(It's finally here!!!)

So you bought the machine.  Don't you think you have the right to know about all the goodies that came inside the monolith?

Remember, you *PAID* for me to compile this information.  DO NOT GIVE YOUR "Member's Only"  LINK OUT TO OTHER CUSTOMERS  This link address will change from time to time.

Enjoy!

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Computer Bin:
 Processor (2 cards)
 Timing Card
 Math Card
 Core Memory
 Interface Cards

Sampling: 
 ADX16 16 bit Mono to Disk (works in real time with SFM)
 STM (Sample To Memory)  Up to 100 KHz in mono or stereo depending on configuration

FM:
 D160  interface in computer bin
 SS4  interface in FM bin - tells the computer # of voices, etc.
 SS1  Wavetables (Memory)
 SS2  Oscillators
 SS3  Modifiers
 SS4  Interface
 SS7  (old bins) Voice cards - shorter to allow for back plane adapter
 SS7X  (new bins) Voice cards - regular length cards
 SF1  Stereo Filter Card (analog filters, +/- 15 v supply, etc.)
  Voice cards are susceptible to heat malfunction due to analog electronics.  Make sure your fans are arranged as exhaust fans in the bins and rear panels.

Poly:
 D32X  computer bin interface (bottom)
 PSCI  Poly bin interface
  Poly is a synchronous system
  The back plane in the Poly bin is slot dependent
  The data bus is on the back plane
  The serial chain is cabled

4 Modifier boards
 PSF:  Formatter - formats all information for communication on data bus or serial chain.  Thus a bad formatter can drag down the whole bin (affect all cards)

 PSAC:  Amplitude computer - controls volume envelopes.  Each card can control up to 16 voices.  Slot 15 is for voices 1 - 16, slot 14 is for voices 17-32

 PSSRG:  Sample rate generator - Clock for poly bin.  Supplies separate clock rates for the D/As for transposition of pre-recorded samples.  Located in slot 8

 PSPA:  Phase Accumulator - allows sample to be transposed without losing characteristics (older systems were limited by maximum sampling rate.  So if you planned on playing a sample one octave higher, you would need to sample at 25 KHz so that the 50 KHz limit would not be hit).

 PSDAC: Digital to analog controller - controls up to 32 voices

 PSV:  Poly voice

 DDV-3:  Modified DtoD voice card to work in a Synclavier with the newer lower specification Digital to Audio converter

 PSADG:  Analog to digital controller

 STM:  Stereo sampling module (Sample To Memory)  - Stereo up to 100 KHz to poly memory.  1 motherboard with 2 daughter boards, capable of sampling at 50 KHz each unless you purchased a newer system or upgraded to allow 100 KHz sampling.

 Serial chain:  PSF-PSADC-PSMC-PSDAC-PSF
poly system can support up to 32 meg in either
 PSM1MB  1 MEG
 PSM4MB 4 MEG
 unless the system has an upgraded ----------- card, then you can use MegaRAM.  256 MEG limitation per bin

 When installing memory cards, install from right to left (empty slot on left) with PS1MD cards next to PSMC

 PSMC addresses memory from left to right (lowest # slot is lowest # address) but reads serially from right to left

 With the memory expansion bin, the bin is placed in serial chain with PSMCs cabled in order.  With all PSM4MB cards, it is not necessary to have any memory in tower poly bin.  32 MB can be addressed from a single PSMC in the expansion bin.

 Test of memory:
  MB by MB or given card configuration, card by card

 Voice cards (modified DDV)
  DDVs-3

 PSF requires ROM updates  PSM U211v2 to PSBMC U211v3 & PSM U505v0 to PSBMC U505v1

 Serial Chain:
   PSF-PSADC-PSBMC-DDAC-PSF

 With new system configurations with DDVs-3 etc.,  there is an update to the PSSRGA to correct 
jitter problems not noticeable with PSVs.

