I'm actually a Roland guy synth-wise. I recently started looking around for a sampler, so naturally I was checking out older used Roland samplers. However, I got a lead on a very reasonable sampler, a Yamaha A4000. After making sure it would boot up when powered on, I decided to take the plunge and get it, even though it was as-is without any of the sample discs or even a power cord.
Fortunately I found someone on eBay who sells backups of the sample CDs, and being that this sampler is about 10 years younger than my D-20 synth, I found a bunch of resources online for it, including user-written software.
So I will most likely be posting some info, tricks and tips on this sampler here, hopefully of use to some other users as well...
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I feel like I'm creating a series of DIY articles here about recouping your investment from 20-some years ago..
But seriously, I have heard from several people on my previous article on the D-20 backup battery change ("related link", at the bottom of this post), so I figured I would post this tip as well since there are precious few resources for older electronic instruments, and even less for this venerable keyboard.
I was recently looking around online and found a great resource, a freeware SysEx Librarian program for Macintosh OS X (http://www.snoize.com/SysExLibrarian/). I use an old Macintosh Powerbook running OS X 10.4 and an Edirol UM-2ex MIDI/USB interface for swapping out kit sets on my Roland TDW-10 setup with VDrumLib. So I had visions of being able to do the same thing with my D-20 patches and tones, which seemed pretty convenient!
I went through the whole SysEx load on the keyboard after turning memory protect off, and after it finished, the keyboard was locked up. I turned it off and tried turning it back on. It started up, and then the display screen went dark. Not blank, but dark. I attempted a reset/initialize by holding down the TUNE/FUNCTION and WRITE buttons on startup, but after the initial startup screen on the keyboard it displayed something troubling:
So my first piece of advice: don't panic! You can try another restart, but it will yield the same dark display screen. What's going on?
The problem is that if you have a D-20 model with a ROM version of 1.03 or less, when attempting a SysEx dump you will have this lock-up and will have to jump through a few hoops to fix it, which I will outline below.
You will have to open up your D-20 and remove the backup battery. You will find instructions and some warnings on this in my article on removing the backup battery in the link below. What's happening is that the keyboard is experiencing an error that locks it up, but it is such a serious error that the backup battery actually preserves the bad data in the keyboard memory which perpetuates the error. Removing the backup battery clears this and breaks the error loop. Leave the keyboard without the battery for 5 minutes or so to make sure it does clear the memory. Please also be sure that you have the keyboard unplugged before taking the bottom off.
After you replace the backup battery and replace the bottom cover, plug it in and hold down the TUNE/FUNCTION and WRITE buttons when you turn it on. The keyboard will initialize to its initial "New Out of the Box" state and you will be able to perform a restore of your settings, tones, timbres and patches, which you will need to do since the memory has been wiped by removing all power for the backup for the keyboard.
To safely transfer MIDI dump info to the D-20 with an earlier ROM chip, you will need to use the "ONE-WAY BULK RECEIVE ALL DATA TRANSFER" mode on the keyboard. Check the manual on this one...it's not difficult, but it is an extra couple steps compared to modern plug & play.
So there is still hope. Incidentally, here are all the combinations of startup modes that you can initiate by holding down function buttons as you turn the synth on:
TUNE/FUNCTION + WRITE: initialize the D-20
EXIT + EDIT: memory test
EXIT + TUNE/FUNCTION: controller test - shows bender value, etc.
EXIT + MIDI: keyboard test - shows key and velocity
EXIT + COMPARE: D/A adjust and PCM test; band buttons play PCM sounds for D/A setup
EXIT + ENTER: lamp test - all the lights blink
EXIT + PERFORMANCE/MULTI-TIMBRAL: floppy disk test
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( 3 / 65 )Recently I've been getting back into 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 all this time in storage and getting it plugged in it was still starting up and working fine, apart from the low battery warning. 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 model-specific 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 ... -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, pretty similar to the D-20): http://acapella.harmony-central.com/arc ... 23354.html
Now 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 poking around inside if you're going to change your battery. If not, I strongly recommend you find someone to do this for you instead.
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 rhythms, 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 your local computer or hardware store. In the end it might not matter, 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 ports 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 from 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.
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