Success Cases

Hello, Zynthian forum members!

I’d like to share a project that has brought me a lot of satisfaction: the restoration and transformation of my Kurzweil SP76II, which had a burned-out motherboard.The details are still to be finalized (it needs painting), but I’ve already managed to give it a new life as a MIDI controller and Zynthian-based synthesizer.

What’s been done:

Key Matrix:

  • I mapped the key matrix and implemented an Arduino Mega, turning the keyboard into a functional MIDI controller.

Structural Integration:

  • I modified the original keyboard structure to integrate the new Zynthian components.
  • Designed and 3D printed parts for the front and back panels, creating space for:
    • A 5-inch touchscreen display.
    • Audio input and output ports.
    • Internal supports for mounting the boards.

Leveraging the Zynthian Mini Project:

  • Some parts of the Zynthian Mini project served as references or a foundation for creating the new models I adapted to the SP76II.

Power Supply:

  • I initially tried using a USB extender to connect the Raspberry Pi, but the only available option in my region was 1 meter long, which caused power loss. As a solution, I decided to keep the power supply inside the device.

There are still some adjustments and painting left to do, but I’m already thrilled with the results. I’ll attach some photos so you can check out the progress!

14 Likes

Nice work… I wanted to do something like this too, But I have a M-Audio Keystation 88 keyboard… I tried to open it but there is no space.

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Cool Project !!
Congratulation !!

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It’s looking beautiful Emerson, I’m looking forward to seeing it ready. Great boy!

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Kudos on you custom build! :clap:

I have been thinking for long to a Zynthian-in-case fully autonomous keyboard, but never found the time and motivational resources to put such a (probably demanding) project in place.

I guess that nowadays, with the help of AI-driven chatbots, setting up such a contraption might turn out to be definitely more viable than in the past, even for people like me without an electronic engineering background.

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While not as advanced as the other scratch builds featured here, I still feel that upgrading my V4 with an RPi5 has been a success. More in this post here: Zynthian 4 upgraded with Raspberry pi 5! - #22 by ricard

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That’s workmanship!!! Just the thought of recasing a 38 keys midi keyboard gives me headaches… but the finish, angles, small supports… wow…