Roland JV-80 Keyboard repair

John Robertson

unread,

Nov 24, 2021, 5:26:29 PM11/24/21

to

My son-in-law asked me to look at his JV80 Roland keyboard as it didn't
seem to work properly.

Found the operators and service manuals on line and discovered the
keyboard wouldn't go into self test. Took back off and started checking
the switches - found that ALL 54 push-button PC mount switches had
failed or were marginal at best.

Replaced all the switches (gotta love single sided phenolic PCBs...) and
now it works a treat.

So if you have any musician friends with wonky keyboards the solution is
often simple...

John :-#)#
--

Tim R

unread,

Nov 25, 2021, 9:28:34 AM11/25/21

to

Just curious. That's an older 61 key synth, per google. (I'd not heard of a 54 key keyboard so I looked it up.) So why are there only 54 switches for 61 keys?

bitrex

unread,

Nov 25, 2021, 12:32:32 PM11/25/21

to

Don't think he's talking about the keyboard (which then was probably
using those rubber cup-type membrane switches that also get gunked up,
but can often be cleaned up to work nice again with some isopropyl),
those are the 54 buttons on the user interface:

<https://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/roland-jv-80-851.jpg>

Enormously complex and poorly-organized user interfaces are something of
a Roland/Japanese signature, the claim goes Japanese buyers love
studying user manuals.

Nice-sounding synths, though, if you can figure them out.

Rayner Lucas

unread,

Nov 25, 2021, 2:35:29 PM11/25/21

to

In article <196f12fc-8cb7-4f4f...@googlegroups.com>,
timoth...@gmail.com says...

>
> On Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at 5:26:29 PM UTC-5, John Robertson
> wrote:
> > My son-in-law asked me to look at his JV80 Roland keyboard as it
> > didn't seem to work properly.
> >
> > Found the operators and service manuals on line and discovered the
> > keyboard wouldn't go into self test. Took back off and started
> > checking the switches - found that ALL 54 push-button PC mount
> > switches had failed or were marginal at best.
> >
> > Replaced all the switches (gotta love single sided phenolic PCBs...)
> > and now it works a treat.
>

> Just curious. That's an older 61 key synth, per google. (I'd not heard
> of a 54 key keyboard so I looked it up.) So why are there only 54
> switches for 61 keys?

I'm guessing that's the tactile switches used for selecting various
functions, rather than the keys themselves (although I count 56 push-
buttons rather than 54). This seems to be a known failure mode on some
older Roland synths; there are certainly maintenance kits out there with
the appropriate numbers of switches.

I should really get around to fixing my two broken D-50s, which do have
temperamental buttons, but also have more immediate problems (one has
random bursts of noise, the other has been previously "repaired" by
someone whose desoldering technique could hardly have been more
destructive if they'd used a blowtorch and chisel).

R

bitrex

unread,

Nov 25, 2021, 3:03:45 PM11/25/21

to

My impression of Roland from the 80s/early 90s is that quality control
wasn't great, they seem to have more problems at this point. Yamaha
stuff were tanks

John Robertson

unread,

Nov 26, 2021, 6:02:01 PM11/26/21

to

It was 56 (I miscounted) option tactile small button switches, not the
keyboard itself. A good upgrade of small tactile switches solved the
problems.

John :-#)#