Korg 01/W sticky keys repair
This is meant to be a description of my experiences concerning the “sticky keys” problem with the Korg 01/W. See the excellent On-Line Guide to the 01/W by Ken Westover or join the 01/W mailing list to get more information on the 01/W. Maybe you want to listen to the 01/W factory demo while reading this stuff. Recorded it with the 01/W directly plugged into the AX-44 expansion unit of my Yamaha DSP-Factory.
Update (May 15, 2007):
Emmanuel KATZ sent me his french translation Réparation du symptôme des «touches collantes» du KORG 01/w of this article with the kind offer to provide it here for download, available either as zipped MS Word document (8.2 MB) or as PDF file (1.5 MB).
Besides owning and playing synths like Korg 01/W, Korg 707, Roland U-20 and E-MU Classic Keys, Emmanuel’s profession is being a project leader in development. Visit him at OSymbian.com.
Update (May 20, 2007):
Robert Viands posted a link to his website where he describes his experiences with fixing sticky keys on the 01/W without taking it completely apart. Check this out.
Update (August 03, 2008):
My 01/W suffered from a “no sound” problem due to leaking electrolytic capacitors on the mainboard. See this article for a description of how this could be remedied.
Got the 01/W in 1992 as the winner of the monthly Keyboards Give-Away. Since then there were many hours playing the instrument on stage and at home. About four years ago some keys moved more and more sluggishly until they finally got stuck every now and then. Recently the battery went low and I decided to get rid of the problems by fixing them myself.
Unplugged the power cable and put the 01/W on a thick cloth to prevent damage on the panel. Removed the bottom plate and looked at tons of printed circuit boards. Decided to avoid static electricity and sat down to have a coffee and meditate.
The joystick panel shield. It had to be removed to get the keyboard out.
Part of the CPU board. The CPU board had to be removed to get the keyboard out. Red circle showing the battery holder. The battery is a CR2032.
The aftertouch board and a closer look on the activator strip.
The CPU board after being removed. Again decided to strictly avoid static electricity.
Lots of screws lying around well assorted for later reassembly.
Even more screws, and again assorted.
The keyboard after being removed without any hurts. Thought the fridge would be a nice background. Paid attention to the aftertouch strip.
The aftertouch strip.
The remains of the 01/W, bottom-view.
The remains of the 01/W, top-view. Nice fridge, isn’t it?
The keyboard viewed from the left. Tried to come across the mechanism. Basically it all works without the grease. The key is hanging on a small plastic clamp on the bottom side. The action feeling is produced by the combination of a spring in the middle and a lead weight on the inner front.
It took some time, still tried. I have learned that it is not just the lubricant getting sticky which then causes problems but the lubricant combined with the dust & dirt getting stuck even worse then in the mechanism. After cleaning the keyboard it slightly worked without any grease as there is nothing in it to rub inherently. The lubricant does it’s job if you deeply strike the keyboard bending the keys to the left or right.
Meanwhile put the keyboard onto the table and removed the fixing strip.
Removed a key and meditated.
Removed some more keys and meditated.
Removed all keys and suddenly knew where all the dust and dirt had gone. Ken Westover writes: “Several users highly recommend completely removing the delicate activator strip before doing any work. This takes more time, but activators are easily damaged while working on the keys.” Didn’t believe this and thus had to pay my bill: Later, while re-fixing the keys, there were three activators bent off. Thank god, they did not break and I had a fair chance to fix it. Of course, I had to remove the activator strip for this, so why not do it right now ?
Cleaned the keyboard and fussily removed the sticky old grease. Spent a long time looking for the right lubricant. Took an ivory key with grease on it and went to some electronic and modelling shops to hear what they would recommend. Actually Klüberpaste, which is also used for VCR or tape-deck repairs, made it. Did not try teflon-lubricants that may be the better choice in the long run (out of stock). Prepared 10ml of Klüberpaste in a shot.
