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OMNIFLOP ‑or‑ SDISKW ??? OmniFlop is the utility I like to use when creating S‑50, S‑550, S‑330, W‑30 and S‑760 sampler disks from *.OUT files. This is an excellent tool for creating and sharing *.IMG and *.OUT Disk Image files for use with a USB Floppy Drive Emulator (USB/FDE). Also, a required utility if you still use floppy disks with your sampler I highly recommend using this program as a replacement for the DOS based SDISK and its Windows counterpart SDISKW. This program even has a special menu selection for working specifically with Roland sampler disks I initially had some minor hardware issues with installing a working 3.5" floppy disk drive. It turned out that only the old‑style 720KB DS/DD or 720KB/1.44MB Dual Support drives will work. The newer and (of course) less expensive 1.44MB DS/HD will only write disks for use with the S‑750/S‑760/S‑770 samplers. After solving that problem, I compiled some useful installation notes here SDISKW is a good program to use if you plan to use only 3.5" floppy diskettes with your sampler and don't want to work with any advanced disk image files (*.OUT, *.IMG, *.S50, *.W30, etc...). SDISKW might also be a better choice for you since it will work with an External USB FDD. Each of these utilities has an advantage over the other  OmniFlop, SDISKW and 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Installation Notes There are many methods of making a GOTEK USB Floppy Drive Emulator (USB/FDE) work with a Roland S‑50, S‑550, S‑330 or W‑30 sampler. The easiest way is to buy GOTEK Model: SFRM72‑FU‑DL for about $25 (USD) and simply plug it into the sampler where the floppy disk drive used to sit. The disadvantage of using this model is that there are very few bells and whistles available. The GOTEK factory firmware on this model uses a very boring 7‑segment LED display and the two buttons on the front make a clumsy user interface Luckily, there are alternatives for updating the GOTEK firmware and the best version I've seen is available for free. You can purchase a low‑priced GOTEK for about $17 (USD), a nice, crisp OLED screen for $2, a rotary encoder for $3 and update the firmware yourself using free installation software. In the past, other firmware updates required a special serial interface and a $10 software license for each GOTEK you updated The only extra hardware you need for this free FlashFloppy firmware update is a standard USB cable. When I updated my GOTEK with the FlashFloppy firmware, insalled the OLED and rotary encoder, It worked perfectly the very first time I tried it. Very unusual for mods like this when trying to make 1980's technology work with modern gadgets. In fact, after all the updates went so smoothly, I thought perhaps that something had gone wrong  Keep in mind that the OLED screen and Rotary encoder are optional add‑ons but... for these low cost parts, I highly recommended adding them. It's like the difference between driving a Ford Pinto and a Corvette A link to installing a GOTEK USB/FDE the easy way on your Roland sampler is here (No soldering or extra modification is required for this method) A link to installing a GOTEK USB/FDE using the free FlashFloppy firmware is here (This firmware update requires software installation and additional parts [optional] which requires soldering)
GBS 8200 CGA/EGA/YUV To VGA Video Converter Board DIY
This is an inexpensive way to connect your S‑50, S‑550, S‑330 or S‑7xx to a standard 15‑pin LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor. This DIY project was much easier than I expected. The results are GREAT and so are the cost savings! Thanks to this tiny video board, I'm now able to use my S‑550 and S‑760 with a sharp looking, crisp and clean 17" LCD color display. The monitors I used for testing were standard 15‑Pin VGA which were previously used with generic video boards on a PC. I am assuming that just about any 15‑pin LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor will work with this DIY. I also had a cheap leftover DC power supply so my total investment was only $17 (USD)!  (click for larger image)
Procedure Note: The video board used for this DIY was GBS 8200 v4.0 The 15‑pin VGA monitors used for testing were a Dell E176FP 17" LCD Flat Screen and a Sharp LL-T15A4-B 15" LCD Flat Screen 1) Take the white 8‑pin connector that came with the GBS 8200 video board and move the grey wire in Slot S over to Slot HS. To remove the grey wire, use a needle to press down on the metal connector then gently pull the wire up and out (see Figure 1). The reason for moving this wire from Slot S to Slot HS is because an HSYNC signal is required for S‑50, S‑550, S‑330 and S‑7xx RGB video output. The grey wire by default on the GBS 8200 video board is connected to an S video signal (CSYNC), not HSYNC  (click for larger image) 2) Solder the six wires on the white 8‑pin connector that came with the GBS 8200 video board onto the 8‑pin male DIN connector S‑50 / S‑550 8‑PIN DIN MALE PLUG GBS 8200 VIDEO BOARD 8‑PIN WHITE CONNECTOR (P11) VIDEO SIGNAL PIN# PIN# WIRE COLOR VIDEO SIGNAL GROUND 2 <----------------------> GD BLACK GROUND VSYNC 5 <----------------------> VS YELLOW VSYNC HSYNC 4 <----------------------> HS GREY HSYNC [AFTER MOVING WIRE] BLUE 8 <----------------------> B BLUE BLUE GREEN 7 <----------------------> G GREEN GREEN RED 6 <----------------------> R RED RED +5V 1 DO NOT USE - NO WIRE DO NOT USE OPEN 3 DO NOT USE S NO WIRE DO NOT USE  Because these wires are supplying video signals, I opted to shield them by wrapping three layers of aluminum foil around the entire six wire cable assembly. I then took some black electrical tape and wrapped everything tightly. I'm not sure if the shielding is necessary but I did it just to play it safe 3) Connect all the cables and power on all the devices... (Make sure the power supply you are using is "center tap" positive!)
