![kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5 kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5](https://i.postimg.cc/26GWN9h5/kawai-action.png)
The PCB has place probably for second DSP (bigger polyphony models?) and additional wave memory.Īnd to my surprise, the keybed has it's own uC communicating over some sort of serial connection (maybe something like MIDI, but inside the instrument). The sound is generated by the GEM proprietary DSP chip with wave ROM and DAC chip. Turns out, the RP90's mainboard (and probably other RP's by GEM, and some GEM-made Baldwin Pianovelle too) is powered by Hitachi H8/3003 micro-controller with a Flash EEPROM and 2 static RAM chips. In meantime learned to solder and unsolder SMD elements using some unconventional homemade tools Removed the battery (it looked new, apparently someone already tried to repair the piano).
![kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5 kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5](https://kawai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VPC04.jpg)
I examined the board - some traces around the battery were slightly eaten by the electrolyte, also some connections between traces and SMD IC pins. Like the CPU hanged in the middle of startup. Power on caused only a row of grey bars on the LCD and lit a set of 8 LEDs. Maybe to salvage the keybed in some hobby project.īut I thought "I have to dust off my electronics knowledge and check this board first".
![kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5 kawai vpc1 modartt pianoteq 5](https://i.postimg.cc/5t7rWFGb/IMG-20191106-195625736.jpg)
I bought it almost for fun, a big paperweight. Battery leak.Īs I learned later, it was a common failure in Generalmusic products - leaked battery caused failure of CPU board. Somehow I always wanted a piano to learn & play but never got to buy one, actually.īut some weeks ago I was browsing online local ads and found a "digital piano" for 50$.Īt first I thought that it must be only some cheap keyboard but it turned out to be a full size GEM RP90, big, black and broken. I'm Michael, from Poland, Europe, turned 44 this year. This is my first post here, so I'll introduce myself.