 Voice allocation is achieved on back plane (not in the cabling as in the FM bin)

 1 PSV is 4 voices, left and right

 Multichannel distribution
  D32X (top connector) in computer bin
  MT3 in multi bin

 Every voice card (PSV, DDVs-3, SS7 OR SS7X) requires one Multichannel input card (MT1)
 For each MT3 and set of MT1s, there is one output card (MT2) which provides 8 outputs

 FM input is always (by convention) to the left of poly input.  No space is left between any of the cards - empty space is open of the right of the MT2

 5v and +/- 15v supplies are both on the back plane

 There are two types of MT2
  1)  MT2 standard; average = -10 dBm output
  2)  MT2 (common) hot  (the name is hand printed); average  = 0 dBm output

Keyboards:
 All poly system have 25 slot computer bins.  The SK2 card (Keyboard interface) is in slot 23.  The SK2 connects to the audio connector panel.  In older versions of software (Release N), the manuals mention the ability to connect more than one keyboard to a Synclavier for simultaneous use.  You can still connect a Synclavier guitar and Keyboard at the same time for simultaneous performances.

 A 50 pin flat cable connects keyboard to audio connector panel .  This cable is identical to SCSI specification.  The cable is sleeved, not shielded due to the connectorís plastic manufacture.  Standard cables length is 22 ft.  50 ft is also available.  The SK2 can drive approximately 55 to 60 ft (the RS232 cable to terminal can be run up to 300 feet. 50 or 22 ft cables are supplied with machines).  With a modified SK2 card, keyboard cable lengths up to 100 feet are possible.

 M64k core memory card in computer bin has SK2 on it but is jumpered off in present configuration
 VK5 is interface in keyboard

 There are 2 types of Mod/Pitch wheel assemblies
  Old:  wheels are separate from cover plate
  New:  wheels and cover plate are one piece
 The new VK2 board will not work with old wheel assemblies

 Some wheels are wired backwards (like mine was). Always install the extention cable that comes with wheel assemblies.

 It is possible to increase resolution of wheels by a simple engineering modification.

Computer bin:
 3 type of processors
  1)A  Not found
  2)B  Old Synclavier II
  3)C  (Fast processor) all DtoD, Poly and some Synclavier IIs
   Supposedly some DtoD have a Main model D and a slave model C processor
  4)D  Last release; all 3200, 6400, 9600, PostPro & PostProSD

  Certain code written for the C processor will not work in a B processor.  If you have an -XPL catalog on your W0:,  you will notice some routines separated for different processors

 Model B:
  D1 (instruction sequencer)  slot #14 and 14 in 25 slot bin
  D300 (registers)

 Model C:
  FPRM (registers)
  FPSM (sequencer)

 Support cards:
  MFC:  multifunction card
  D100/D100A:  floppy controller
  M32K:  core memory
  M64k  core memory with clock function
  D40Q:  4 RS232 ports and clock function (crystal) takes the place of MFC

 The processor runs on a D3 clock which can be generated four ways
  1) D100 + MFC
  2) D100A + MFC
  3) D100A + D40Q
  4) M64K + D40Q

Floppies:
 8" Single density  D100 ("maxi", 20 MHz crystal, 26 pin connector)
 5 1/4" Single density  D100 ("mini", 10 MHz crystal, 26 pin connector)
 5 1/4"  Double density D100 ("mini", post 1982, 26 pin connector)
 5 1/4"  High density D100A (post 1983, 34 pin connector)
 The D100A can use a 5 1/4" Double Density as a read only device in F1

 The load button on F0: activates firmware on MFC or D40Q "maxi"  or "mini" ROM's (4) or boot ROM (1) which is hardwired

 When a disk drive is upgraded in a system with the MFC, the ROMs must also be upgraded

 The Boot ROM on the D40Q is hardwired and will only work with the 5 1/4" High Density floppy drives (D100A interface)

Core memory: 
 The computer requires 60k of core memory obtained from 2 M32Ks or 1 M64k.  In old systems running software releases before "R" only need 56K of core memory in the form of 7 M8Ks (like the original Synclavier II).

 The Model B processor can run with either M8Ks or M32Ks  There are OLD/NEW jumpers to select between OLD (Model B) and NEW (Model C).  M64ks will only with the Model C processor.

 The computer uses the first 60k of core memory  The last 4k is loaded with the Boot ROMs

 Math Card: 
  D4567  Multiply/Divide. 
   Performs real time math (chorusing etc.)