That's all! I didn't even need to bother with the On‑Screen Display menus for the video board. There are Chinese and English menus available but I never had to use them. I plugged the 8‑pin DIN cable into my S‑550 and plugged my 15‑pin LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor into the video board, powered everything on and it worked right away without any menu interaction. Super simple.  Another S‑550 owner with this same video board has put together a great overview of how it works including the menus. For more details check out freudelheimIf you want to take a chance and venture into the cryptic Chinese menus, the quick route to get English displayed is made by pressing: MENU - UP - MENU - UP - MENU - MENU Other menu functions (with no OSD menu showing on the monitor) Auto‑Scan: DOWN/AUTO Reset The Board: Press and hold DOWN/AUTO for 5 seconds Video Mode‑Select (RGBS / RGBHS / YPbPr): UP (RGBS = 15‑pin VGA connector) This video board is very easy to use. If you need additional info and technical specs, you can download the GBS 6800 Operation Manual at this link If this video board is to be used with an S‑50, an inexpensive housing is recommended to keep the static sensitive components safe. If this is to be used with an S‑550 and there is no HD5‑IF SCSI Interface Card installed, you can do what I did and take advantage of the empty space on the underside. Place the video board inside the sampler like so...  (GBS 8200 Video Board With 8‑pin DIN Cable From P11 Mounted In The Underside Compartment Of An S‑550)
$17 (USD). Now that's the kind of DIY I like... nice and inexpensive! If needed, here is some more detailed info; I tested the GBS 8200 video board with a Sharp LL‑T15A4‑B 15" LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor (manufactured in 2003 ‑ specs) and a Dell E176FP 17" LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor (manufactured in 2006 ‑ specs). In addition to a standard 15‑pin VGA Out connector, there is also a 12‑pin socket (P12) on the GBS 8200 video board which provides a video output signal for R, G, B, VSYNC, HSYNC, and GROUND. If you have an older style monitor like a CGA, EGA, or RGB, this extra 12‑pin connector might be able to adapt to those older style monitors by using a different connector arrangement. For this DIY, the included 8‑pin connector (P11) with six wires was used. You might be tempted to use a tap off of the main S‑550 circuit board to supply power for the GBS 8200 video board. Don't do it. Ordering a replacement circuit board for vintage gear like the S‑550 is not an option. Play it safe and stick with a cheap external power supply. An external power supply will also help to isolate any hum the GBS 8200 video board might introduce into the S‑550 audio circuit How To Share 1 Monitor With 2 Or More Roland S‑Series Samplers If you have 2 or more Roland S‑Series Samplers, this inexpensive DIY is for you. Complete plans are contained in this PDF file S-50_S-550_A-B_Switch-Box_DIY  Using A Non‑Roland Mouse With The S‑550, S‑330 Or S‑7xx Samplers NOTE: The S‑50 will not work with any type of mouse unless you have the optional RC‑100 Remote Controller. Without an RC‑100 Remote Controller, the EXT CONTROLLER port on the back of the S‑50 will only work with the optional DT‑100 Digitizer Tablet. If you plug a mouse into the EXT CONTROLLER port, you run the risk of causing a short circuit in the sampler. Likewise, if you plug a non-Roland mouse into the EXT CTRL port on the S‑550, S‑330, S‑750, S‑760 or S‑770, you run the risk of causing a short circuit. If this happens, see the Roland Fuse Reference Webpage After losing bid after bid on expensive MU‑1 mice at eBay, I decided to purchase a KMTech PS/2 to MSX mouse adapter instead. It works flawlessly with my S‑550 and S‑760. The adapter is very small at 63mm x 19mm x 13mm. The adapter is only $32 (USD) + shipping. The overseas shipping to the USA was amazingly fast at only 6 business days! The eBay seller is kevinmount* who has a 100% Feedback Rating The big advantage this adapter has over an MU‑1 mouse is that if the PS/2 mouse goes bad, a replacement is inexpensive as opposed to finding another expensive MU‑1 mouse on eBay. Plus, every MU‑1 or MSX mouse I've seen for sale on eBay is being sold as a used item and is probably already 20+ years old. I'm using a WYSE PS/2 mouse (P/N: 770510‑21L) which has been working great! My only complaint is that it needs some type of cover. My solution was to wrap everything with black electrical tape. I can't stand to have a open circuit board with static sensitive components glaring at me. It goes against everything I was taught about electronics 
* The item was PS/2 to MSX Mouse Adapter Purchased from eBay seller kevinmount with a 100% positive feedback rating Ship time: 6 days from United Kingdom to the USA Search eBay for 'MSX Mouse Adapter' and you should be able to find the item right away UPDATE: December 2017 An online visitor has reported that this same vendor also sells a USB mouse adapter for the same price and it's working well with his S‑550 UPDATE: April 2018 Some users are reporting that newer cheapo €3 USB mice from China do not work with this adapter It's best to stick with Logitech, HP, Dell, WYSE and other name‑brand mice (mouses?)  2‑Prong Power Cable Replacement DIY  Tired of always looking for that oddball 2‑Prong AC power cable? Do something about it. Here's a super simple mod that will let you use the more common 3‑prong AC cable with your Roland sampler. The cost for parts was less than $1. In addition to always being able to find the right AC cable, this mod adds ground circuit protection. Why is that important? Just ask several S‑50, S‑550 and W‑30 owners who connected their sampler to an ungrounded mixing board. The audio output transistors on their samplers were toasted!!! The mod is so simple that all it needs is a picture to explain. It's easy as 'connect the dots'. If you buy the correct sized AC power adapter (P/N: 703W‑00/03), it's a 1 for 1 swap, no case modification and no sheet metal to cut. There's even a pre‑drilled hole in the case for the ground wire. Just piggy‑back onto one of the screw holes used for the serial number plate. Easy! The DIY image shows the mod for an MKS‑70 but this will also work with an S‑50, S‑550, W‑30, MKS‑50 and a bunch of other Roland rackmounts and keyboards. If you are using a sampler with something running other than 110/117V AC, please note... this mod has NOT been verified to work on a sampler running 220V/240V. This mod is only for those with electronics experience. Author accepts no liability if you damage your synth or hurt yourself. Always keep one hand behind your back when working with live electrical circuits. It's the best way to stay alive AC Power Receptacle Replacement DIYIf you just want to buy a 2‑prong AC replacement cable, don't pay the ridiculous high prices at eBay or elsewhere As of October 2019, a 2‑prong replacement cable is Only $9.95 (USD) @ sweetwater.com + always FREE SHIPPING / NO MINIMUM! W‑30 LCD Replacement DIY Detailed instructions for replacing your old LCD. Not the easiest DIY in the world but the good news is for under $30 (USD), you can get rid of that high pitched shrill in the process
