> From: eric@...
>
> I do have that same MIDI interface. Thanks for the tip on
> its issues... luckily I don't use it very much as a have a
> Midisport 2x2 that's my "main" interface.
>
> I have no idea why that interface would draw power off the
> MIDI output but it definitely does. With the interface not
> connected to a computer, if you plug its input into the
> synth's MIDI output, the red LED nearest the MIDI cables on
> the interface lights up.

That doesn't happen for me. I think there's something broken in that MIDI interface. Although it's in the same package as mine, it's also possible that it's a different board inside--they may have "revised" the design.

> Anyhow, disconnecting pin 2 on the Polaris MIDI output from
> chassis ground and connecting it to digital ground via pin 5
> on J11 on the main board completely fixed the "clicking" issue. Yay!

That's probably an acceptable solution, even when using it with a good MIDI interface.

> Oh one other thing... I've seen some people on the internet
> comment on something that bugs me a bit with the Polaris -
> that the pitch-bend lever works "backwards" compared to most
> other synths. It looks to me like that could easily be
> changed by swapping pins 4 and 6 (orange and brown wires) on
> the plug that goes from the levers to the left control board.
> Has anyone ever tried that?

Yes you could do that, but you'd also have to loosen the pot and rotate it some. It only uses a fraction of its range near one end, and it would have to be rotated to use the part of the range near the other end. However it's wired, you want it to be putting out around 2.5V at rest, so that it won't go all the way to 0V or 5V at either extreme.

I should have included a polarity switch in the software.

--

Ciao, Paul D. DeRocco
Paul mailto:pderocco@...