Recently I've been getting back in to music. Specifically, playing music. I sold just about everything I had right before moving out to California, but I did end up keeping my Roland D-20 keyboard. I ended up buying this way back in the late 80s, and after getting it plugged in it was still starting up and working fine. Amazing!
Now Roland has a backup battery in a lot of their systems that saves your sounds and your changes to those sounds in the synth's memory when the unit is off. They suggest that you have the battery changed every 5 years or so, and here I am 20 years later. I have to say, I was getting "Check Battery" messages, but it was still working and saving data. Wow!
So after looking for a LONG time online for info, instructions or moral support for changing a Roland D-20 battery, I found a few pieces of good advice, with most everyone else ignoring the D-20 and talking about the D-50 or D-110 instead. So to contribute to future D-20 battery changes, here is my own description of the process!
Firstly, I found some great info here:
http://www.ztup.com/Roland-D110-Battery-Replacement-Guide.htm It's more specific to the D-110, but it's still roughly the same process, even the same battery. Even better, there's some more specific info on the Keyboard end of things here (for the D-10, VERY similar to the D-20):
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/archive/index.php/t-1123354.htmlNow in my past I have been heavily involved in computer technology. It is very important that you be somewhat comfortable opening up your keyboard and picking around slightly if you're going to change your battery. If not, I strongly recommend you find someone to do this for you.
You will need to get yourself a 3-volt 2032 Lithium battery to put in your keyboard. You can probably find these at the drugstore or online. You should also have a backup card to save all sounds and rythms, as once the battery is removed you very well might lose all your sounds. They don't make the original cards for the D-20 anymore, but you can use a Roland 512-G card to save everything, it works just like the old memory cards. I found mine as well as some other D-20 goodies at Voice Crystal:
http://www.voicecrystal.com/roland.htm You should also have a demagnetized phillips screwdriver, which you can usually find at computer stores, most hardware stores, and Radio Shack if nothing else. I'm not sure if it matters or not, but I tend to play it safe with electronics.
So firstly, make sure you back everything up on your card! When you're done, turn off the keyboard and unplug it.
Turn the keyboard over and place it on the floor so the back of the keyboard is facing you (the keyboard label and all the connectors are facing you), and get a book or two to prop it up so the pitch bender lever doesn't get tweaked on the floor. Remove all the screws from the bottom of the keyboard, apart from the ones which hold the rubber feet. Now remove all the LOWER screws on the back of the keyboard, i.e. those farthest to the floor, I think it's about 6 or so. These hold the back of the bottom plate on the keyboard.
Carefully lift the bottom off the keyboard and set it aside. First thing to notice is the power supply on your lower right.
DO NOT TOUCH IT! Fortunately, the battery is on the other side of the keyboard, so you shouldn't need to even be near it. These things hang onto power for a long time, and you can receive a very serious shock if you touch it, so please just stay away from it.
You should see the battery in its holder on the lower left. It is just held in there with a little retaining clip. Mine had a little black plastic knob on the clip which I just propped up and carefully slid the battery out. Now it's just a matter of lifting up the clip and sliding the new battery in. Make sure it's fully in and seated in the clip.
While you're at it inside the keyboard, it's a good idea to get some compressed air and just blow out any dust inside the keyboard. There isn't too much as it's pretty well sealed, but it's a good time to clean out any excess dust.
The hard part is over! Now you just place the bottom cover back on the keyboard and make sure all the screw holes line up. Start by putting the screws back on the back plate. After that, you can put in the screws on the bottom of the unit. With all the screws, you should be only hand-tightening; don't over-tighten them. They should be snug and not able to come back out.
You're all set! Plug it back in and reload any data from your backup card that might have been lost with the battery change. I actually didn't lose anything on my change, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Hope this helps anyone out there searching for how the heck to do this. If it does work for you, leave me a comment if you have a chance, it'd be good to know!
Taken from the American Musical Supply website. This is actually what i originally thought of when I first heard the phrase, and I still do. I like the drummer in the back defending him/herself with their bass drum.
So technically my first instrument was the piano, but I gravitated to drums pretty quickly, and stuck with it for quite a while. After moving, I dropped it for a while, as well as sold my entire kit to pay for moving expenses and getting a deposit on an apartment.
Truly one of my heros growing up, Dom DeLuise was capable of humor with a gentle twist, both on his own and with other actors & comedians. The best to you, sir.
