Casio SA-40 bending report....worthwhile-thumbs up!

[bendboy]

The SA-40 is also known as the "magical sound dial" the ONLY Casio with this dial.
The keyboard unmodded is not very exiting, and VERY crippled. Casio left off ONE major button that gives
8X more sounds than before! The idiots!!! Add a button from the left side of R124 to the left side of R111.
Select a voice normally, then press the button....each press will be a new sound, up to 7-9.
3-5 more presses give NO sound at all, but will cycle up to the next instrument eventually.
Sometimes a note will 'hang' when selected, press 4 notes to clear it.
Sounds include all the samples used (footsteps,dog,cat,train) and some NICE instruments.
Some settings have a split keyboard, or the highest or lowest notes do not work or sounds distorted.
Some ignore the dial, just repeat, or does odd stuff...nice!

It also glitches well through the clock input.
Basically, if you can get one cheap, it IS worth it, if you mod it first!

[Circuitbenders]

And it does a voltage drop crash rather nicely as well.

[bendboy]

The PSS-6 and the ML-1 voltage drop crash is nice too!!

[sensor]

could give anybody some hints helping me bending the sa-40?

thanks,
matthias

[sensor]

Add a button from the left side of R124 to the left side of R111.
Select a voice normally, then press the button....each press will be a new sound, up to 7-9.
3-5 more presses give NO sound at all, but will cycle up to the next instrument eventually.
Sometimes a note will 'hang' when selected, press 4 notes to clear it.
Sounds include all the samples used (footsteps,dog,cat,train) and some NICE instruments.
Some settings have a split keyboard, or the highest or lowest notes do not work or sounds distorted.
Some ignore the dial, just repeat, or does odd stuff...nice!

It also glitches well through the clock input.
Basically, if you can get one cheap, it IS worth it, if you mod it first!

i shorted the 2 pins you explained, but my sa started playing its melodies. i also tried the other resistors but there were no new sounds.
sorry, but where is the clock input?

matthias

[bendboy]

Sorry for the long wait....we moved....I'm sorry the mod did not work for you-it may be a different board revision or something.
The clock input is usually easy to spot, it is a 2 or 3 pin metal can or an orange or blue square right near the processor chip;2 traces go from it, right to the chip.. It can be replaced with another one, I got my SK-60 to record extra long with it 4x lower value...all sounds are 2 octaves down!!
I will be posting a vid on youtube on the SA-40 soon, and show my button connections...

[sk-1]

A nearly identical, light-gray version of this keyboard was released as the Casio M-300 .. which is nearly impossible to find nowadays!

[seaweedfactory]

I have the light-gray version; it is still called the Casio SA-40, though.

The multi-voice mod does work, however it requires different pins. Try resistor R111 and R122.

http://seaweedfactory.blogspot.com/

Here's a video of the finished product:

SA40

[marmora]

Just picked up a gray version at the thrift yesterday.
Thanks to seaweedfactory for sharing which resistors on this version bring out the extra sounds.  It works perfectly.  This is such a fun addition.  I'm really loving the sounds it pulls out.
I've tried a few of the usual SA mods.  I've installed the 5ths switch, the feedback pot and glitch pot.
As usual with Casios, voltage starve works as well.
Worth picking up if you see it cheap.