The freshly greased keyboard. Needed only 2ml. Reassembled my 01/W and got lucky. It’s a bit like having a new one. New battery and one of the best keyboards one can have. Don’t know how long the lubricant will do it, but yet it works great.
PS: Still great in 2011 
Hi Hajo
Great Site, Congrats.
I have a 01w and some buttons in the panel do not work, the arrow keys for example. Is there a way to fix them?
Best Regards
Hi Balboa,
some folks do a button cleaning with DeoxIT, but as you have to completely dismantle the 01/W anyway, I’d recommend a replacement; the appropriate part is a 6x6x9.5 mm tact switch. See this article with photos.
Regards,
Hajo
Hope I’m not asking a question that’s been asked before. A few questions re: lcd dimming problems on my 01/Wfd. Over the years it seems my lcd screen has lost much of it’s brilliance. It’s one of those things that happens very slowly over a long period of time so you don’t notice until…..
I still use it in performance and it’s gotten to the point that I need to bend directly over the screen (in a darkened room) to view properly. I’ve read comments in this forum about replacing the “backlight”. Is that all that needs to be done, or do I need to replace the whole lcd “unit”? What part do I need to order and from where? The last time I brought the board in for repair/cleaning the shop had to wait 3 months for a part from China. Is there a place in the states that would have this part available? I intend to do it myself.
TIP – For those who need to remove the scratches and polish-up the lcd screen clear plastic overlay (or any other clear plastic), I’ve used “novus” scratch remover & polish kit with great success. If done carefully, following directions, it will virtually restore the clear plastic to like-new condition. It’s a 3-bottle , 3-step proceedure. Costs about $15.00. Actually a product that works “as advertised”!
Thanks Hajo for a great, clean & simple forum. I can’t believe it took me so long to find out about it!
Sorry I forgot the “novus” product info:
NOVUS INC.
http://www.novuspolish.com
[edit: phone number removed by Hajo]
Hi BigBillKahuna,
for a reference on how to replace the el-foil, maybe see this article. It is not the whole display but just the backlight that needs to be replaced. I am not familiar with distributors in the U.S., so I would recommend to do a web search for shops nearby you. We ordered the backlight from MIDI-Rakete in Germany, who also ship worldwide, btw.
Regards,
Hajo
hello hajo,
my 01w pro x has two sticky keys. how can i grease them. do you have any description or pictures of this weighted action keyboard?
regards
johannes
Tengo un 01wProX (88 keys) y tengo que cambiar la batería, empecé ha hacerlo pero despues de quitar muchos tornillos no me atreví, incluso veo remaches. ¿Es posible hacerlo en este modelo?. Saludos y gracias.
Hi Luis,
I don’t know the ProX model exactly but just would expect the mechanical construction to be more rugged due to the heavier keyboard. Nevertheless, things shouldn’t be too complicated in the end. If in doubt, you may download the ProX service manual from the 01/W group’s site at Yahoo; it contains detailed assembly instructions and views.
Regards,
Hajo
Hi, all!
I got the same problem with sticky keys on my proX. I wanted to solve it for al long time, but never did. Right now im taking it apart (according to the dissasembly guide). I made my way to the keyboard (which weighs about 16 kg(!) and is made by Yamaha…) and just disassembled the first octave.
Dissasembling is not as difficult as I expected, but I’m not sure if its possible to fix the sticky key problem just by cleaning… Also I’m still looking for some good grease like the “Klüberpaste” HaJo mentioned in his manual – perhaps someone else has some experience? If I succeed at last, I will let you know.
Of course I’m taking pictures all the way to share them in the web. For I don’t have a own website yet, I’m going to post it in the korg 01w yahoo group or send them to the ones interested.
Greets and Korg on
Karsten
Hi Karsten,
thanks for your report and good luck for your repair in progress. The 01W Yahoo group will be the best place to share your experiences.
Regards,
Hajo
Hello Hajo .
