the Fiesta club closed . so i missed chicken in a basket :} Black swans nickname was The Mucky Duck :}

Hi. Did you locate 'Maxell Data Cassette' "DC-300". data cassettes. (For use in MTR 100. If not I have found one in my music accessories kit.. If you are interested please let me know. Thanks, Tony.. P@@MAXERNEST

Thanks for the comment. I am pleased my video helped. I have visited the video you linked. Very interesting and enjoyable..

Thank you for your positive comment.

HI. The recorder has now been sold.

I am in Sheffield. UK. I have now sold the recorder but I am keeping the video up in case it interests people into reel to reel tape recorders.

@@ActiveInventories thanks for that.shame I quite fancied it!

Yes. Every few years especially if the MC4 has not been used regularly. The button caps pull off. (be gentle) Then you need to press in each side of the button body to seperate the top from the soldered housing. (Be careful as the inner parts are spring loaded.) ) With the button top removed the inner parts can be removed and cleaned. There is a spring - a plunger with a soft carbon end - (When the button is pressed it is this plunger that comes in to contact with metal plates at the button housing bottom and completes the circuit). Clean the metal contacts at the bottom of the housing with isopropyl - clean and dry (cotton bud etc). To clean the plunger rub the bottom tip (which comes in to contact with the metal plates) rub across a clean sheet of paper. (gently as the idea is to clean of any contamination without chemicals. The hardest part is separating the switch top from the body but once one is done they are all the same. As a shortcut you could try repeatedly pressing each button (around a hundred times) and see if this frees up any contamination and allows a connection, I hope this helps. Tony

@@ActiveInventories Hi Tony, Very interesting and a great helpful video. Can the tops of the switches be removed from the bodies (not the caps but the actual switch tops) without first desoldering from the PCB? Looking at photos, it looks like there's a metal frame the switches clip onto that prevents this...hope I'm wrong. Many thanks. James

Hi James. The switches can be serviced without removal (unsoldering) from the board. With the caps removed the job is to delicately remove the top of the exposed switch (this is the hard bit) (use equal pressure upwards on each side of the housing) (use a switch puller) (research online for techniques). Once done remove the innards (switch mechanism and spring). Then clean the metal contact at the bottom of the empty switch housing (isopropyl alcohol). Then to clean the (carbon type) plunger tip by gently scraping on a clean sheet of paper to remove any deposits etc. Then reassemble. If replacements are needed I think they are the same switches as used in Boss guitar pedals. Also. there is a helpful discussion on MC4 switches within the MTR 100 discussion at the following link. modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=137078

@@ActiveInventories Hi Tony, many thanks for taking the time to reply. Very useful information. Best to you, James.

LOL.....I was thinking the same thing

I did have my (now ex as I sold it) Plotter working using a parallel port. The parallel port was on an old XP laptop. I also tried it with a USB Parallel Port adapter (Win 7 and 10) which did NOT work. The Roland manual describes how to program plot commands using Basic (computer language) which I am guessing would work on a computer with a parallel port or possibly a USB Serial Port Adapter set up correctly. I did not try this as WInline solved the problem for me once I had the Serial lead from the USB Serial Adapter to the plotter configured correctly. If you have a 'Pause' control on your plotter you can pause a plot just before the Winline watermark plots and remove the paper or pen. I found the Winline watermark plotted last (after the main plot.) so this may work for you as a temporary solution. I found Winline very helpful when I was getting my plotter up and running and was offered the software for £50.00. I would have purchased the driver at that price as I found it to be an excellent product with great support but decided instead to sell my plotter.

Hi. Presuming that you would not wish to publish your email address here I suggest the following. If you set yourself up a temporary email address and let me know it (here) I will be happy to send an email message to you and attach the Grey Matter E! manual PDF I have compiled. I can do the same for the lists of the procedures used in this video I have prepared. When you have received the files you can delete your temporary email address. Over to you. Thanks.

UPDATE. Here is a link to the E! expansion Manual. archive.org/details/grey-matter-e-for-the-dx7-user-manual

I think the preset (non E!) banks need to be loaded (populated) via a cartridge. It is possible that the preset banks are on a rom chip. I am not to too sure. I did find that I could not load banks or voices via Sysx in to the preset (non E!) banks. I hope this helps.

Hi. It is now sold.

Thanks for your kind comment. I would have thought it possible to use another digital save process. I would look at the MC4B service manual for the MTR100 section schematic to understand the connections and what is happening with the interaction between MC4B and MTR100 and go from there.

The output from the MC4B to the MTR 100 is via a parallel port carrying the commands from MC4B to the MTR100 via a ribbon cable. I would have thought if you can identify what each line of the parallel / ribbon cable is communicating it should be possible to create an interface to Arduino where the MTR tape transport commands from the MC4B can be ignored and the read / write / and file number functions from the MC4B could be handled by programming the Arduino.

@@ActiveInventories Hopefully yep, seems like it should be a go-er, when I get a chance. Page 2 of the MC-4 service manual lays out what each signal does, and it mostly makes sense - only SEL is a bit opaque, but it seems like the MC-4 itself generates that, so it might just need a bit of trial and error. The signals from the MC-4 itself all look like they go through buffers of some sort, so there should be less chance of mortally wounding the thing due to any cack-handedness on my part.

Hi Danyel. Yes, it is still for sale. Please see listing link below. I am open to offers. www.gumtree.com/p/electric-keyboards/korg-i40m-interactive-music-module-see-video/1415332667

Thanks for your positive comment

You can save and load sequences using a cassette recorder or a DAW or any device with software where you can save and play audio signals. My video explains this at 06:20 - Save, Verify and Load Programs using a cassette or DAW (Logic Pro X etc). An MTR-100 is not essential but is more convenient and faster when saving and loading data. I hope this helps

Thanks for answered. I will try with the help of your video and i'm very grateful for that. By the way, another really special question. Ihow could i get in a faster and very different way ( very expérimental), THE PITCH of each notes played by using a microphone? I mean by that ( for someone like me who s hot none knowledge concern solfege...), using my own voice and singing melody on a microphone so as to capture the pirch value quikly with what i'm singing. This will be absolutly revolutionnary. Do you think it is possible with old interface audio to cv like KORG MS-03 ( I ONLY WORK WITH OLD CV GATE SYNTH FROM SEVENTIES.......) THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION

@@jamelballa915 I think this could be done if you had an audio (microphone signal) to cv/gate converter. Or if such a converter is not available an audio to midi converter then into a midi to cv/gate converter. If you search for 'Kenton' products they may have what you need. The Kenton Pro Solo (midi to cv/gate) converter is featured in this video at:- 31:50 - CV+Gate Method. Playing in melody using an external keyboard.

Thanks for your help

You can see the listing and price at GUMTREE www.gumtree.com/p/drums/sequential-circuits-drumtraks-400-for-sale-see-video/1415174648 or EBAY www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234198114302

Gumtree Link above is expired. Please see UPDATED Gumtree Listing www.gumtree.com/p/drums/sequential-circuits-drumtraks-400-for-sale-see-video/1415174648