TPX Upgrade Chipset

New chips are available for Tonal Plexus keyboards (shipping with new units) which may be installed in older Tonal Plexus keyboards, meaning keyboards sold before March, 1, 2009. TPX keyboards have 2 chips which must be upgraded together:

  • TPX Tuner Chip
  • TPX Encoder Chip

UPGRADE FEATURES:

  • Improved fader response with no fader data bursts (so data is sent only when the fader is actually moved, as it should be)
  • MIDI messages have been trimmed from the TUNED OUTPUT CHANNEL SWITCHES (so external gear should no longer be confused by them)
  • Preset BANK select can be set to OFF per preset (since sometimes it is not desired)
  • Preset PATCH changing can be set to OFF per preset (since sometimes it is not desired)
  • All PROGRAMMER navigation now rolls values over from maximum back to 0 and vice versa (more convenient)

If you have an older Tonal Plexus and would like the chips upgraded, please read this page which explains the process of chip swapping. TPX6s and 8s provide access to both of these chips simply by removing the name plate, so there is no disassembly and the process of upgrading is quite simple. On the other hand, TPX2, 2s, 4, 4s, and 6 provide only access to the Tuner chip through removal of the name plate, and the process for upgrading the Encoder Chip requires some disassembly. Make sure you are comfortable swapping the chips yourself or with a friend before ordering the chips. I will supply the new chips to you with the agreement that you send the old chips back to me. This is very important! The chips are not cheap, but the exchange can work for just a few dollars by swapping through the mail. Order the upgrade using the Upgrade Chips button on the TPX order page.

What You Need

  1. Tonal Plexus
  2. new chip(s)
  3. large phillips screwdriver (for main enclosure screws)
  4. medium phillips screwdriver (for plastic strips screws)
  5. small flathead screwdriver (for chip removal)

Approximate time for swapping both chips:

  • TPX6s/8s: 5 min. This can easily be done by one person.
  • TPX2/2s/4/4s/6: 30 min. This will be more easily done by two people, although only one person is required.

Before Swapping Chips

IMPORTANT: The list of 32 table names is stored in the TPX Tuner Chip which you will be swapping. The factory preset names are stored on the new chip, so if you have not loaded any custom scales to your keyboard, you can swap the Tuner chip and the table names will be correct; however, if you have uploaded any custom scales to the keyboard, you need to make a note of those table numbers and table names before you swap this chip, because you will need to reprogram those custom names onto the new chip. Note that the actual tuning tables are NOT stored in this chip, so all your tuning data will still be there in the keyboard memory, only the table *names* for any custom tables will not be there.

Swap the Tuner Chip

Remember how you do these steps as you also need to do many of them in reverse.

1. Remove the name plate.

2. If you have a TPX6s or 8s, then once the name plate is removed you'll see both the Encoder and Tuner chips. The rest of the photos and instructions on this page should be more than enough information to allow you to swap both chips easily.

If you have a TPX2, 2s, 4, 4s, or 6, then all you will see under the name plate is the Tuner chip. If you are swapping both the Tuner Chip and the Encoder Chip, skip this step and proceed to step 7, as you will have easier access to the Tuner Chip when you also access the Encoder Chip, and you will come back to steps 3-6 later to complete the Tuner Chip swap. If you are swapping only the Tuner Chip, first make sure you wrote down all the numbers and names of any custom tuning tables you uploaded to the keyboard. If that has been done, then place yor finger(s) in the loop to pull the chip out of its socket. Pull directly up (perpendicular to the bottom of the instrument) to remove the chip; do NOT pull to the side or up at any angle other than 90 degrees!

3. Set the new chip in the socket, making sure the TPX Tuner label is right side up. Do not force the chip into the socket all at once. Put only the lower half of the chip in the socket. The upper pins will rest on the socket and the chip will sit at a slight angle.

4. Applying light pressure from a finger or thumb of one hand, use a small flathead screwdriver in the other to push each of the pins in towards the center of the chip. At some point you should feel the chip lightly pop into the socket. You may have to go over each pin more than once. Be careful not to push down too hard on the chip with your finger while you are working with the screwdriver on the pins, as you may crush the pins with too much pressure.

5. Once the chip is in place, press it solidly into the socket across its entire length with your thumb.

6. If you are swapping only the Tuner Chip, replace the name plate and proceed to the next section. If you are swapping both chips, go proceed to step 23.

Swap Both the Tuner and Encoder Chips

7. Remove the four screws that hold down the two horizontal strips at the top and bottom of the controls assembly.

8. Remove the four screws (2 on either side) at the top and bottom sides nearest the controls.

9. Remove the side strip below the input / output jacks. This instrument can be stood on end for this and other steps, taking care of course not to knock it over.