W‑30 Backlight Replacement Over time, the W‑30 backlight will begin to fail and get dimmer. It takes a while to disassemble the W‑30 to gain access to the LCD, but installing a new Electroluminescent Panel (ELP) segment is quick and easy. The old ELP slides out easily after unsoldering two leads eBay seller abakuscom sells a great "Cool Blue" W‑30 replacement ELP. It's an incredible bargain under $10 (USD) and it really brings the display to life (Note: If stock is depleted, check with the vendor for new stock ETA ‑ abakus@mail.com When soldering in place, use a heatsink (a large coin works well) and touch the leads with the soldering iron for only very brief moments. I had to trim off about 1mm from the the top and bottom edges to make it fit. However, it's not an issue because this flexible ELP may be bent or cut into any shape. This ELP also works with Roland S‑750, S‑770, Akai, Kurzweil and EMU samplers. The Roland W‑30 Blogspot has some good before/after pictures about replacement. A green ELP is shown on that page but the instructions are appropriate 
 W‑30 LCD Contrast Potentiometer Replacement One of the most common failures on the W‑30 is a broken LCD Contrast Potentiometer which is located on the back of the sampler. This knob has a tendency to break easily during transport because Roland used a sub‑standard plastic part. Symptoms are a wobbly, unreliable knob or worst case scenario, a blank LCD. You can replace this one using an Alpha brand 9mm B10K Ohm potentiometer. The cost is only 67¢ (USD) and is available from taydaelectronics.com. The part number is SKU: A‑1850 This part is not a direct "drop‑in" replacement. Replacing this one is a little tricky because of the tight quarters and the case alignment. I had to cut off a small section at the end of all three pins and bend them at a right angle to make it fit into the PCB holes. I cut two 25mm sections from a strong paperclip, sanded off the outer chrome and soldered them to the ground frame of the pot. I then soldered the other ends to the empty GROUND trace holes on the PCB for stability (the empty GROUND trace holes were leftover from the old potentiometer). The result was a perfect fit. The old potentiometer I removed was a B5K Ohm so I'm not sure if the previous owner of this sampler replaced it sometime in the past or if Roland changed the value to a B5K Ohm on later production models?!? The schematics in the W‑30 Service Notes say this part should be a B10K Ohm pot so that's what I used  Don't get your potentiometers locations mixed‑up like I did LCD CONTRAST is on the MAIN BOARD and Silkscreened as VR1
INPUT GAIN is on the ANALOG BOARD and is also Silkscreened as VR1
Note: This replacement part from taydaelectronics.com is also a plastic part just like the Roland original. A metal shaft potentiometer is too large to fit through the opening in the case unless you drill it larger. You can take your replacement one step further and cut the plastic shaft off flush with the back of the case and add a flat‑blade screwdriver notch for adjustment. This way, if the back of the sampler gets knocked around during transport, the recessed knob will be unaffected. The drawback is of course, it's not very easy to adjust the contrast knob while you are on stageThe INPUT GAIN Potentiometer is also a part which breaks easily but this potentiometer is much harder to replace because of it's odd‑ball value which is C5K Ohm (Anti‑Logarithmic). To date, I've been unable to source an equivalent part number for this potentiometer S‑50 And W‑30 Control Jack Templates  I designed these templates after being frustrated time and time again by having to move my S‑50 and W‑30 away from the wall to locate where certain audio and control jacks are located. This makes it easier to plug cables in and out without having to always face the back of the sampler... or use a mirror. There are four template variations with different fonts and color schemes for each sampler S‑50 Control Jack Templates W‑30 Control Jack TemplatesFile Format: PDF Document Mouse Or RC‑100 Is Unresponsive, Intermittent Or Not Working / S‑550, S‑330, S‑750 & S‑770 I always thought the mouse interface on the S‑550 sucked due to a poorly designed operating system. It turns out those claims were unwarranted. I didn't know it at the time but the problem was always with the EXT CTRL 9‑pin connector on the front panel. I opened up five S‑550's and every one had broken or loose solder connections at this PCB location. Due to age, excessive pressure on the case, strain on the 9‑pin connector or a combination of all three, these solder connections break off or become loose. Some of the symptoms include
If you are still having problems with the mouse or RC‑100 after extensive troubleshooting, be aware that there is a 1/6 Watt PICO® Fuse Resistor which may have blown. I remember back in the 1980's when a rash of Atari computers had a similar problem. If a device other than an Atari mouse or joystick was plugged into the 9‑pin jack, it would sometimes create a short and blow a PICO fuse because one of the pins carries a +5V signal. A similar situation may exist here with the S‑550, S‑330, S‑750 and S‑770 (the S‑760 does not use a PICO fuse in the EXT CTRL circuit) This Fast Blow PICO Fuse (P/N: 0251.750NAT1L) manufactured by Littelfuse has nearly the same resistance as the original of 0.15 Ohms. Since this is a "Fast Blow" fuse, use a heat sink when soldering this component in place. Use a slightly lower than normal soldering temperature and don't let the soldering iron make contact for more than three seconds at a time. Otherwise, the performance may be deteriorated or the fuse may open. This one (P/N: 0251.630MXL) will also work in a pinch. It has a lower blow point (630mA vs. 750mA) and a higher resistance (0.2 Ohm vs. 0.15 Ohm). The differences are so minimal that it should not be an issue (i.e. only 1/20 Ohm). As long as the blow point is lower and the resistance is close, you're covered. The original PICO fuse installed by Roland was a Panasonic P/N#: ERQ16NKR15E ‑ Original Panasonic datasheet: here
  
Schematics for the S‑550 (Left), S‑330 (Middle) and S‑750/S‑770 (Right) showing fuse resistor locations  No Sound Output / S‑550, S‑220 & MKS‑100 Broken traces on the Switch Board are a common point of failure with the S‑550, S‑220 & MKS‑100. Over time, moving the sampler around will place too much strain on a particular section of the Switch Board and it will eventually crack. This usually occurs when the module is shipped from Point A to Point B. Broken traces on the board will set the total output volume knob to zero which renders the sampler useless. The problem area is located near the REC LEVEL and VOLUME knobs. I was able to fix my S‑550 by using epoxy on the broken board then soldered some jumper wires to reconnect the traces which were snapped 
