Shruthi in an old Korg Poly61

Technology Synth-DIY
#1

Posted over at muffs as well in the DIY section…

I have an old poly61 I was planning on repairing, but don’t think it’s worth the effort. So I was thinking of replacing the guts with a Shruthi XT!
Where I’m sorta stumped is on how I can connect the keyboard to the Shruthi while still maintaining external Midi input. Or really how to input it at all.

Anyone know how to I can implement that?

#2

Just get a MIDI merger and integrate that internally.

#3

With a MIDI merger box.

#4

I’m still looking for possibilities for how to convert what I think is a V per oct keyboard to the main board.

Also just realized I posted under the DIY modules section. Apologies guys.

#5

Wait, the MIDI out of this thing doesn’t work?

#6

Nope, no Midi to start with in Poly61’s. Korg didn’t add midi until about a year later with the Poly61 M (M for midi).

#7

CV to MIDI converter. Plenty around now. You could make some custom change to the shruthi firmware and roll your own converter, but will it really perform any better? maybe if you were making 1,000 of them the cost saving would be worthwhile.

#8

So essentially thats what one would to to make the keybed a permanent fixture? Any instructional resources out there that you’re aware of for that?

Edit: I’m going to pull it apart and take some pictures for you to see

#9

There are MIDI upgrades that work with both the poly61 and poly6. If the CPU on the board is fried, that won’t help though.

#10

The CPU is fried I believe.

But alas I’ve found what i’d need… http://www.analoguehaven.com/doepfer/ctm64/

#11

I’d be interested in the guts of the Poly 61, I work on them often and could use the spare parts

#12

Also, you can connect the keybed of the Poly61 to a Midi CPU from Highly Liquid to send midi to the shruthi. You wouldn’t need the P61’s CPU or voice board if you did that.
So: P61 keys > Midi CPU > Shruthi

#13

Wouldn’t it be easier to sell the poly61 and buy a midi master keyboard to build in the shruthi XT?

#14

@shiftr Loads easier, but who wants easy? :smiley:

@scttcmpbll Thats precisely what I had in mind! apologies on my poor articulation of what was in my minds eye. Thanks a lot for pointing me in that direction!

#15

And not to forget that the poly61 and poly6 have very bad aging keyboards.

#16

Definitely want a good Fatar keybed if you can.

#17

if you ever see a quasimidi cyber 6 get it it has midi a and b and theres enough room in there to fit a few shruthi it has a 8 track sequencer and 2 special arps and can do keyboard splits and does wavesequencing

#18

For a cheap synth you can “hack” and put a Shruthi in it doesn’t get much cheaper than an M-audio Venom. Has a rather edgy VA engine and USB audio interface built in too. Keyboard action isn’t the best but they sell for around £120 or less.