Roland JV-80 Keyboard repair

Just curious. That's an older 61 key synth, per google. (I'd not heard of a 54 key keyboard so I looked it up.) So why are there only 54 switches for 61 keys?

Don't think he's talking about the keyboard (which then was probably using those rubber cup-type membrane switches that also get gunked up, but can often be cleaned up to work nice again with some isopropyl), those are the 54 buttons on the user interface:

Enormously complex and poorly-organized user interfaces are something of a Roland/Japanese signature, the claim goes Japanese buyers love studying user manuals.

Nice-sounding synths, though, if you can figure them out.

I'm guessing that's the tactile switches used for selecting various functions, rather than the keys themselves (although I count 56 push- buttons rather than 54). This seems to be a known failure mode on some older Roland synths; there are certainly maintenance kits out there with the appropriate numbers of switches.

I should really get around to fixing my two broken D-50s, which do have temperamental buttons, but also have more immediate problems (one has random bursts of noise, the other has been previously "repaired" by someone whose desoldering technique could hardly have been more destructive if they'd used a blowtorch and chisel).

My impression of Roland from the 80s/early 90s is that quality control wasn't great, they seem to have more problems at this point. Yamaha stuff were tanks

It was 56 (I miscounted) option tactile small button switches, not the keyboard itself. A good upgrade of small tactile switches solved the problems.

John :-#)#