I’m writing from Poland and I have used KORG 01 w fd with defect key’s .
I’ve one questions for you .In my county I can’t buy kluberpaste but there is another product Paste Molykote D . Do you know is this the similar product or do You know another paste to use for resolve sticky key in KORG link to shop :http://www.e-lozyska.com/index.php?action=towar&id=1826719 may be another firm witch have dealer in Poland .
I can buy kluber paste in Germany shop but its very expensive 14 EUR plus 16 Eur porto so Molykote D cost 28 PLN ist about 7 EUR . Sorry for my bad English language
Hi Roman,
Molykote D is recommended for metal surfaces, as far as I understand. You should better look for a general purpose white silicon grease that is clearly specified for plastic lubrication. Molykote 44 Medium looks quite appropriate.
Regards,
Hajo
Thank you so much for your fast answer .
I must ask my local Molykote dealer for 44 medium .
When I take my Korg to be New One I’ll inform you about it
Regards from Poland
Roman Wojnas
Hello Hajo
So what do you think about this :
MOLYKOTE LONGTERM PG-54
[...]
Looks perfect.
I have a korg 01W fd and some sound now are starting to sound distored?
Any one out there knows how to repair this problem?
Please let me know..
Thanks in advance.
thanx for all the excellent info. I now have a very bright backlight in the display after tearing the “fd” down completely, cleaning and regreasing where needed on the keys & reassembling the “fd”
BUT……….. now i have a problem with NO text OR graphics on the display. there are some instructions out there to reload mfg. programs……… but the display HAS to have text or graphics to accomplish this. can any one help with this.
again thanx for your interest and your help with this delicate “first time project”.
JOHNNY
Dear Johnny,
the 01/W should start up and show text & graphics even uninitialized. If it does not, either the mainboard or the display do not operate properly. Please check the connectors on the mainboard – it is often simple cause and big effect. Did you disassemble the whole display (remove the glass) or just pull out the EL-foil? Do you hear any sound coming from the main outputs?
Regards,
Hajo
Hi Hajo,
Johnny here again. My reason for going into my Wfd to begin with was an all but blacked out backlight. Well, due to someone’s suggestion out there, I went
back in again, looking for a loose wire , a ribbon not connected, etc.All was well
inside as far as i could tell. I rechecked all connections on the mainboard and the backlight, no “spare wires” hangin’ around. The only screws i have left are for the bottom cover( which is a miracle in itself for me.) I have the unit back together now(the second time) and i’m looking at the backlight and display, a beautiful bright green light W/ no text or graphics. mmmmmm!
to answer your question about the display, I had to disassemble the display
because after unsoldering the blk. & wht. wires to the backlight strip, it wouldn’t pull out as easy as some had suggested. the reason became apparent,
there was a very thin layer of a rubbery cement on the backside of the strip itself. I’m assuming the El- foil you refer to is the same as the backlight strip??,
with the pink side to toward the glass.she is hooked up to my system now, i get no sound of any kind. could it possibly be i’ve experienced the “static” dread?
Hajo,
thanx much for your time & patience W/ me.
how do i donate to your site??
Again, Thanx,
Johnny
Hi hajo,
the reason for dismanteling my wfd to begin with was because of a nearly
total blackout of the backlight. I had to disassemble the display because there was a very thin film like a rubbery cement about an inch long on the back of the backlight strip, it WOULD NOT pull out as easy as some suggested. I ordered a new strip, soldered it in place and had a bright green backlight but no text or graphics. I also disassembled the keyboard, cleaned & regreased the keys, now it fingers like a new one. I brushed up the felt strip across the indents ( careful to blow everything out). there were three contact strips on the aftertouch that were bent under, I straightened & leveled them w/ the other ones with a set of “mini pliers”. they seemed to be getting about the same travel after straightening them and reassembly of the keys.