Distorted Sound Output / S‑550 If your S‑550 is experiencing distorted sound output, it's possible the previous owner was careless and connected one or more of the 1/4" output jacks to a non‑grounded mixer or some other type of non‑grounded equipment. Since the S‑550 is not grounded by default, this can easily damage one or more of the nine output transistors on the Analog Board (this board is located in the compartment underneath the sampler). It's an easy fix if you are handy with a soldering iron. Replace all nine 2SC2878A transistors at locations Q1 through Q9. As of October 2019, there are some vendors on eBay selling replacement 2SC2878A transistors. Even if you've isolated only one or two outputs as the culprit, take some extra time and replace all nine transistors while you have the board out. It's possible that other transistors were damaged and are ready to fail soon. Detailed information about this fix is available in this thread over at gearsz.com. This is another reason why it's a good idea to ditch that stupid 2‑prong Roland power cable and add a three‑prong AC power outlet to your Roland samplers/synths to ensure proper grounding!   S‑50 Noise, Static And Distortion Issues If your S‑50 is experiencing noise, static or distorted audio then join the crowd. Over time, the S‑50 can start to experience a problem with the relay coil which is located on the Jack Board. The relay coil is there to temporarily delay an inrush of current to the Audio Out circuit so that any annoying loud pops are avoided when you power on the sampler. The Audio Out circuit is essentially turned off for a couple of milliseconds The three solutions I know of are to Replace It, Clean It or Bypass It SOLUTION #1 - Replacing The Coil Tom Arnold, another S‑50 owner, has supplied an excellent solution which has been verified by several online visitors here. He designed a very small PCB which is used to replace the single relay coil by using three inexpensive, low current and easy to source relays. The big advantage to this solution is these new relays are easily swapped out when they fail. According to Arnold, the S‑50 design is prone to failure because the original single relay coil and replacement relays will eventually fail over time. Since it's very difficult to remove and clean the factory installed relay coil, swapping out three 0.85¢ relay coils makes more sense because they are socketed on this new PCB "This is a 3DPDT relay board to replace the 6PDT relay in the Roland S‑50. Two holes in the middle are for hold‑down screws. I recommend putting in sockets so you can replace the relays more easily as they will go out again the way they are being used." The best price I've seen for these new relays is only 0.85¢ each from Allied Electronics. You'll need to buy three 16‑pin IC sockets and three 5V relays (Zettler P/N#: AZ822‑2C‑5DSE) The bad news is that OSHPark has a minimum purchase of three PCB's. The good news is they only cost $3/each PCB's designed dy Tom Arnold are available from OSHPark here 5V Relays From Allied Electronics - hereUPDATE (November 2018) : Open Mirror from Australia was able to install this new PCB and Relay setup into his S‑50 before I was able to (it's still on my To‑Do list). He reports excellent results. The distortion he was experiencing has completely disappeared  Click here for images of his installation plus... Before & After sound comparisons   UPDATE (January 2019) : It's hard to believe but... I just found out that a company based in the Netherlands called budgetronics.com still sells these relay coils for only $11 (USD), P/N: Relais National NL6X‑DC 5 (Don't confuse it with a similar model P/N: NL6X-L2 DC 5). Be sure to click on the British flag at the upper right SOLUTION #2 - Cleaning The Coil Jim Atwood Of Japan has a step‑by‑step solution for cleaning the relay coil at this link; S‑50 Noise, Static And Distortion SolutionSOLUTION #3 - Bypass The Coil Some online visitors have reported they have bypassed the coil completely and just remember to keep the volume slider at zero when powering up. Since this will significantly alter the original circuit design, I won't provide any info about that fix. It seems risky, IMO Tact Switch Replacements (S‑50 / S‑750 / S‑770 / W‑30) After time, some of the buttons (tact switches) will start to act intermittently or fail. The best solution is to replace all of the tact switches at the same time because if you only replace a few, others are bound to fail soon after. eBay and other vendors sell complete sets of tact switches and these range anywhere from $30 USD to $92 USD. Ouch! You can save a lot of money buying them instead from an electronics supplier such as mouser.com. You can get a complete tact switch replacement set from Mouser for less than $8 (USD) There are two types of tact switches to choose from. I prefer a harder press Operating Force of 2.6 Newton 
1) Brand Name: ALPS Manufacturer P/N: SKHHAMA010 Mouser P/N: 688-SKHHAM Operating Force: 1.6 Newton (Black) Operating Life: 500,000 cycles Size: 5mm (H) x 6mm (W) x 6mm (D) [ Alternate P/N: OMRON B3W‑1000S ] 2) Brand Name: ALPS Manufacturer P/N: SKHHARA010 Mouser P/N: 688-SKHHAR Operating Force: 2.6 Newton (Red) Operating Life: 200,000 cycles Size: 5mm (H) x 6mm (W) x 6mm (D) [ Alternate P/N: OMRON B3W‑1002S ] The total number of tact switches needed for each sampler differs. Do yourself a favor and buy a couple of spares because... shit happens S‑50 / 34
S‑750 / 21
S‑770 / 21
W‑30 / 29*
* FYI ‑ When I replaced the tact switches on my W‑30, the position of the Panel Board was slightly lower than expected.To make sure the tact switches worked properly when the buttons were pressed, I had to place a 1mm tall plastic spacer under each one while soldering them in place. I'm not sure if all W‑30's are like this or not?!? The original factory tact switches were Roland P/N: 13169633 which is the discontinued ALPS P/N: SKHHAD039A This same tact switch was used for the D‑70, Juno‑106 and S‑10 The Operating Life for these tact switches is realistically, probably 10 years until stress and/or oxidation starts to set in and they become intermittent. Removing old tact switches from the PCB is a matter of personal preference. The method I prefer is;  Use a small sharp pair of diagonal flush wire cutters and cut all four leads off from the top side of the PCB. Take extra care not to wedge the wire cutters in‑between the base of the tact switch and the PCB when cutting the leads. This places excess force on the via traces on the underside of the PCB causing possible damage. Use a solder sucker, a fine tipped soldering iron or a stainless steel hollow desoldering needle and remove the leftover pins from the PCB holes. Remove any excess solder remaining in the holes. The vias on the brittle 30+ year‑old PCB's are very fragile. Take extra care not to lift them off the surface of the PCB while desoldering. Using too much heat or keeping the soldering iron too long in one spot usually leads to this type of problem Tact Switch Replacement (S‑760 Only) Tact switch leads for the S‑760 are mounted extremely close on top of the Panel Assembly PCB and using diagonal flush wire cutters (as explained above) is not the best method for this sampler. I recommend using the combination of an Exacto razor knife and a stainless steel hollow desoldering needle (or a solder sucker) to remove these small tact switches from the PCB. Heat the solder trace on the backside of the PCB and use the Exacto razor knife to gently pry the tact switch up and out of the PCB via. Use the stainless steel hollow desoldering needle (or a solder sucker) to remove any excess solder from the PCB vias. I found working with the S‑760 Panel Board Assembly to be a real challenge. After soldering the switches in place, two of them did not work because the solder did not make a good connection. I suspect that using a very low temperature setting was the culprit. After relowing solder on these areas, a good contact was made. I used a very low temperature setting because the 30+ year‑old Roland PCB's and traces are quite brittle and fall apart easlily. Also note that the Panel Board Assembly and Encoder Assembly are incorrectly labeled in the S‑760 Service Notes The total number of tact switches needed for the S‑760 is 13. Do yourself a favor and buy a couple of spares because... shit happens There are two types of tact switches to choose from. The original tact switches installed by Roland had a light touch Operating Force of only 1.3 Newton*. I prefer a harder press Operating Force of 2.6 Newton 
