The Novation Supernova II is now considered to be a vintage synthesizer.
As with most vintage equipment it has been known to develop certain faults over its lifetime.
I have owned my Supernova II Keyboard for 16 years and have become familiar with the issues that can arise. In 2017 I started a repair service for the Supernova II and have repaired 160+ units to date.
Below is a list of the most common faults with the Supernova II Keyboard and Rack units:
Noisy DAC Fault:
This fault will affect the audio output on the
Headphones Socket and the audio on
Outputs 1 & 2.
There are several symptoms that appear with a DAC fault:
- No Sound on either Left, Right, or both channels.
- Crackle, Hiss, Distorted, or Random noises.
- The audio clicks when adjusting the volume control when there are no sounds playing.
- The audio will go silent after the unit has warmed up.
- Abnormal DC Offset on either Left, Right, or both channels.
I use the later
CS4392KZZ DAC with improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio for the replacement DAC.
For the DAC Repair I only need your Supernova II Main PCB to be sent in.
The cost of the DAC Repair including the return shipping is
£85 for UK and
£95 for International.
DSP Faults:
When you have a DSP fault the Effects Special LED (keyboard) or Comb Filter LED (Rack) will flash and several of the Part LEDs will be lit when the unit is powered-on. The display will be blank and the unit will not generate any sounds.
If a DSP fault happens whilst the unit is playing then the sound will hang and the Effects Special LED (keyboard) or Comb Filter LED (Rack) will flash.
For the DSP Repair I only need your Supernova II Main PCB to be sent in.
The cost for the DSP Repair including the return shipping is £120 for UK and £130 for International.
FLASH Write Error Faults:
With this fault the Supernova II will will display: Flash Write Error !! Switch off & re-try
Alternatively it may display this message instead: ROM to O/S Flash Progress [0%]
For the Flash Repair I only need your Supernova II Main PCB to be sent in.
The cost for the Flash Repair including the return shipping is £130 for UK and £140 for International.
Supernova II hangs when Booting:
With this fault the Supernova II will either constantly light ALL the panel LEDs, or constantly flash ALL the Panel LEDs. The display will remain blank.
This fault can be caused by several issues so the Main PCB will need to be sent in for diagnosis.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms with your Supernova II get in touch using the
Contact Us link at the bottom of the page.
For most cases you can send the Motherboard PCB alone rather than shipping the whole unit back and forth. This lowers the shipping costs and reduces the risk of transit damage to your Supernova II.
I am based in Northern Ireland (UK)
NOTE: If your Supernova PCB has had a previous repair attempt or has sustained PCB damage during a previous repair you will be required to send photos of the damage and disclose the full repair history. Any PCB arriving with undisclosed damage will be rejected and returned at the sender's expense.
All the parts I use for Supernova repairs come from verified vendors to ensure the authenticity of the parts.
I do not accept parts supplied by customers for any Supernova repairs.
I have created a guide detailing the removal and replacement of the Motherboard in the Supernova II Keyboard and Rack Units.
You can download it using the link below (PDF FIle):
Removal & Reinstalling the Supernova II Keyboard / Rack Motherboard
All Sector101 PCB Rework & Repairs are done according to the IPC Class 3 Standard.
The Class 3 standard is the highest standard for Printed Circuit Board Assembly manufacture.
It is assigned primarily to Space and Military applications, Medtech Devices, and the Automotive Industry.
When your Supernova II PCB repair is complete you can expect:
- No PCB Damage or PCB Component Damage.
- New components are aligned correctly to the PCB Pads.
- Clean smooth solder joints.
- PCB Rework area totally clean. No flux residues remain.
Repair Example #1: Sector101 Supernova II DAC Replacement:
Repair Example #2: Sector101 Supernova II Flash Replacement: