Synhouse/Synclav.com Synclavier Power Supply
Replacement/Upgrade for Yamaha TX216/TX816

Click here for Synhouse/Synclav.com TX216/TX816 Power Supply Upgrade Installation Instructions and Photos

Click here to pay with the order form



Notes on product appearance and photos shown: Most items shown in the photos on this product page are versions that existed from 6/2019 through 2021. By 7/2025 every single piece of the upgrade, aside from the central Synclavier analog power supply itself---which is the whole point of this design versus the trash anyone else is trying to do---had been changed and improved to proper factory made items and better materials to replace the prototype/hand made of surplus parts items supplied the first few years when it had been anticipated that very, very few of these kits would be sold, and possibly only few could even be made. The installation method remains the same for now, just follow the installation photos. The earlier photos that still remain on this page, the installation page, and in other places showing this Synhouse product may show earlier versions of the parts. For example, the stiff gasoline-proof green AWG 10 triple ground wires w/unplated copper strands (now factory made in very flexible green AWG 10 triple ground wires w/tin plated copper strands for improved solderability, featuring the tin plated copper fully flat star washer/ring terminals for stacking to the star grounding point, made to the latest revision which is perfect), the black/white AWG 14 AC twist wires from 2006 studio surplus (now factory made w/new machine twisted AWG 14 wiring), main 9-way 5-color half factory/half handmade wiring harness (went to fully factory made once the exact lengths were determined, then to fully factory made in the better, preferred factory that makes those TX816 and some Synclavier and SP1200 wiring harnesses for Synhouse), main digital PSU (preferred factory unreachable for two years, out of business by 2022, replaced by various other suppliers those 3 years that were difficult to certify, replaced by preferred factory better than the first one doing a first production then a massive second production once Synhouse factory work was fully resumed), single use black FR4 drilling template (made in 15 different versions, most hand modified, but at least four factory versions existed [3/2017, 9/2019, 1/2021, and 4/2023], now a single use white paper drilling template which delayed a 2nd price increase and 3rd shipping price increase since the shipping box no longer had to be a foot long), black IEC AC inlet and FR4 IEC panel (went from whatever factory/surplus IEC sockets were in stock at Synhouse over the years to a new IEC socket from the preferred factory, and to a black steel IEC panel more similar to the old Yamaha panel that gets removed/discarded, plus it is M3 metric tapped like the old one from Yamaha to remove another two items from the hardware packet, this was great expense and difficulty enabled only by five years of the surprising success of this kit and the use of that same IEC socket/panel in another Synhouse product), miscellaneous mismatched black/red/green (No choice b/c muh "supply chain crisis" with 115 ships lined up off the L.A. coast [when not a single ship or dock crew in the world had refused to work even once] had Synhouse buying very approximately sized heat shrink tubing of miscellaneous colors at Harbor Freight tools while All Electronics was closed for lockdown. Fun fact: Not one person working at or shopping at that store died of the world's most deadliest pandemic knowst to man.) heat shrink tubing installed by Synhouse and supplied in hardware packet (went to matching heat shrink tubing from preferred factory), cable ties from 1999 Synhouse stock (went to new stock cable ties from better factory), hardware packet (had many parts replaced with better, more exact parts, initially changing 2/each steel nuts and spring washers to 2/each single Keps nuts for ease and efficiency, then replaced entirely with the tapped black steel IEC inlet panel requiring no nuts on the back at all, though the very, very limited production of this upgrade doesn't allow the usual Synhouse designed and manufactured hardware/fasteners to be produced, it must be off the shelf from somewhere), and, most importantly, it can be seen that the fully soldered ring terminals which had been whatever was in stock at Synhouse for decades (mostly odd factory closeout lots from the wonderful, wonderful All Electronics in the city with no skies Van Nuys, permanently out of business in 2023, fellow shoppers at any time might include many L.A. electronic music techs, and two ex-Linn Electronics, Inc. people come to mind) were changed to three very precise new parts from the preferred factory, especially the tin plated heavy cast pure copper ring terminals in two sizes, still fully soldered, and avoided accepting ANYTHING less, and no one else has those (lame attempts at competing with this power supply upgrade don't supply but suggest using crap crimp connectors). The usual applies, as everyone else says: The company reserves the right to change the product from the appearance shown.

