KORG 01/W Backlight Replacement Instructions
A word of warning: Don't do it!
DISCLAIMER: These instructions are in no way fool-proof or all encompassing. In no way should these instructions be relied upon as a guarantee that you will not accidentally damage your keyboard, electrocute yourself or anyone else in your household, set your place on fire, etc. You are responsible for your own actions. You assume all liability.
I have posted these instructions as an addendum to other instructions on the Internet.
This site has instructions on backlight replacement of the Korg Wavestation
This video will help you understand how the backlight is removed, soldered, etc.
Some sites sell backlights for $60.00. However I purchased my backlight for $28.00 (shipping included) on Ebay.
The DMF5005N circuit board "sandwich" sells online for anywhere between $45.00 and $500.00 plus shipping. Most sites strangely don't even quote prices (!) or they don't want to lift a finger for orders less than $500. If I'm wasting your time then I just won't patronize your business! Thank you very much! Through persistence I actually found one vendor up in the Seattle area (through word of mouth) who sold me one for $45.00. This saved the day for me as I screwed up my DMF5005N by making the mistake of opening it (as described below). So these other high priced vendors must be committing highway robbery if they are charging 10 times as much as the one vendor that I found. The DMF5005N part is no longer made so you will need to find someone who still has a residual inventory.
VENDOR DMF5005N PRICES VARY GREATLY !!!
(I have no idea if the DMF5005N's that these vendors sell are even the right ones. The box header must be straight as described further down this web page.)
ShipEIO.com - ?? - $25.00 (sold out)
SuperTronix - Tukwila, WA - $45.00 (I bought the last one they had in stock)
PinnacleMicro.com - Santa Ana, CA - $112.87
BigEStock.com - Costa Mesa, CA - $131.25
L7inc.us - Austin, TX - $165.00
PLCcenter.com - Lumberton, NJ - $154.50
FastToBuy.com - China - $110.00 + shipping
Ebay vendors from China - typically $125 + $50 shipping
Beware of ordering stuff from abroad!
4StarElectronics - San Clemente, CA - $300 (!)
UsBid.com - $400 (!)
BlueFinInternational - Newport Beach, CA - $500 (!)
PrbLogics.com - Costa Mesa, CA - $500 (!)
Over the years the LED display on the Korg 01/W begins to slowly fade. It's still legible and perfectly functional even with the backlight fading out. Accordingly before you think about embarking on replacing the backlight you should really think twice about this because it is a major headache and has serious risks including death by electric shock!
For starters you should be very good at opening up and fixing things like computers. You should also have some experience at soldering, or at least practice a little first on some old junk computer parts.
Not knowing exactly what to do, this job will take you perhaps 6 - 8 hours to complete. If you're lucky that will be the last time. But understand that there are risks! Electrostatic discharge may damage a circuit board -- although "electrostatic discharge" is a little like the mythical Chupacabra. I've read all about it but I've never ever fried a part in my entire life of working on computers. You might accidentally snap a circuit board. Or you might encounter problems like I did. Notice how the display in the middle is faded out. Also the lower part of the LED did not display on the right side, almost cutting off part of the "V127" display. I wound up having to take the whole thing apart many more times, realigning the backlight and then trying to clamp and tighten the display on again. The problem only got worse. The mistake I made was unclamping the DMF5005N circuit board "sandwich". Leave it clamped together! There is NO way around this! It's a catch 22 situation because the backlight is GLUED to the circuit board. Your best hope is to try to either squeeze the new backlight through the unglued LED side, but you'll risk it getting stuck. More than likely you will need to try to unglue the old burnt out backlight with some sort of long, thin utility blade, unsolder the terminals, then pull that old backlight out. Then solder the two power terminals of the new backlight after you slide it into place. Then test turning it on (without screwing all of the other circuit board screws together). Trust me, you'll want to make sure it works before you spend many hours screwing everything back together, then if the backlight doesn't light unscrewing it apart all over again.
Notice how lines of LED display are missing both across the top of the patch name as well as across the bottom of the mixer faders. This was the best result I was able to get, and so I finally had to order an entire new display (part # DMF5005N).
Do NOT take apart the DMF5005N. The zebra stripped terminals found inside are EXTREMELY precarious. Apparently if pressure is not perfectly and evenly distributed, then parts of the LED will fail to display. Once you take it apart, it will very likely NEVER clamp back on exactly the same way again. I tried and tried adjusting the clamps with the unit turned on to no avail. Very very frustrating.
BELOW: The DMF5005N taken apart. This is something you should NOT do! The backlight is placed inside the painted white box line area. Notice the zebra stripped terminals on the lower and upper part of the circuit board. I found it impossible to get these to properly press against the LED panel. The connection is ultra sensitive! Eventually, after repeated tries, the little metal clamps will grind down through the circuit board and make contact with metal inside. At that point you'll be 100% screwed.