1) Brand Name: PANASONIC Manufacturer P/N: EVQ22705R Mouser P/N: 667-EVQ-22705R (This part is obsolete at mouser.com as of August 2019. Try Digi‑Key instead) Operating Force: 2.6 Newton Operating Life: 50,000 cycles Size: 5mm (H) x 6mm (W) x 6mm (D) 2) Brand Name: PANASONIC Manufacturer P/N: EVQ21405R Mouser P/N: 667-EVQ-21405R (This part is obsolete at mouser.com as of August 2019) Operating Force: 1.3 Newton* Operating Life: 100,000 cycles Size: 5mm (H) x 6mm (W) x 6mm (D) Note: These same tact switches for the S‑760 will also work with the Roland JV‑880 and U‑20 Tact Switch Reference Page For Other Roland Synths/Samplers  After‑Market Floppy Disk Drives DIY info for replacing an unreliable or broken FDD using inexpensive Chinon, Teac, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, NEC & other brands. Some of the instructions are easy as moving/adding jumpers while others require a steady hand w/intermediate soldering skills FDD Tech SCSI ZIP Drive If you are one of the lucky 10% to have an HD5‑IF SCSI Card installed in your S‑550 or if you have a KW‑30 SCSI IC chip installed in your W‑30 (for only $7), it's possible to connect a maximum of 4 external SCSI devices at a time. However, the ZIP drive is an exception to this rule. Only two ZIP drives may be connected at a time because the SCSI ID# of a ZIP drive can only be #5 or #6 which is set by a hardware switch on the back The ZIP100 and ZIP250 SCSI drives are able to store up to 80MB of S‑550 or W‑30 sampler data on a single ZIP disk. This gives you an endless supply of storage space which is only limited by the number of blank ZIP disks you have. There are several models of ZIP drives. Some are parallel, some are USB and some are SCSI. If you plug a parallel ZIP drive into the sampler you can kiss your SCSI card goodbye. You MUST use a ZIP SCSI model Z100S2 or Z250S. These SCSI models have two selector switches and two DB25 female connectors on the back. One switch selects SCSI ID#5 or #6 and the other switch turns termination ON or OFF.  Important steps to follow: 1) You MUST use the proper 25‑pin cable which was supplied with a new ZIP drive. Most 25‑pin cables you find for everyday computer use are wired for use with data transfer programs, parallel printers, scanners and other non‑SCSI devices. Cables made for most parallel and serial devices will not work and could possibly damage the SCSI card on the sampler. The 25‑pin ZIP cable to use is a straight through cable, 1 to 1, 2 to 2, ......, all the way up......, 25 to 25 2) Make sure the sampler and the ZIP drive are both powered off before connecting the 25‑pin cable. Never plug or unplug the ZIP drive from the sampler when the power is turned on for either device 3) Connect the 25‑pin cable to the ZIP drive connector on the left marked "ZIP". If the ZIP drive is the only SCSI device or is the last SCSI device in the chain and nothing is plugged into the 25‑pin port on the right, make sure the termination switch on the back is set to the "ON" position. If you are using an S‑550, I recommend using an Active SCSI Terminator instead 4) Power on the ZIP drive first then power on the sampler. It is impossible to boot the sampler using a ZIP drive. The S‑550 and the W‑30 both have information hard‑coded onto the boot ROM IC to only recognize Hard Drives or Floppy Drives as a boot device. You must always boot an S‑550 with a 3.5" floppy disk in the drive or from a USB/FDE with a valid boot disk image loaded. The only way I have been able to successfully have the ZIP drive recognized by the S‑550 is by booting the sampler using the CD‑5 System Boot Disk Ver. 1.00 disk (For unknown reasons, the most current CD‑5 System Boot Disk Ver. 1.02 and the HD5‑IF System Boot Disk Ver. 1.03 will not work with my ZIP drive) 5) If the last device in the SCSI chain is a ZIP drive, then you won't be able to boot from any hard drive! For example, if a ZIP drive were set to SCSI ID#6, it would be the last device in the SCSI chain. At boot time, the sampler will go out to search for the last SCSI ID# which is #6. Since the sampler can't boot from a ZIP drive, it will not boot from any hard drive. Setting the ZIP drive to SCSI ID#5, setting the ZIP drive termination switch to "OFF", setting a hard drive to SCSI ID#6 and terminating the hard drive will solve this problem Once the ZIP drive is connected and recognized by the sampler, you will need to format a ZIP disk using the Roland proprietary filesystem. It takes about 9 minutes to format a 100MB disk. After that, it's a very long process to get the ZIP drive functioning as an effective storage device because each individual sample disk needs to be loaded into the sampler and then saved over to a corresponding slot on the ZIP drive. There are 64 available slots to use on the ZIP drive and each slot will hold the equivalent of one 3.5" floppy disk. The HD5‑IF Owner's Manual provides detailed instructions about how to get things working. One important thing to note is that regardless of how big the ZIP drive is that you are using, the maximum storage capacity will always be 80MB per ZIP disk no matter what. This is a limitation of the S‑550 and W‑30 operating system. The largest hard drive partition recognized is 80MB and the ZIP drive is treated just like a regular hard drive. Keep this in mind when searching for a used ZIP drive to buy. A more expensive 250MB model with larger capacity ZIP disks will not offer any space advantages over a less expensive 100MB model.  I was able to find an inexpensive Z100S2 with power adapter and DB25 cable on eBay for under $17 (USD) so I decided to roll the dice. I can't say that I would or would not recommend using a ZIP drive with the S‑550 or W‑30. I think if you can find an inexpensive SCSI ZIP drive (and get an extra Active SCSI Terminator if it is the only external device connected to an S‑550), the ZIP drive is a great accessory. I'm still undecided about which is better... a USB/FDE or a ZIP drive, mainly because of the following PROS and CONS. Obviously, the best choice is to have both on the same system, but choosing one over the other is a tough decision Once you get a ZIP drive connected to your S‑550 or W‑30, here's a large collection of samples you can download. Each file is an 80MB ZIP disk image each containing 64 Roland sample disks. Once you load the ZIP disk image onto a blank ZIP disk, just pop it into the ZIP drive. Hassle free and no need to waste time loading individual floppy disks 192 Roland Sound Disks In ZIP Drive Image FormatThere is a ton of info about archiving/restoring large ZIP drive libraries to/from your S‑550 and W‑30 sampler at the ZIP‑A‑Dee‑Doo‑Dah! page. This page explains a powerful and inexpensive way to share ZIP Disks, Hard Drives and MicroSD cards. Don't let the technical stuff get in your way. Most of the processes use easy point and click utilities for Windows users. The advanced Terminal window commands are reserved for the Mac and LINUX crowd ;^) ZIP-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Library Archive TutorialSCSI ZIP PROS
