Roland D-10 Restoration Project

This is a series of videos showing how I undertook the restoration of my Roland D-10.

Video 1 — Assessment of work to be done

I open this project by turning my attention to a Roland D-10 that has spent roughly a decade sitting untouched in storage. I explain a little of the background, mentioning that it reached the market in 1988, and I tell the story of how this particular unit came into my hands as part of a job lot of keyboards I bought some years ago. Having sat unplayed for so long, I know the synthesiser is due a proper once-over, so I set out to establish exactly what state the Roland D-10 is in and what work lies ahead before I can bring it back into regular use.

As I work through the Roland D-10's condition, I point out a number of cosmetic issues that need addressing. There is a biro mark on one key, several scratches that I think were caused by a mains plug rattling around inside the case during transport, and a layer of grime built up between the keys. I also discover that someone has been inside the case before me, since several screws are missing altogether and others that remain are clearly the wrong type, which makes me wonder whether any threads have been damaged. I also spot odd blotches on the casing, possibly from something spilt on it long ago, and I flag these as areas I will need to treat with polish or grinding paste.

I close the video by powering the Roland D-10 up to check for obvious faults. Reassuringly, there are no error messages on the display, though I notice the firmware is an early version, which I may look at updating later in the project. I sum up my growing list of jobs: fitting a fresh battery, giving the case and keyboard a thorough clean, and possibly running a retrobrite treatment to whiten the keys. Despite the wear, I am pleasantly surprised by the overall condition of the instrument, describing it as remarkably good for its age, and I confirm that this assessment will guide the steps I cover in later videos.

Video 2 — How to access the Roland D-10

I begin this video by explaining how I actually get into the case of the Roland D-10 in order to carry out maintenance. I point out that instruments of this era, including the Roland D-10, are typically accessed from underneath rather than through a hinged lid, which means I have to turn the whole unit over and rest it carefully so that delicate components, such as the pitch and modulation wheel, are not damaged in the process. I use foam blocks to cushion the casing during this stage, protecting both the surface and the protruding controls from the workbench beneath.

With the Roland D-10 turned over, I begin removing the retaining screws, noting once again that several are missing and that those still in place are inconsistent in type, which reinforces my suspicion that someone had opened the case before without much care. Along the way, I spot early signs of rust developing on part of the metal frame, most noticeably along one rail, and I discuss whether it will simply need cleaning back and resealing with paint, or whether a more thorough strip-down is required once I remove the key bed. I also explain why I prefer hand tools over an electric screwdriver for this sort of work, since it lets me feel for cross-threading before any damage is done.

Once inside, I give a guided tour of the main components, pointing out the multi-region power supply, the transformer, and the AC to DC conversion stage that feeds clean voltages to the rest of the circuitry. I identify the main circuit board as the heart of the Roland D-10 and check the firmware version currently installed, along with the backup battery I know is due for replacement. I also show the user interface board, carrying the knobs, switches and faders, which I can only access once I have lifted the key bed clear. I end the video with a summary of what comes next: replacing the battery and beginning the deeper strip-down needed to bring the instrument back to full working order.

Video 3 — Replacing the internal battery

In this video I explain why I am replacing the battery on the Roland D-10. Batteries like this do not last forever, and while a synthesiser is in storage, it keeps drawing on the battery to preserve the memory. I mention that they are usually said to last around seven years, though some owners report theirs lasting considerably longer depending on how often the instrument is used. I recommend keeping a simple log of when the battery was last changed, so that I can work to a rough seven-year schedule on the Roland D-10. I show the replacement part I use, a widely available CR2032 coin cell, and I mention that I usually reach for a Panasonic, though Sony and occasionally Duracell will do the job just as well.

I then walk through the process of removing the old battery from the Roland D-10, having already opened it up in the previous video. I explain that I prefer to handle the battery with a piece of kitchen towel rather than my bare fingers, since the oils on skin are said by some to make a battery discharge more quickly. I lift the retaining tab with a small flat-blade screwdriver and ease the old battery free, noting how it was originally fitted with the writing facing upwards, before pushing the new one into place until it clicks securely into position.

Before finishing, I test the old battery out of curiosity and find it is still reading a perfectly healthy voltage, which tells me the Roland D-10 had plenty of life left even after years of use. With the new battery fitted, I switch the synthesiser back on and find the performance memory has been wiped, so I reload the factory sounds from my laptop using a MIDI interface and a SysEx data transfer. I talk through the process of putting the instrument into receive mode before sending the file across, and within a minute or so the factory patches are back, bringing this stage of the restoration to a close.