Secondhand TI2 Polar Questions

    Hi all,


    Just got a secondhand Virus TI Polar. It's um...not quite in the condition advertised, and I have some questions.


    I disassembled it to repair a really loose pitch/mod wheel housing (and have easier access to the keys so I could clean them). I found some twisted connector cables, and a keyboard connection looks pretty sketch to me (both shown in the pictures), Is this normal? Also found what looked like mold inside part of the machine...


    Once I'd gotten everything cleaned and tightened back up, I turned it on...and it got stuck on the welcome screen. Holding the Arp Edit button when turning it on didn't fix it. I opened it back up to replace the motherboard battery - which also didn't fix it (the battery is held in place with electrical tape now - if that comes loose, will I lose any user data?). I connected it to the PC and attempted to use the Virus Control Center to update it, which didn't fix it either...until I unplugged the power cable and plugged it back in (again). It seems to be working normally now - and I eventually got it to communicate with Studio One, but the welcome screen freeze concerns me, and it seems like posts about that problem show up from time to time. Is that something to worry about? Is there a known cause/permanent fix if it continues?


    Is there a way to verify this is a TI2 versus a TI? [EDIT: thank you for the reply on this question!].


    Thanks!

    It’s actually pretty easy to discriminate between the TI and TI2 as they have different housings:

    • LCD Screen is top mounted with four screws on the TI but glued in flush to tge surface on the TI2
    • TI2 has wooden side panels beneath the bulky rounded aluminum side parts
    • TI2 has a rough surface on the side parts, the TI is less bulky and smooth


    A Google image search helps…

    https://www.google.ch/search?q=virus+ti+polar&tbm=isch

    Bass Player and Synthesist.
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    > I found some twisted connector cables, and a keyboard connection looks pretty sketch to me (both shown in the pictures), Is this normal?


    Not sure if the twist is standard but I can see why it may be done. The keyboard connection is perfectly normal and that's the way the cable is mounted in the factory.


    > Also found what looked like mold inside part of the machine...


    Think of it as a kind of glue to keep the aftertouch strip in place. The strip is very fragile and needs support to stay in place. I highly suggest you move the strip as little as possible as breaking something within one of its conductive layers will be a headache.


    > it got stuck on the welcome screen.


    Sounds to me like it detected illegal RAM contents and was performing a factory reset. That may take a few seconds.


    > I opened it back up to replace the motherboard battery - which also didn't fix it (the battery is held in place with electrical tape now - if that comes loose, will I lose any user data?).


    Did you use a new battery? Why is the battery held in place with electrical tape? The battery holder holds it securely just fine. And yes, the RAM is backed by this battery. Battery low or out = RAM contents gone.


    > It seems to be working normally now - and I eventually got it to communicate with Studio One, but the welcome screen freeze concerns me, and it seems like posts about that problem show up from time to time. Is that something to worry about? Is there a known cause/permanent fix if it continues?


    If it persists with a brand-new battery then I'd strongly suspect the power supply. As power supplies age, their ability to supply peak currents reduces. During boot-up, the Virus draws the most current, so if the power supply can't keep up due to old age, anything can happen - including it getting stuck on the boot up screen. A new power supply can be had for relatively cheap, so if the issue bothers you it could be a good investment. Or maybe you already have a suitable one at home that you can try. Any current supply ability above 1A is fine - just watch out for the voltage and polarity.

    Zitat

    The keyboard connection is perfectly normal and that's the way the cable is mounted in the factory.


    Thanks; I was wondering because the black piece on the side looks like it's snapped off at some point and isn't smooth (kind of hard to see in the picture).


    Zitat

    Think of it as a kind of glue to keep the aftertouch strip in place.


    In this case it was black mold-like spots on the inside of the back metal panel unconnected to any circuitry.


    Zitat

    Did you use a new battery? Why is the battery held in place with electrical tape?


    Yes; some threads I've come across suggested trying a new battery. Since I don't know how old the unit is, it seemed reasonable to try. The holder snapped off when I tried removing the old one. The tape I used wasn't secure. Yesterday I glued the holder back on and secured the battery with a zip tie as well (some wiring inside was already secured with zip ties when I first opened it up).


    Zitat

    A new power supply can be had for relatively cheap, so if the issue bothers you it could be a good investment.


    Would I just contact support for parts? I was thinking of getting a new screen cover for the control panel; the one it has is pretty scratched up.

    UPDATE - It wasn't getting any better, and support recommended sending it to their repair center in Colorado. Any time I unplugged it, the RAM was wiped. Reverb agreed the item was not in the condition advertised, so I was able to send it back to the seller.


    Now I'm trying to decide on a desktop module, or if I want to splurge on a Polar/Darkstar or 61-key...