I don’t think I’ve done much writing about GForce Software on these threads. Which is odd. GForce Software are, without question, among the elite of commercial independent audio developers - along with fxpansion, SonicCouture, Audio Damage, Ohm Force - that are cool beyond all reasoning.

I know, “cool”… what does that mean, right? A word so overused as to be meaningless, a verbal tick slightly better than people who stammer “you know” every three words. But I feel about these developers the way I felt about certain independent record labels during my formative music years, labels like Homestead, Touch & Go, SST: creative, adventurous, with a lot of attitude and the taste to back it up. In some ways, as a fan, it felt you had a relationship with these companies because they were run by a few individuals who knew their shit. I didn’t always like everything they were putting out, but I was almost always interested and had respect for their choices.

Imperfect and over-thought analogies aside, you get the point.

The first GForce product I procured was the MTron, which I still love, though, let’s face it, has limited use. (Disclosure: I don’t have the 3rd Tape bank, so I’m about 20 sounds short of the full sounds. I’m holding out for the promised MTron Pro.) But I’m fascinated by vintage sounds so this was one of the first VSTs I bought. Then I got impOSCar, which is still my go-to softsynth. Really, I can’t stress enough how much I love that software. The beauty of GForce products is that in addition to sounding great they seemed to be designed by actual musicians. While sometimes it’s fun to tuck into a multi-page synth that makes you feel like you’re trying to solve a rubic’s cube, the amount of milage GForce get out of a single screen on impOSCar is truly impressive. And, yes, it screams like a bastard.

(I just bought Oddity; I haven’t really had a chance to explore it or utilize it.)

So I was very excited when I heard that GForce were producing a sample-based instrument of the great string machines of years past. I was listening to M83 a lot at that point, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, when it finally was released I was skint, so it wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally got around to ordering it.

Not that GForce products are expensive; they’re really cheap compared to a lot of other synth makers, especially considering the quality. I was just really broke and short on work.

And, yep, it’s already been used on a few tracks. I’ve heard some people write it off as a “one trick pony” on boards and a few bone-headed reviews. This couldn’t be more wrong. The depth of sound is perhaps not all-encompassing but it’s certainly not limited. It is very versitile. And with the additional control built into the smartly designed but still classy GUI it can do a hell of a lot more than just lush pads.

Though, if you like lush pads this shit is a no brainer.

Here’s the deal. Wandered into a pawn shop - Ooo, look gear! - and stumbled upon a Korg Polysix. I would very much like to keep this instrument. I gave them $350 out the door, with 7 day full refund. And, sure enough, it’s afflicted by a well known defect with a battery leaking onto a circuit board. When it’s plugged in the lights go all wonky and it makes no sound. The analog lights seem to track okay, but anything with the digital memory is hosed.

I can try to fix myself using these very comprehensive directions:
Old Crow’s Synth Shop: Korg Polysix Upgrade/Repair Overview
(Note: this kind of site is why I love the web sometimes.)

Or I can try to find someone to fix it - I’m comfortable removing the board from the housing. And cleaning up the rest of the instrument.

I could probably find someone who would walk me through it if I had to.

But I need to figure out how much I’m willing to pay the pawn shop for a non-working Polysix.

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers for the help.

Note: Cribbed from a post I’m sure I’ll put on a few boards.

Further Note:
I knew about the battery thing before I bought it. I did leave the shop and read up on it. So I knew what I was getting into. But I figured with money back it was worth a gamble.

I’m think $50, maybe $100.

Cheers to synthmuseum.com for the advert.