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SCSI Hard Drive  As mentioned above, it's possible to connect a maximum of 4 external SCSI devices at a time to the S‑550 (w/optional HD5‑IF SCSI Card) or W‑30 (w/optional SCSI IC chip). Connecting a SCSI hard drive is a little tricky because only a few models will work. The HD5‑IF owner's manual states that there are only five hard drive models from 20MB to 80MB which can be used. However, there are some exceptions to that rule. I successfully connected a 160MB hard drive and it works just fine with my S‑550 and W‑30. There are other drives larger than 80MB which will also work, most of which are compatible with Apple hardware. The website at Neil's Webbly World has a list of compatible SCSI hard drives, some as large as 9GB! It's impossible to use all the available space on a 9GB drive because the maximum size recognized by the S‑550 and W‑30 O/S is 80MB. I think using a hard drive this size is significant to note because in the past, connecting an 80MB drive usually meant it was a hard drive already 25+ years old. Having the option of using a "newer" hard drive only 5+ years old sounds more promising for longevity The model I connected has a label on top which reads 'Quantum ProDrive ELS'. The actual model number and the size of the hard drive is somewhat hidden and you can't tell just from looking at the top label. The model number is hidden on the bottom label attached to the 50‑pin SCSI connector and reads '170S' which indicates this is a 160MB SCSI drive*. There are three jumpers on the PCB labeled A0, A1, A2 which are used to set the SCSI ID Select#. You will need to set this to something other than the default '#6' if you have any other device using SCSI ID #6. Detailed info about the jumper settings for the 170S is here. A large list of jumper settings for other makes and models is here * It's important to note that there are several Quantum ProDrive ELS hard drives with the exact same label on top. Not all of them are SCSI and they all have different storage capacities. The only way to ensure the hard drive will work with an S‑550 or W‑30 is by checking the model number shown on the bottom of the 50‑pin SCSI connector (click on the third image below) To get the S‑550 to recognize this hard drive, I had to boot from the HD5‑IF Ver. 1.03 Utility Boot Floppy Disk. To get the W‑30 to recognize this hard drive, I had to boot from the W‑30 Hard Drive And CD‑ROM Utility Disk v1.07. For the the S‑550, formatting the hard drive was easy by using the drop down menus MODE > DISK > MENU > Setup > COM. Next, click on HD Format. After the format process begins, the messages in order were; HD Formatting ** ‑ HD Initializing ‑ HD Saving System ‑ Working ‑ Complete. The process took only four minutes from beginning to end. Even though the size of this Quantum drive is 160MB, the S‑550 and W‑30 would format it to use only 80MB. This is a limitation of the S‑550 and W‑30 operating system. The hard drive storage area allows up to 64 slots per SCSI hard drive or ZIP drive (64 3.5" floppy disks). The maximum number of slots you can fill at one time using four SCSI storage devices would be 256 which is approximately 185MB (256 3.5" floppy disks). On a scale of 1 to 10 by today's storage capabilities, that's about a 1 VERY IMPORTANT: If you want the S‑550 or W‑30 to boot from the new hard drive and not from the floppy, see this link 
(Note: 50‑pin SCSI connector, not 40‑pin IDE) On my system, the SCSI ZIP drive is not recognized unless I boot from the CD‑5 System Boot Disk Ver. 1.00 (For unknown reasons, the current CD‑5 System Boot Disk Ver. 1.02 and the HD5‑IF System Boot Disk Ver. 1.03 will not work with my ZIP drive. If you have a similar setup, the only way to boot your system and have both SCSI hard drive and SCSI ZIP drive recognized at the same time may require booting from the CD‑5 System Boot Disk Ver. 1.00. One of the rare instances where an O/S upgrade is actually a downgrade 
(click for larger image and SIP info) A Note About On‑Board SCSI Hard Drive Terminating Resistors At the factory, Quantum installs two, sometimes three resistor networks in sockets on the PCB to terminate the SCSI bus. Only the first device (usually the host) and the last device on a SCSI bus should contain terminating resistors. When installing the Quantum ProDrive ELS in any other position on the SCSI bus, remove the terminating resistors. On my hard drive (Quantum ProDrive ELS / Model 170S), the terminating resistors are located near the 50‑pin SCSI connector. These are labeled on the PCB as RP41 and RP42. They are light green in color, have 10 pins, are 2mm x 25mm, socketed and labeled "E111G 213". I had no need to remove these since the hard drive is the only device in my SCSI chain. If you are experiencing problems, you may need to remove these if the hard drive is somewhere in the middle of the SCSI chain. If you plan to buy one of these used Quantum disk drives on eBay, you may want to verify with the seller that the terminating resistors have not been removed after years of use. If needed, you can find replacements for sale online. Do a search for Bussed Circuit SIP‑10 SCSI Device ID# Just like external CD‑ROM's and ZIP Drives for the S‑550 and W‑30, SCSI Device ID #7 is reserved as the main hardware ID# for the sampler so only use SCSI Device ID #0 through #6 when setting up a Hard Drive SCSI HD PROS
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 (80‑Pin SCA to 50/68‑Pin Adapter) The S‑550 and W‑30 normally use external 50‑Pin SCSI hard drives. It's possible to connect newer 80‑Pin UltraSCSI hard drives using an inexpensive 80‑pin to 50‑pin Single Connector Attachment SCSI Adapter Board (SCA). UltraSCSI SCA hard drives use one cable to supply all of the power and data. This adapter board separates the power from the data and lets you use an old‑style SCSI 50‑pin connector. UltraSCSI SCA adapter boards can be found on eBay and elsewhere for less than $5 (USD). The big advantage this offers is that you can use newer hard drives to replace your old 25+ year‑old dinosaurs which are slowly failing. Although you won't benefit from faster speeds or larger capacities, they do offer a less noisy environment and are more reliable. Compared to the older 50‑pin Quantum hard drives on eBay, these newer 80‑pin UltraSCSI hard drives are far less expensive. I bought an 18GB UltraSCSI hard drive for only $5 (USD) w/warranty. The last 50‑pin Quantum hard drive I bought was over $45 (USD) and it sounds like a broken blender. Setup is very easy and you can use your existing SCSI hard drive case. If you don't have an external SCSI hard drive case, old LaCie SCSI CDROM's are a good eBay purchase. Just pull‑out the CDROM mechanism, pop in the hard drive with the SCA Adapter Board and you're ready Not every UltraSCSI SCA hard drive will work. The S‑550 and W‑30 are still expecting to see a hard drive with the correct cylinder configuration. The hard drives I tested and verified were 18GB Quantum Atlas V, Model 37URC (Dell P/N: JP‑037URC) and 18GB Quantum Atlas 10K, Model 323U (Dell P/N: 0001323U). I'm not positive, but I'm guessing that just about any 9GB, 18GB, 36GB or 72GB Quantum UltraSCSI SCA hard drive with an SE jumper will work fine. Keep in mind that a smaller GB size will be faster to Format / Clone / Restore if you're planning on performing those tasks often  Complete DIY instructions for the UltraSCSI are here (Patience... large 9MB PDF file!) UltraSCSI HD PROS