I took the advice of someone out there and went back in the second time,checking for loose wires, ribbons not connected,leaking electronics etc.
every thing seemed to be ok but still no text or graphics on the backlight.I still get no sound at all from the unit.I hate the thoughts of taking my old buddy “in”, but i’m at a standstill now, unless you have something new for me to try. I’m not very knowledgeable of voltage measuring, checking for bad electronic components and the like. if you have any info in this, I am VERY willing to go back in and try anything new.
Thanx for any furthur help,
Johnny.
how would I donate to your site????
Dear Johnny,
happy new year! From your two posts I would assume that the 01/W made sound and was fully operational (apart from the dark display) until you started the refurbishment. You should now check the fuses on the power supply unit and operating voltages on the mainboard. Be careful and consult a technically-versed friend if you are unsure or feel unconfident. The backlight inverter is powered separately from the other circuitry, so a bright display does not mean that the other voltages are all present. There is also a good chance that you will have to disassemble the 01/W and get the display out again to re-adjust the position of the glass and have it tested “alive”, so this is the opportunity to reinspect the placement of all parts and connectors. I would not expect any “static” damages, but just something fundamental.
This site is a private fun project, so I do not ask for donations.
All the best,
Hajo
how to replace battery on korg M1? I would try to connect a another cr 2032 battery with wire to mother board card before i remove the old
battery. just to keep 3 volt during the replacement!
is it possible to save memorycard MCR-03 data to midi sys ex. to a computer direkt from M1 . or must I load data to m1 internal memory first, and after that send midi sys ex info to computer. the internal data will be lost if card data load to internal memory so I will not do that
Hi Steve,
I would strongly recommend to save the internal data via MIDI dump before opening the M1. Do it the same with the data on your MCR-03 memory card later on. Any other method will bear the risk of losing data, either sooner or later.
Regards
Hajo
i im looking for complete display screen of korg 01/wfd keyboard fiji or New Zealand please help
Hi Nitesh,
nothing precise from my side, but the information that you should look for an Optrex DMF5005N as a replacement part. Maybe see this image for reference: 01/W Display.
All the best,
Hajo
Hy hajo I really want to thank you for your website, after reading about hou to fix a 01wfd, i was able to fix my korg, with no sound. This time is regarding my roland D-50,it has no sound wen you press the key but wen you release the key you get the 2nd part of the sound, or sound only wen you rease the key, can you please help, to this moment no tech will or nows how to.
Hi Alex,
I can not help you, sorry. My D-550 is one of the few oldies that has not been in trouble yet. Did you check the supply voltages and capacitors? That is where I would start at.
All the best,
Hajo
Hey hajo, thanks for getting back to me,i’ll try your recomts. I just want to thank you again for your website,I w able to fix my 01/w korg 61, after spending a hole nite reading all your posts. Anyways if you or anyone has any info on how to fix my Roland D-50, please let me now.
Hi, I would like to know where to find the display of the 01/Wfd or who repair it. I brought the Backlight and because im a rookie in this I open the display,so now i can see nothing.
need any help please!
Hi Joseph,
see this answer for the part’s description. You can find videos on Youtube showing the backlight replacement procedure.
Hope this helps,
Hajo
I saw this after i broke the display,lol.
there is some rubber strips that goes in the board display and now it can be on the right side and dont see nothing,I dont know hoe to fit it.
Hi Joseph,
it seems that you have detached the contact strips (“zebra strips”) of the LCD matrix. Maybe a total loss (new display unit required), but there is also a chance to manually reattach the stripes unless they are damaged: Remove the metal shield (see this photo), try to rearrange the stripes and glass as good as possible, then test the unit before remounting the shield. It is a delicate but not impossible job.
All the best,
Hajo
Im gonna try once more,thanks!
hi hajo, im jed i have a 01/W PRO X KORG its pano cant explain what problem is? can you HELP ME?
Hi Jed,
without you giving a description I can not help. Sorry.
All the best,
Hajo