External memory:
 M128K
 M512K
 M1024K (rare cards)
  External memory is loaded with Real Time Package, sequences, etc.
  M128Ks are addressed with 3 switches on a DIP package using negative logic
  up = ON
  0 = up, up, up
  1 = down, up, up
  2 = up, down, up
  7 = down, down, down

  M512ks have 5 switches on a DIP package and must start addressing at multiples of 512 (0, 512, 1024, etc.)  If M128K and M512K cards are both used, 4 M128Ks may be placed before M512K (addressed as 2) or placed after M512K cards, but with addresses not exceeding 7.  Thus with 2 M512K cards, M128K cards must be addressed in multiples of 4 before M512Ks.  You can use 4 (or more, if you have room) M512K cards for larger sequences.  (But the software does not address past a certain point so it is kind of pointless.  Although the PowerPC software *supposedly* can "see" beyond this limitation (yeah right!!!)

D16 timer:
 Does external timing (MIDI, SMPTE, etc.)  The D16 was designed with the fast processor (Model C)

MI70:  slot #3 & 4
 MIOI interface in computer bin works in conjunction with MU70 UART cart in MIDI panel.  Two MI70s may be in one system (slots 3+4 in 25 slot bin)  Each provides a 1x4 MIDI matrix.  Currently, two MI70 cards will yield a 1x8 matrix with the second IN being a THRU. These cards must be addresses as 0 or 1 (controlled by DIP package)

D72:  slot 16
 SMPTE reader card.  Generation is achieved through software but D72 reader card must be present for SMPTE generation.  There is no regeneration of SMPTE during reading.

Hard Disk Controllers:
 2 types
 SCSI  D24
  Each D24 (up to two in a system - the DtoD can have three) can support 8 devices on one SCSI chain.  Devices 6 and 7 are not used.  Hard drives are addressed from Device 5 to Address 2.  Optical drives are also on this chain
  1 = Optical Drive 1
  2 = Optical Drive 2
  3 = DtoD
  4 = W1:
  5 = W0:
  6 = DtoD drives
 IMI  D107
  Supports system Winchesters.  1 D107 can support only 1 device; either a 7700 series Winchester or a 500H controller which can control 2 hard drives.

 Current software can only support two hard disk drives.  SCSI, IMI or both.  Two D107s or 2 D24s in a system must be addressed as 0 or 1.  If there is one D24 and one D107 in a system, they are both DIP'd to address as 0.

 Kennedy Tape Drive: 
  D30TD:
   Can be used to back up either SCSI or IMI hard drives.  15 Mb of storage per tape.  25 MB is possible but not recommended.  Not supported by PowerPC hardware.

 Sample to Disk:
  D66M:  Memory
  D66C:  controller
  ADX:  Includes D/A and A/D

 FM interface D160
  Also generates click track, Clock IN/OUT and Headphone OUT.
  Two versions:
   1)  Old click (non Poly)  audio circuitry on D160, +/-25v clicks
   2)  New click (Poly systems) audio circuitry on PSAJB (on PSCONII) +5v clicks only

D164:
 -Mono filtering card for mono FM systems
 -interprets jack panel on back of keyboard (gate, trigger, etc.)
 -Uses +/- 15v supply from FM chain (last card in chain)

D32X:
 Poly (bottom) and multichannel (top) interface
 date code pre 3/85 will not work with D40Q

D40:
 printer
  RS232 port DIPíd for baud rate
  can be modified to a D42 for a modem
  can be modified to a D44 for a mouse (almost never seen)

D40Q:
 Four RS232 ports for printer, terminal, modem and mouse.  Terminal baud rate can be DIP'd between 9600 and 19,200 & 38400.  38,400 is just too fast for most computers unless you are running well over 100 MHz, otherwise errors may occur in NED StartUp.  The new Termulator program re-enables the discontinued X-on x-off that helps control signal transmission  - gives the computer time to catch up

D134:
 Guitar interface

DTD slave computer bin:
 The slave is a SCSI device as far as the Master is concerned  It is placed on the SCSI chain after the last SCSI Winchester (System) and is connected at the D24 in slot 2

