I am dealing with a polaris repair right now. The ribbons might be OK and
show continuity on the exposed parts, but the entire ribbon connector can
have a hairlin break across all of the traces near the opening in the panel
just before it enters the panel. this is where the traces aren't exposed
anymore and are insulated with that green coating. you hjave to look really
closely to see the fracture. In my opinion, all of these instruments are
going to experience that problem sooner or later, it's inherent in the
design. if you don't open the case it might take longer. Everytime you
disturb that fragile ribbon, it's a problem because it has become so
brittle. I have already ripped out the left side membrane panel and
reversed engineered the circuit. i am waiting for switches that I will mount
on the panel. I am attempting to repair the right side panel by using silver
epoxy and attaching wires to new header cables. It's very frustrating. I
might just rip out that panel and make a switch ban for it too. But it's 40
switches, so I'm going to try to fix it with the silver epoxy first.

>From: "Robert Weigel" <sounddoctorin@...>
>Reply-To: chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com
>To: chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [chromapolaris] No doubt..the most insane repair of all time...
>Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:25:58 -0000
>
>In terms of cruel hoaxes...
>
>I'm dealing with my own polaris here. I was going to do the routine
>of repairing the left side switch failures. got it working
>perfect!..well..after the most extensive repair of that i've ever
>seen. Both ribbons were just totally ruined. ANyway it developed
>problems after the repair. Now it occasionally when a note is struck
>OR I find a slider is moved to edit a vco aspect or whatever...it
>would..well....quack.
>
>Yes I have the aflak polaris here. Kind of interesting quack. It
>seriously sounds like a quack. But that's not all. one synth channel
>(not associated with the analog hardware channel but the assigned
>channel.. in the mind of the computer..) always acts way different.
>One a floydesque sound it may be totally mute until release and then
>you hear the fitler resonance coming down. But you hear no sound at
>all until then. Or on another sound it will make sound during that
>segment of the envelope but it will have a large osc2 env on it where
>the others do not.
>
>But it gets worse! This...nobody will believe. I should charge
>admission to see this. A previously perfectly working right switch
>panel..has gone...totally dead. ALl ribbons measure perfect right
>down to where it's glued in and there are no signs of breakage
>anywhere there or on the ribbons. Yet not a one of them connects when
>a switch is closed! What...on earth... I cannot believe this. I
>simply ...cannot believe this. -Bob
>

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