You'll need an assortment of Phillips screwdrivers (average size and one a size smaller). You'll need a soldering iron and a cheap soldering pump (to suck up excess solder when removing the old backlight). You'll need some pillows to lay the 01/W on upside down (this will protect the bender / pitch knob). You'll need to create some sort of screw organizers (such as pill boxes). I just cut up some paper cups and found a few other containers around the house. You'll also need some tape to label each cup 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. As you are unscrewing the parts inside the Korg 01/W you will need to label each screw hole. You will also label where cables connect and where they are fed through. You will also need some needle nose pliers to turn the little black clamps that hold the backlight in place between the LED and circuit board. And finally you'll need some sort of slim but long utility blade that will reach about 1/2 way through the DMF5005N (cutting away the glue from either side).
I've seen some tutorials on the Internet explaining step by step detail. I think it's better just to understand what parts come out, then use common sense in examining and removing them. If you are good at taking things apart then you shouldn't have much trouble. The most important thing to remember is to label each and every screw and cable that you remove. Also snap pictures of each stage of removal. Also be sure to label where cables are fed. DO NOT CUT ANY CORNERS! Label everything or you will be sorry!
DEATH WARNING: the black cylindrical caps on the yellow power supply circuit board are charged capacitors and they carry LETHAL charges even AFTER the unit has been turned off and unplugged for perhaps up to 24 hours! You may wish to WAIT a day after the unit has been unplugged before opening it up.
Step 1 is to unscrew the metal plate underneath the synthesizer. Leave the rubber legs screwed on.
Step 2 is to remove the first circuit board.
Step 3 is to remove the audio outs.
Step 4 is to loosen the bender knob and foil that covers it.
Step 5 is to remove the keyboard.
Step 6 is to loosen the power supply, being very careful not to touch the black cylindrical caps.
Step 7 is to remove the long rail.
Step 8 is to remove the bottom circuit board.
Step 9 is to unsolder the old burnt out backlight, remove it with a long utility blade,
Step 10 is to insert the new backlight, make sure that it's aligned, then solder it in.
Step 11 is to test the LED by putting the other circuit boards back together (without the screws), plugging the data and power cables back in (being very careful not to touch the black cylindrical caps), and then powering it on. Cross your fingers and hope that the LED displays normally!
Step 12 is to screw everything back together in reverse order (being very careful not to touch the black cylindrical caps).
Below: A view of the Korg 01/W after the first circuit board has been removed...
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BELOW: Step 6 is to loosen the power supply so that the long rail can be slid out. There is no need to remove the screws located outside of the unit by the power switch. For some of these screws you will need to use tape to lift them out because there is just not enough room to stick your fingers in there.
WARNING: the black cylindrical caps on the yellow power supply circuit board are charged capacitors and they carry LETHAL charges even AFTER the unit has been turned off and unplugged for perhaps up to 24 hours! You may wish to WAIT a day after the unit has been unplugged before opening it up.
Sliding the long rail out. Notice how I left the aluminum foil attached to the rail. There is no need to remove the aluminum from the rail...
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Notice how I have labeled similar screws as the same number (example: "17").
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Pay attention to where cables are fed through and where wire clamps screw on. Snap pictures. Note that in this picture I have yet to stick on numbered labels. Also be sure to stick numbered labels on plastic connectors and respective connection points seen to the left. Finally notice how the green grounding screw, the ribbon cable and the gray power cable all feed through the cut in the aluminum foil.
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Below: The second circuit board is removed to reveal the third and last circuit board - the DMF5005N - the one we want to "operate on"....
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The final destination is this circuit board - the DMF5005N! Sandwiched inside is the backlight that will be replaced. Unsolder its two tiny connector points. Use a long skinny knife to unglue the old backlight, then pull it out. There is no need to "glue" the new backlight in place. Just be sure that it is aligned in the middle, otherwise part of the LED text will get cut off.
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In case you may ever need to replace the DMF5005N circuit board, this is how the data cable comes out...
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The terminals appear to pierce in between and miss the wires that they need to contact until you zoom in...
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Also note how the ribbon data cable must connect straight in. Some DMF5005N circuit boards on the market have an angled box header. This presents a major problem.
Angled box header connectors will not fit....
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Angled ribbon connector (box header) on a DMF5005N like this one will not fit. Do NOT buy a circuit board with an angled box header. Yes I did by mistake. I later tried clipping the pins off right before the 90 degree turn points and plugging in a straight box header. Didn't work. No connection.
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Also if you attempt to unsolder the pins and accidentally pull out one of the copper eyelets you are screwed. I tried unsoldering the pins and EVERY SINGLE copper eyelet came out, making the circuit board a piece a junk.
What very fortunately finally worked for me is that I tried unclamping the LCD side of the new circuit board that I bought, and clamping it to the circuit board side of my original "sandwich" and the thing worked when I tested it!