SCSI2SD Device With MicroSD Cards (Very compact at only 100mm x 50mm; 4' x 2') This new SCSI device will emulate up to four 80MB hard drives on the S‑550 and W‑30. When configured correctly, it is also able to boot the sampler. Very convenient!!! Using a DB25‑F to 50‑pin adapter and a DB25‑M to DB25‑M SCSI cable, it plugs into the DB25‑F SCSI connector on the HD5‑IF card (S‑550), the SCSI connector of a W‑30 (KW‑30 IC Upgrade), an already connected hard drive (DB25‑M to 50‑pin SCSI cable) or an already connected ZIP drive (DB25‑M to DB25‑M SCSI cable) Configuration is very easy and it only takes a couple of minutes to setup. The only real "time burner" is having to format the four 80MB hard drive areas. The format process is still quite slow due to limitations of the ancient O/S on the sampler. This device uses up to four separate SCSI ID device numbers for the virtual 80MB hard drives and you can choose any four SCSI ID's between #0 and #6. It has a slot for a MicroSD card which it uses for storage (I recommend using a 2GB MicroSD card which will make archiving and duplicating your MicroSD card possible). A micro USB to USB cable is used to connect the SCSI2SD device to a computer for configuration and/or updating the firmware. The SCSI2SD is $70 plus you will also need a power supply, DB25‑F to 50‑pin to adapter, a 2GB (or larger) MicroSD card, micro USB to USB cable, DB25‑M to DB25‑M SCSI cable and an enclosure. My total investment was $105 which is a little pricey. However, this device now gives me the equivalent of four 80MB hard drives with no mechanical parts to fail and a minimal amount of external cases, cables and NOISE! The cost savings and convenience is substantial. I'll probably end up selling all of my very LOUD external hard drives and end up making a profit on this deal The basic steps for configuring a SCSI2SD for use with an S‑550 or W‑30 are
 Planning to connect additional ZIP Drives or Hard Drives? Example Setups HereSCSI2SD PROS
UPDATE: April 2018 Someone in the Roland Sampler Information Exchange Group on Facebook shared this info about an inexpensive microSD to SD card extension cable. The benefits are obvious. Easy access of the hard to reach microSD slot and also less wear and tear on the very fragile sub‑miniature solder connections on the PCB. These sell anywhere from $12 (USD) at amazon.com to as low as $2.50 (USD) on eBay. I'm using the $2.50 one from eBay. It is well made and working fine Note that this is a microSD to SD extension cable and not a direct microSD to microSD extension cable so you will also need an inexpensive microSD to SD card adapter. Most microSD cards have this extra adapter card included in the blister pack when you buy them new. As a bonus, I experimented with using the larger and less expensive SD cards* without any issues and the SCSI2SD is able to read and save data. Good to know if you have any unused large SD cards gathering dust * Tested using SanDisk and Kingston brand SD & microSD cards only  Are you using a v5.0α SCSI2SD board with an S‑550, W‑30, S‑750, S‑760 or S‑770? Ray Bellis has designed some very useful configuration scripts for Mac OS X and LINUX which will multi‑partition a MicroSD card into four sections. This enables you to access up to four virtual CD‑ROM's as *.ISO files (or four virtual Hard Drives) on one MicroSD card. If you are using it with an S‑550 or W‑30, a variation of these same scripts will enable partitioning for use with four virtual 80MB hard drives. Both of these configurations are useful if you plan to clone or copy large *.IMG files onto a MicroSD card. This method effectively eliminates the lengthy process of having to format four partitions separately for hours and hours using the snail‑like response of the ancient sampler O/S ‑ More Info Here* * * IMPORTANT SCSI2SD CORRECTIONS * * * If, in the past you used the SCSI2SD setup info from the DIY webpage prior to April 2018, I have updated it to correct a few items
KW‑30 SCSI UPGRADE KIT FOR THE W‑30 
When the metal plate labeled "OPTION" is removed from the back, underneath is a DB‑25 Female SCSI connector This SCSI connector is installed on all factory stock W‑30's  You can check to see if your W‑30 already has this optional SCSI IC installed without opening up the case. There are two ways to do this (Before continuing, you will need a copy of the W‑30 v1.07 Boot Disk for CD/HD)
Arm yourself with info and here's a $55 discount for ya... You can buy the same Fujitsu SCSI IC chip for only $5 (USD) then download the disk and instructions for free. Vendors on eBay are charging an extra $55 to send you the items in a box. The instructions are basically;
I found six eBay vendors selling the Fujitsu IC chip and one of the least expensive had a 2 for 1 special price of only $9 (USD). There were several available as of October 2019 * FYI: when plugging in the Fujitsu MB89352AP IC chip, take note that the machine tooled IC socket installed by Roland is absolutely horrible. It takes an unusually large amount of force to seat the chip correctly. I had to apply so much pressure that I ended up removing the main PCB so I could support the back section. I was worried about cracking the PCB. It was that difficult!!! It's very hard to see because of the tight quarters, but ensure that all the pins are seated securely. Initially, when I installed the IC in my W‑30, the IC chip kept popping out until I reseated it firmly and the pins were all the way down into the sockets Here's the info you need to get your W‑30 working with SCSI devices;
 And... if you think I'm exaggerating about what I consider to be price gouging by Roland, take a look at page 16 under KW‑30 Manual for Service and you will see this notice which makes you think that Roland did not want any W‑30 owners to see how easy the upgrade is; 
Good Morning Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to........ The Elusive External SCSI CD‑ROM  W‑30 External CD‑ROM I was finally able to connect an external CD‑ROM to my W‑30 which actually works. It's an AppleCD 150 with a Sony CDU‑541‑25 internal mechanism + caddy. Other mechanisms which also work with the W‑30 are the Plextor PX‑43CS and Panasonic CR‑508. None of these models will play audio CD's from the sampler menu like the Roland CD‑5 model does... but I can live with that. I had no idea how cool it is to have CD‑ROM access on my sampler. The W‑30 menu for calling up sounds is a dream compared to using floppies or a USB/FDE. I'm finally able to access all those S‑50 / S‑550 / S‑330 / W‑30 sample disks on the Roland L‑CD1 CD. 165 Floppies worth. Whew! It's been a long wait!!! Rutger Verberkmoes has posted the Roland L‑CD1 CD as a disk image file you can download and burn to CD. The instructions at that webpage are somewhat confusing so I have created an easy 10‑step "L‑CD1 Extract & Burn Guide". The instructions are geared towards Mac users but the app used in the guide also works with a Windows PC. A list of all the floppies on the Roland L‑CD1 CD is here If you're really feeling adventurous, you can download and burn W‑30 Collection CD #1 and W‑30 Collection CD #2 available at this page. I've also included some notes about the process I used to create these custom W‑30 CD‑ROM's SCSI Device ID# Just like external Hard Drives and ZIP Drives for the S‑550 and W‑30, SCSI Device ID #7 is reserved as the main hardware ID# for the sampler so only use SCSI Device ID #0 through #6 when setting up a CD‑ROM  S‑550 External CD‑ROM I have completely given up hope in my search for a CD‑ROM to connect to my S‑550. The AppleCD 150 came sooooo very close to working. It's recognized by the O/S, ejects CD's and passes the SCSI test menus but when loading Patches or Tones it locks‑up the S‑550. Most of the info I've read on the Internet shows that the only CD‑ROM compatible with the S‑550 is the Roland CD‑5. Just from looking at the inside of a CD‑5, you can tell it's not a normal CD‑ROM. Off to the side of the mechanism is an additional SCSI board unlike regular Apple CD‑ROM's I have seen AppleCD 150 Caddy Eject Malfunction Some AppleCD 150 mechanisms will stop working because they continuously eject the caddy. Over time, defective capacitors on the logic PCB will start to leak. This is a very common problem with Sony CDU‑541 mechanisms and similar Sony mechanisms. AsteronTech has put together a detailed repair guide for replacing the nine defective capacitors. Note: The replacement guide at AsteronTech uses ceramic capacitors in place of electrolytic capacitors to reduce the chance of capacitors leaking in the future. I'm traditional and prefer to use components exactly as shown in schematics. I have compiled a list of mouser.com parts which are exact replacements here W‑30 Jog Wheel And Encoder Replacement Several quality options for replacing your jog wheels and/or encoders W‑30 Jog Wheel & Encoder DIY     