10. Remove the two small end strips on either side.

11. Remove the top strip at the right of the control panel. The panel may lift up a bit.

12. Remove these two screws from the bottom of the keyboard. If your keyboard does not have the amp / synth option, you will only remove the right screw shown in the picture.

13. Taking care not to get fingerprints all over the display window on the opposite side of the controls, slowly pull the entire control (and amp / synth) assembly up and partially out of the keyboard body. Do this slowly and if something feels like it is catching, stop pulling and see if it is a cable which is twisted. Once you pull the assembly up a bit if it does not pull up smoothly you should be able to get underneath it to move any cables that may be twisted and catching. Free the twisted cable and continue pulling upwards until the assembly is about at the height shown in the picture. You should see that the large ribbon cable has clearance to be removed from its socket.

14. At this point the Tuner Chip can be easily removed. Put a finger into the loop to pull out the Tuner Chip, while using the small flathead screwdriver to pry up the chip from the side. Be sure to remove the chip evenly across its length, not just on one side, or the pins of the chip will bend.

15. Once the Tuner Chip is removed, next pull out the wide ribbon cable to reveal the Encoder Chip beneath it.

16. Use the small flathead screwdriver to pry up the Encoder chip from the top. Once again, try to to remove the chip evenly across its length, not just on one side, or the pins of the chip will bend. This is more difficult with the Encoder Chip because of its location on the board, so take your time.

17. The new Encoder Chip can now be installed. Again taking care not to get fingerprints on the display window on the opposite side of the controls, set the new Encoder Chip into the socket with the upper pins in the socket and the lower pins out of the socket. Use one finger or thumb to apply slight pressure to the chip while using the fingernail side of a finger on the other hand to push each of the pins inward towards the center of the chip (you can also use a flathead screwdriver for this, but a finger is probably easier). At some point you should feel the chip lightly pop into the socket. You may have to go over each pin more than once. Be careful not to push down too hard on the chip with your finger, as you may crush the pins with too much pressure. Once the chip has popped into place, push it solidly in place across its entire length with a thumb.

18. Put the ribbon cable back in its socket.

19. Slide the whole assembly back down into the body of the keyboard, making sure the diagonal mounting plate does not catch on the name plate opening. When sliding the assembly down, keep a finger in the name plate opening to help guide the mounting plate past the opening, or a screw will probably catch there. Once the assembly is in place, hold the mounting plate from inside the opening and screw it into place, guiding the screw through the mounting plate by touch, and tightening with the large phillips screwdriver. (Note: in this photo a Tuner Chip is shown in the socket, but at this point you have that chip removed).

20. Hold the Amp/Synth module in place by graspong the body of the keyboard, placing a finger under the top panel onto the large black heat-sink on the PCB, with a thumb opposed on the bottom of the keyboard. On the bottom of the keyboard, turn the mouting screw by hand, feeling by touch with the other hand that the screw is entering the mounting hole correctly. If the screw does not mount correctly, the Amp PCB will begin to rise up. If this happens, back up, and try again. You may have to move the PCB slightly in order to get it to mount properly. When it is mounted properly, the PCB should not extend beyond the body of the keyboard. If it does extend, the mounting is not correct; remove the screw and try again.

21. Grasping the keyboard at the side to hold it in place, replace the side strip.

22. At this point, the new Tuner Chip can be installed according to steps 3 through 6.

23. At this point, the chips are swapped and the assembly is back in place. Steps 7 - 11 should be performed in reverse, noting that the side strip is already in place. When replacing the top strip along the right of the controls panel, take care to adjust the panel so that all the button caps go through the holes. Once all the caps are through, hold the panel in place with one hand and screw down the strip with the other. Then replace the rest of the screws per each removal step, and the keyboard is back together.

Restore Custom Table Names

You wrote down the table numbers and names for all of your custom .tpx tables before you swapped the Tuner Chip, right? Good. Then you can follow these steps to restore the table names of those custom tables.

  1. Connect your MIDI interface MIDI OUT to Tonal Plexus MIDI IN
  2. Boot TPXE
  3. open your custom .tpx file
  4. choose Tonal Plexus > Program
  5. select the correct table number for this the table (which you wrote down before swapping the Tuner Chip)
  6. UNCHECK send table data - you only need to send the table name! (otherwise it takes longer)
  7. Make sure MIDI is routed OUT to the interface correctly
  8. Click OK to program the name
  9. repeat for all custom scales

Return the Old Chip(s)

Please do not forget this last important step! Pack up the old chip(s) the same way as the chip(s) you received, and mail to:

H-Pi Instruments
211 N Alden Rd
Muncie, IN 47304
USA

Thank you!