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I don't have anything to add to the many updates you've listed here, but just wanted to say do keep us up to date on your build of this ultimate machine!

Thanks, I'm on the 8580s and I bought some copper heat sinks for them so perhaps I'll just leave my fan disconnected. Be interested if any users of other chips have found quieter fans.

Tried a few fans for my MB6582 build, they are all pretty noisy. Anyone recommend one that doesn't sound louder than my computer?

What are your tips and techniques for programming sounds? I've been messing around with the synth for a while and using it for some nice sounds, but I don't feel I've mastered the unusual architecture of this synth yet, despite some very nice happy accidents. This morning I started to get my head around wavetables, and while they seem powerful I'm still not sure how to make the best use of them. Alongside the presets thread I thought it might be good to start a thread sharing tips...

And here's the finished box =). All working very nicely now.

It's working! 2 dud LEDs in the matrix was causing the CS to misinterpret button presses. Didn't realise they were dud for ages.

Back to my issue with menu, shift, and navigation right of the display buttons not working. Iv'e replaced shift registers, replaced all the transistors for the switches, and checked all joints in that area. Still no luck fixing the problem and I'm at a loss now what to do next.

@jayteeIt was still dropping the 5v to 1v, but eventually I fixed the problem. I am not entirely sure where it was as I went through a very long process of checking for shorts and reseating ICs. Anyway, it's working now, I have sound from my two SIDs, information on my screen and lights on my control surface. Now to sort out the buttons that still aren't working, so will return to my CS troubleshooting on the other thread. Thanks @jayteeand @Hawkeyefor you help with this one. It was a total pain but I have come out the other side with a better understanding of how this machine works thanks to your advice.

My first test showed constant continuity between the ground and 5v. Some checking and fixing a couple of suspect looking joints and it's now just showing continuity briefly when I first connect the probe. I've disconnected the control surface and that's fine, the short is on the main board. Also took of the DC convertor and that's working fine on it's own directly connected to the PSU I'm using. I guess it's just a case of continuing to hunt for a short on the main board. Visually I've inspected the whole thing and it's not obvious to me yet...

@jayteeThanks, really helpful, will reply on the power supply issue on the power supply thread. Sorry for confusing things with multiple threads!

Only had time for a quick test this evening, but yes, there's some continuity between 5v and ground. Now to hunt down the short...

@HawkeyeThanks! Ah yes I did that, thanks for clarifying the terminology. My external PSU is still delivering 12v without being connected, and also 12v coming into the power in jack on the PCB when it is connected. I'll check for shorts where I was working when I get home later. I suspect it is the base board as I was trying to track down another problem and resoldering some joints just before it happened.

Thank you both, really appreciate your ideas. I'll have a look at implementing them tonight. Just wanted to ask what you mean Peter about running the PSU unloaded, how would I do that? Sorry for my ignorance! I've removed the ICs for now to avoid damage.

Thanks for this tutorial. I followed and had a working power supply on my unit. I have just been doing some final troubleshooting of the switches on the control surface and the power supply has failed. I've still got 9v on the 9v rail, but only 1v on the 5v rail and the switching regulator is getting really hot. I hadn't been changing anything in the power supply area, just messing with the control surface. I did plug a stereo jack into the core 1 socket right before this happened. My thinking is I need to replace that switching regulator for 5v, but I'm cautious to understand what caused this. It does appear to be still doing something, just outputting well below the voltage it should. Any thoughts?

Thanks, I tried Q1-Q4 to no success. Tracing the switches I am fairly sure that it must be one of the transistors, either/both t5 and t6 as they are both in the path for those switches and more delicate than other components. I've ordered some replacements so will try them. Unfortunately my power supply (Option E) now seems to have failed. The 5v rail has dropped to around 1v and the switching regulator is getting really hot. I wasn't doing any reworking of the power supply section so I am a bit baffled as to what has happened with it. 12v is coming into the machine fine, and the 9v rail is OK. I'm wondering if the regulator for 5v is broken, although it's still doing something as I get some voltage out of it and it's heating up in use. Wondering if I should replace the 5v regulator, but I'm cautious about what has caused this.

