Zoom Rhythmtrak

SineHacker · September 06, 2009, 12:40:07 AM

Has anyone tried bending one of these before, my experience of zoom kit is they have pretty crap cheapy design, so I imagine there are some fun bends in them, I keep seeing them second hand everywhere, seems like nobody wants them!

Gordonjcp · September 06, 2009, 11:47:19 AM

If you've got one, open it up and get some nice clear photos of both sides of the board - high enough resolution to read the numbers on the chips. Then we shall see what may be done...

SineHacker · September 06, 2009, 01:17:51 PM

I haven't got one, not yet anyway - but I will let you know if I do

I was just posting because there seems to be an abundance of unwanted ones

Circuitbenders · September 06, 2009, 01:36:37 PM

Thats because anything made by zoom in the last decade or so has been total shit.

And discuss.....................

nochtanseenspecht · September 06, 2009, 11:58:26 PM

yes, i bent one, and it was quite good..
all i did was a patchbay to the pins of the pcm chip, can't remember if i searched/dicovered more, but it was enough for me anyway
the patchbay was a 25 pin connector on top of the box.. idea was to make a mount on controller later, when i
explored all the interesting connections. meanwile i plugged in all kinds of components.
i was happy with it, cause it sounded so good, like the hr16.. so i bended only the sounds, while the rhythm remained the same.
then i left it for a few days with some capacitors in the patchbay still. and then it went nuts.. braindeath..

after it only glitched from time to time, nothing more.. suprising enough the glitches where typical casio sa style..
right now it prevents its underground from getting dusty.. maybe someday i disconnect its back up cell, and see if it turns normal..but not much hope $:-\$
so.. wicked bender, truely worth to put in some energy, but be carefull as it might break

i will check my "archives" to see if i got any pictures of the inside, but i'm afraid i didn't make any

SineHacker · September 07, 2009, 12:49:20 AM

Quote from: Circuitbenders link=topic=1264.msg7500#msg7500 date=125224059
And discuss.....................
/quote]

nochtanseenspecht · September 08, 2009, 12:46:25 AM

there you are..

Circuitbenders · September 09, 2009, 12:24:09 PM

mmmm, surface mount.

Time to break out the smallest soldering iron tip then?

nochtanseenspecht · September 09, 2009, 04:02:09 PM

i'm afraid so

but it is worth the trouble
didn't had the chance to record it. but you will find it sounds nice.
the marked points are interesting bentpoints in my opinion
direct shortcuts (without resistor or something) will make it freeze often if i remember well..

SineHacker · September 09, 2009, 06:26:47 PM

Ah, I'm not really up for another surface mount soldering project right now. I was working on a yamaha QY-10 pocket midi sequencer which has some amazing bends and patch bay potential - but I can't think of the last thing in my whole life that tested my patience so much... I will finish it one day but I don't want a nervous breakdown

nochtanseenspecht · September 09, 2009, 11:17:22 PM

how did you get along with the qy10 ? i have one waiting for me untill i gott the "gutts" to do it

not so happy to start after i blew my qy8..
but it was very wicked in the test stadium.. filty drum&bass machine

but the zoom is much easyer. seems like the smd chips are a bit larger size

Tyler1144 · September 10, 2009, 01:12:30 AM

I hate SM chips, i have a trick to soldering to them

1. scratch off a section of green cb film to expose the copper line, solder a blob on it

2. Find the point that it goes to that is larger, like the end of a capacitor or resistor or a larger chip and solder there

SineHacker · September 11, 2009, 06:03:50 PM

Quote from: nochtanseenspecht on September 09, 2009, 11:17:22 PM
how did you get along with the qy10 ? i have one waiting for me untill i gott the "gutts" to do it
not so happy to start after i blew my qy8..
but it was very wicked in the test stadium.. filty drum&bass machine

but the zoom is much easyer. seems like the smd chips are a bit larger size

It's pretty hard to blow, when you open it up you need to remove and flip the circuit board over to get to the synth or sample chip (whatever it is) i'll have a look at mine later to let you know exactly which chip it is if you like - I haven't explored it massively though, I found some cool stuff on one of the chips almost immediately. Putting solder to it is another story though - like I said it was hard to resist the temptation to just smash it to pieces in rage.

nochtanseenspecht · September 11, 2009, 08:48:18 PM

yeah, any info on the qy10 would be apreciated

maybe you can start another topic sometime ? if there isn't one already. theire nice little sequencers anyway.. long time i had a qy70. but now i have a rm1x, wich i like best..

SineHacker · September 11, 2009, 09:28:28 PM

I would like to try one of the moderner all-in-one sequencer music station things, the RM1X looks cool as well as the korg MX-1 yum - valves. I can't really be bothered to pay that much for one though let alone spend time learning to use it...

i saw some cool youtube vids for the rm1x