Real‑Time Filter Control For Your W‑30 A very cool, easy and inexpensive DIY using a minimal amount of parts. These same functions can be performed using the Roland EV‑5 or EV‑7 Expression Pedal W‑30 Real‑Time Filter Control DIY Video (This Links To A YouTube Video)
S‑550 And W‑30 Firmware: EPROM's or OTP EPROM's? It is unknown what the final firmware versions are for these two samplers but I suspect they are v2.00 (S‑550) and v1.03 (W‑30) S‑550 
OTP EPROMS Soldered Onto The S‑550 Main Board These OTP EPROM's are found on later production runs The S‑550 has a pair of EPROM's on the Main Board labeled IC#3 and IC#6 which contain the sampler firmware. Depending on the production year, these IC's are either EPROM's with Quartz windows or One‑Time Programmable EPROM's (OTP). The easiest way to tell is:
Quartz Window EPROMS (W‑30 & S‑550) These S‑550 EPROM's are found on earlier production runs If your S‑550 has EPROM's with Quartz windows, they are either v1.00 or v2.00. If they are OTP EPROM's they are v2.00. If you have OTP EPROM's, there is no need to upgrade. In fact... you probably can't upgrade because v2.00 is most likely the final version. The part numbers shown on both of my OTP EPROM's are LH57F003. This is a Roland manufactured version of the Sharp LH57128‑20 OTP EPROM. It can be read and backed‑up using an EPROM burner but obviously, it will be next to impossible to unsolder it safely from the Main Board without taking a chance on breaking fragile PCB traces. My advice would be to just keep things as they are. Since it's v2.00, you can download the binary code for the other v2.00 version I have which was read from my earlier production S‑550. It has EPROM's with a Quartz window. Keep this binary file as a backup if needed. If either of your OTP EPROM's on the Main Board go bad, simply use this backup binary code to burn a regular EPROM, unsolder the defective ones, install a 28‑pin socket, pop in the freshly burned EPROM and your sampler will be good to go. If your S‑550 already has socketed EPROM's installed, you can easily backup your firmware and/or upgrade to a more current firmware if you have an EPROM reader/burner Note: Unlike the W‑30, the S‑550 does not use ODD or EVEN EPROM's. Both IC#3 and IC#6 contain identical firmware code so you only need to backup one of the EPROM's and burn two of the same EPROM's when duplicating To check the current firmware version of your S‑550 EPROM's, a monitor needs to be connected to the RGB port of the sampler
Ver # disp
MT25 ROM. Ver. 2.00 11 SEP/87
S‑550 SYS. Ver 1.13 26 OCT/88
W‑30 Every W‑30 I have ever seen (early and late production models) have both EPROM's IC#19 (EVEN) and IC#20 (ODD) socketed so they are much easier to work with. Also, I've never seen any version other than v1.03. The only real need to make copies of these two EPROM's would be to have a backup available in the event the electrons deplete over time. For more info about electron depletion, see the EPROM Quick Start Guide To check the current firmware version of the W‑30 ROM's, power on the sampler while holding down the [ F1 ] button A message similar to the following will be displayed: W‑30 ROM Ver 1.03 [01/21] Binary files for creating your own S‑550 and W‑30 EPROM's may be downloaded for free at the Synth & Sampler Binaries Webpage
 Factory supplied info for repairing S‑50 hardware and software bugs S‑50 Service Information SheetsMain PCB Board Assemblies And Power Supplies S‑550 There are four different models of the S‑550 sampler. Each one uses a different transformer (110V, 117V, 220V or 240V). The DIY's shown above were installed and tested on five different S‑550 samplers. Four of the models tested use the 117V transformer and the fifth uses a 240V transformer. 117V And 240V transformer systems use identical Power Supply Board Assembly PCB's. Main CPU Board Assembly silkscreen part numbers on the five models tested were 
W‑30 There are two different models of the W‑30 sampler each using a different Power Supply Board (110V/117V & 220V/240V). The DIY's shown above were installed and tested on two W‑30 models using only the 110V/117V transformer model. The Main CPU Board Assembly silkscreen part numbers on both models tested was
100V / 117V Power Board ‑ Roland P/N: 22443588 / MSA817 220V / 240V Power Board ‑ Roland P/N: 22443589 / MSA818 The schematic for this power supply is absent from the W‑30, S‑330, S‑750 and S‑760 Service Notes. A stripped down schematic and component layout does appear in the S‑770 Service Notes. However, there are no component values listed... only the PCB silkscreen numbers. This model is extremely difficult to repair because TDK also took extra precautions to protect their design by encasing some of the circuitry inside a shell of polyresin. Thus, some of these components can't be replaced or even identified. Thanks soooooo much :^( Disclaimer
Listed above are the Main PCB Board Assembly model numbers used for testing these DIY's. It's highly unlikely, but there is always a possibility that some modifications and add‑on gadgets will not work with other Main PCB Board Assembly models. Modifications made to any factory stock equipment will always pose an element of risk. Sometimes mistakes are made which are irreversible. The author is not responsible for any damage or injury resulting from this DIY info. Use this DIY information at your own risk Spare Parts Cross Reference Chart  I've compiled a small cross reference chart which is useful for matching duplicate spare parts on Roland synths and samplers. I use this list to find spares on broken equipment bargains found at eBay auctions. I just bought an S‑220 for only $23 which has enough spare parts for 19 different Roland synths and samplers. Gotta love eBay! Spare Parts Cross Reference Cart Tips For DIY Freaks Who Like To Save $$$. I picked this selection of gadgets and vendors because of the extremely LOW cost. I use everything shown here almost every day and highly recommend each one Favorite DIY Tools And DIY VendorsSafety Precautions and Disclaimer
Modifications made to any factory stock equipment will always pose an element of risk. Sometimes mistakes are made which are irreversible. Improper soldering and handling of electricity can cause serious injury and damage the synthesizer. Use caution when handling static sensitive devices and the PCB. Make sure you are properly grounded, working on a static‑free workbench or table and wearing eye protection during any soldering tasks. The author is not responsible for any damage or injury resulting from this DIY info. Use this DIY information at your own risk. And, I can't stress enough, the importance of wearing eye protection while soldering. That stuff flies everywhere sometimes!
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