(VIDEO)


Need 230v Euro power? It's supplied to anyone ordering from Europe or otherwise requesting it.



The Problem(s):

The Yamaha TX816 (most people call it a TX816 but the model number shown on the serial number tag on the back of the machine can say TX216 or TX816, depending upon how it was sold, US list prices in 1985 were $2,095 and $4,995, respectively), described as eight DX7s in a rack, is an instrument of enduring popularity, but it has 1) a horrible power supply and 2) an unfortunate AC power cord setup.

Even back in 1985, the Yamaha TX816 was well known for having a very bad power supply, it either had a loud buzzing, humming sound in the room, or it just failed outright. Anyone involved with electronic music or instrument sales knew this well all the way back in 1985. Various synth technicians over the years have figured out how to replace a dead one with something else, usually taking a lot of time doing them one by one, and not ending up with anything that could be considered an upgrade (usually a crappy, noisy combo switching power supply like a Skynet because it's all they had or all that they could make fit).

A huge percentage of TX816 power supplies have failed or become very noisy. Bad power supplies (and other components, such as the  LCD/backlight on the Yamaha REV7 reverb, more than half had failed in two years, almost none exist still working in the world today) are common to Yamaha products, and nothing has ever been done about it. The slightly newer Yamaha TX802 module is also known for having a humming, buzzing, failing power supply, and the Yamaha 02R and 02R version 2 digital mixers have suffered an almost 100% failure rate, and even when fixed, fail again, because they are garbage.

Work was done here on a number of Yamaha TX816s 2016-2017, and it was shocking to see that all over the web, everyone still knows about the bad power supplies, and still no one had done anything about it.











What people on the web DO NOT discuss is how terrible and insufficient the Yamaha TX816 power supply is even when it is working properly. It doesn't have nearly enough power for eight TF1 modules. There is no power headroom, so transient response is suppressed when any sounding voice has to suck power away from the other voices/modules.






The Yamaha TX816 power supply doesn't supply nearly enough power for eight TF1 modules. Even when first turned on cold---WITH
NO VOICES SOUNDING---the +15v load is drawing 80% and the -15v is drawing 91% of the rated power supply capacity. If you don't believe this, you can cut the wires and clip your DMM/ammeter in there and see for yourself how much power it is drawing when turned on cold. And keep in mind that the meter is averaging, it is not showing transient peaks of usage which is, well, where your audio is.

A TF1 module is a complete instrument, a 16-voice digital algorithm synthesizer with MIDI. If Yamaha had made one of those in a standalone box, it would have been fitted with this crap Yutaka power supply, and the load and amperage capacity would be well matched. But EIGHT of them on one of these crap Yutaka power supplies? That's really a joke.

The Solution:

Synhouse has engineered (2016-2019) a massive power supply upgrade that puts a Synclavier power supply into the Yamaha TX816. It's a little more than that, it's actually a custom +5v digital power supply and +/-15v Synclavier analog power supply that goes into the TX816 with upgraded wiring, improved grounding, and additionally gets rid of that ridiculous donkey tail AC power cord (only 2-prong, it isn't even grounded), putting a normal, properly grounded, IEC AC inlet on the back so that it can use a standard computer power cord.


ICE socket installed


Three different factories (regular Synhouse subcontract suppliers) kindly contributed to this very, very low production volume product and made it possible to have high quality at a low price. It should remain available for a number of years.

The kit includes drilling template, both power supplies, AC inlet panel, and wires, all pre-assembled as far as possible, everything needed except your tools (electric drill, 2 drill bits, center punch to mark holes for drilling, 1 or 2 Phillips screwdrivers, soldering iron).





kit installed, full power compartment



Current Pricing:

$185 Synhouse/Synclav.com Synclavier Power Supply Replacement/Upgrade for Yamaha TX216/TX816

$149 Synhouse Factory Installation in Los Angeles (shipping not included)


Installing this isn't quite as easy as installing a Synhouse MIDIJACK, but it isn't difficult at all, it just requires some tools and some care and caution as you work. The installation method is well described and illustrated here:

Click here for Synhouse/Synclav.com TX216/TX816 Power Supply Upgrade Installation Instructions and Photos

Click here to pay with the order form


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