I've narrowed it down to the direction buttons to the right of the screen, the menu and shift buttons and the lfo waveform select button, all of which are in a similar area of the control surface. They all seem to select a function related to the modulation matrix when I press them, although each a different one. Using the utility in the button troubleshooting guide I can see they are all outputting midi notes, although I found it hard to interpret this as a number of buttons across the control surface seem to output the same midi note, including some that are working fine with the mb6582 software. I tried again swapping out some of the shift registers from the SID modules on cores I'm not currently using for SIDs. That didn't change the behaviour which suggests to me the shift registers themselves are OK. I couldn't understand how to use the shift register tool. I get I need to test voltage across some pins but not sure which ones as I'm not knowledgeable enough to quite understand the instructions. Lots of checking joints, cleaning and checking for any shorts but still not getting there. So close to a fully functioning mb6582 yet so far! :)

Thank you, I hadn't spotted that guide so will work through it now. They are activating, but seem to be selecting something to do with modulation. When I press menu a column and row of the matrix flashes and it toggles through some modulation pages. Shift also. Filter mode seems to be working now. I thought it might be diodes or switches in the matrix section not right so have checked and re flowed all those joints too.

Almost there with this build, so close now thanks to everyone's help directly and in the many existing posts I have trawled. The next issue I have is a few of the buttons on the control surface are not doing what they should: Shift Menu Filter Mode I think some of the buttons on the side of the screen also. I went through schematics in another thread of the switch matrix and figured out it's JD8 and JD5 cables and associated areas on the main board that are associated with the switches. I've tried swapping around shift registers (I don't have spares), and also checking the solder joins around JD8 and JD5 as well as the switches themselves. No change to behaviour. The control surface to main board connections are solid. Also checked diode orientation on the CS board. All looks OK. Could the transistors have died? Any other pointers for troubleshooting this?

So thanks to Jepyang who messaged me I sorted this out, I'd installed the wrong hex file and not the MB6582 one. Thanks Jepyang!

Thanks to latigid on I now have a working MB6582 base board. I can control it through MIDI and it's outputting some great sounds and the synth engine all seems to be working great. The LCD is also fine, however having some trouble with the control surface and wondered if anyone had any more ideas for me to try. I get LEDs on, and the pots control things on the LCD, but they don't seem to control the functions they should, and jump around the navigation when turned, with some LEDs seemingly randomly turning on and off with them. Very few of the buttons seem to work, but one or two do, again performing random functions. I've done a very thorough check of soldering, a couple of bad joints seemed to affect the behaviour but still quite random. Reading threads on here I wondered if the shift registers were at fault. I don't have any spares, but I did try swapping some of them from the SID section of the board (in unused SID slots) to the control surface section but that made no difference. I figured this is unlikely to be the problem if swapping around doesn't make any difference - I wouldn't have damaged all of them I don't think. Any other ideas for things I can try?

Thank you, jumper 11 was the issue! Software all sorted now, at least on the first PIC. Now just trying to get the control surface working...

Thanks for the ideas! I did forget to put the opto couplers in to start with but in now. I guess they could be bad but not sure how to know for sure. I do need to order a few more parts for the feedback knobs so could add a replacement to the order to be sure. I've tried two midi interfaces. And RME fireface 400 and a native instruments machine. Both worked fine with loopback. I could try another computer I guess. I thought the IDs for the PICs were set later, but have to admit to finding that confusing. Do you have to set the IDs when flashing the bootloader? I thought it was when installing the software to subsequent PICs to the master one with MIOS studio. I looked at the resources for changing IDs but it didn't make much sense if I can't detect the PICs in MIOS studio in the first place. Have I misunderstood how this works?

I'm trying to get a newly built MB6582 up and running and having some problems with the PIC software, I wonder if anyone can help. I've flashed the bootloader onto the PICs as per the instructions, and they verify OK. I'm now trying to get the software installed over MIDI. In MIOS studio I don't get any input when turning the MB6582 on. I've been through the MIDI troubleshooting, and everything seems fine apart from looping back the tx and rx pins on the PIC, where I don't see any loopback. I've checked all the joints and reflowed any that looked in any way suspect. Any ideas?

Thanks, that's kind of you. Will DM. Just watching the videos and seeing if my skills are up to it!

Just spent a while researching hardware sequencers to get creative with and found this project. Amazing, props to everyone who has contributed to it. I'm in two minds about building it. Looks like a nice challenge but also short of time for hobbies at the moment. Are there people on this forum who do building for others?