 Slots 13 and 14 are the fast processor (FPRM & FPSM)
 Slots 11 and 12 are M32Ks or slot 12 is the M64K for core memory
 Slot 9 is the D100A Super Floppy controller
 Slot 10 is the MFC with DTD 0 through DTD 3 ROMís  An MFC is always used in the slave bin (no D40Q)
 Slot 15 is the D32X Poly interface
 Slot 8 is the D34567 
  with M32K core memory, a D16 timer is required to form the D3 clock.  The same is true of the D100A 
 Slot 3 is another D24 for controlling track drives (hard disk and tape) which has ID #3

1 M512K card is required for external memory

 An MI70 is required along with panel mounted MU70 for driving the meter bridge (do not hot patch the meter bridge)

 The reset switch will clear memory and reload software but will not restart the system

 .LOD software is loaded into core memory through SCSI from either the Synclavier or DTD master bin

 DtoD poly bin
  PSF slot #10
  PSBM buffer memory is slots 3&4 (8 track, 1 MB card)
  PSADC slot #12
  PSBMC slot #5
  DDDAC slot #16
  PSAC slots #14 & 15
  PSSRGA slot #8
  PSPA slots #6&7
  DDV slots #18&19 (8 track - 4 voices per card)
  PSV (dummy) slot #17 (PSV w/o DAC or just termination resistor pack, used to fake voice allocation for inputs)
  PSOC slot #25

 -Serial chain:  PSF-PSADC-PSBMC-DDDAC-PSF
 -1 PSV dummy is required for each STM
 -The PSOC is chained to voice cards
 -Samples are taken from STM to the PSDC, through the buffer memory to the hard disks
 -Outputs are hard wired, Track 1 to voice and output 1 L&R
 -Buffer memory cards are next to PSBMC and are addressed and read right to left (slot 4= card 0)
 -Two 50 pin SCSI ports on each PSBM.  2 tracks per port.  Top port is lower number  (slot 4, top port = tracks 1&2)
 -The D24 in slot 3 communicates through SCSI to the PSBMC which passes information through the back plane to the PSBM that control the hard drives and tape drives through 50 pin SCSI connectors
 -Since the tracks are recorded on SCSI devices, more than 1 hard disk may be chained on the tracks to provide more recording time.  At present, the tracks are divided at SCSI devices so that hard drives of the same size must be used (And they mean EXACTLY the same size.  Identical drives might be off by one or two sectors because of ROM differences.  Make sure they match or errors can occur)

Computer:
 A mini computer comprised of 2 cards which is capable of transmitting information at a speed of 2 MIPS makes up the basic processor

 64K of memory is required to manipulate basic system files for proper operation

 Additional external memory is used for NED software packages (SFM, RTP, etc.)

 The other boards are all I/O boards.  Comprising of timing boards, multiply and divide boards and individual interfaces for other sub assemblies

It is possible (and has been accomplished) to make a computer that fits into a legal briefcase.  A terminal is required to interface.  Using a Mac computer, programs can be written on the ABLE and saved on a MAC disk later to be imported into the ABLE via the modem port.  This is no longer a concern now that the RTP and ABLE software run natively on the Mac.

FM:

 The bin is designed with 6 cards making up a bank of 8 stereo voices.  These cards can then be repeated up to 4 times for 32 stereo voices.

 SS1 - Memory; codes for timbre numerically 
  Common failure  -5th harmonic is radically distorted
 SS2 - Oscillators; audio frequency generator
  Common failure - notes scrambled, portamento bobbling, pitch variation
 SS3 - Modifier; envelopes, volume
  Common failure - failure to do frequency modulation
 SS4 - Interface
  Common failure - no sound or no voices being detected
 SS7 - Voices cards; 8 voices per card.  One card is left, the other right
  Common failure - distorted voice or no multi out
 SF1 - Filters; composite outputs, filters, headphone jacks
  Common failure - lacking one or all of the above

Multichannel:

 D32X - Computer interface

 MT3 - Multichannel interface

 MT1 - Input card;  routes individual voices thorough multiout

 MT2 - Output card; takes individual inputs and routes through 8 outputs

 There is one MT1 card for every voice card. Voices are randomly chosen from the computer for play but are routed specifically to a multi input.

 The bin is designed for 8 outputs and is repeated for every additional eight. There is an upper bound of 32 outputs (however, very early towers might need a special upgrade to go past 16 outputs.  Some very early PSMT and PST towers had 32 outputs).