Monomachine MK1 VFD Upgrade

After modding my Machine drum weeks ago today I’ve also upgraded my old Monomachine. It’s so much more fun to make music with the upgraded devices. Now I can see what I’m doing;) For maintenance I replaced also the soldered battery. That was a bigger challenge than replacing the display.

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What is that metal tab attached to the removed battery?

There are two types of batteries built in Elektron devices. The old MM and MD (MK1’s) using the soldered type with welded on sheet metal taps. The newer ones using holders for standard batteries, which are more easy to replace.
On the pictures you see the batteries for the first generation MM and MD.

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So the newer models don’t use the cr 2450?

2450 is the type no of the battery size. Voltage, diameter and thickness. To be shure which type your device need you can ask the Elektron support or open the box.

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Hello MonoEar! I want to update the Displays of my Elektron MKI. I like how you have been yours. Could you give me a link where to buy these VFD?
Thanks in advance!

why was the battery a bigger challenge than the display?

In my case removing the sheetmetal pins of the battery was not so easy. It stuck very tightly inside the PCB and you need also a powerful soldering iron because the heat is streaming away within the sheetmetal flaps.

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i already came in contact with these pins, when a replaced the encoders of my Machinedrum, especially the ones of data wheel were freaking tight. but is there no way to remove it with a side cutter before desoldering? this would make it lot easier

The battery flap material is much harder than the encoder pins. The difference is like between pears and apples :wink:
The pins are hardly pressed inside the pcb and you need a not to small flap to pull It away with a claw. Trust me or try it in your way.

The E-Bay seller name is muzikelektronik.

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Found the screen while searching for a compatible VFD replacement for a KS0108 display (Monomachine screen). https://noritake-vfd.com/discount_sale_for_gu128x64e-u100.aspx Also note Adafruit sells a white on black LCD that also works but it’s refresh rate is a bit on the low side resulting in some blurriness/ghosting while changing parameters quickly. https://www.adafruit.com/product/253

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Does anyone know if this screen would work to replace the MKI monomachine?

Ebay screen

Otherwise would this one work as someone else I believe linked to it?

VFD screen

…thats the one i used for my MKII monomachine.
Should work for the MKI as well, but no warranty.
Take a look here or there.

…this should not work. The Resolution is too high.
The one MonoEar used is a modified Noritake 128x64 VFD Display.

Thanks @electrosmog!

Can’t believe that thing has literally sat in my eBay watchlist for probably 5+ years and I just never thought to ask the forum :confused:

Thanks again!!!

Hey, I just managed to get my hands on one of these VFDs, could you tell me what that black wire you ran between those two ICs is for? Is it for for the VFD or something else? If you happen to remember what size washers you used to raise the screen too that’d be really helpful. Thanks!

the IC the wire is connected to should take care of some of the switches/LEDs on the board (there’s few of those ICs on the PCB), it’s probably used for something else other than controlling the display but i could be wrong… :thinking: can’t read the other IC part number to try figure out why that wire is there…