Superb Sound EK-922

Superb Sound EK-922

This instrument appears to be a direct predecessor of the MC-2 hardware class, because although it has a very similar control panel, it contains a Zilog brand CPU with less pins (much like the rare HBATEC, which was a MC-3 predecessor).

Unfortunately my EK-922 specimen (from flea market) is completely brain dead; it makes no sound anymore and only the CPU runs very hot (like with my as dead and quite similar Fujiyama KS-37 - likely the previous owner confused power supply polarity), thus I don't know how it had sounded.

main features:

37 midsize keys
2 built-in speakers
main & rhythm volume slider
8 OBS preset sounds {piano, e-guitar, harpsichord, musicbox, clarinet, violin, banjo, oboe}
8 OBS preset rhythms {march, bossanova, pops, disco, rhumba, 16beat, waltz, slowrock}
sustain & vibrato buttons
tempo +/ - buttons
primitive sequencer {"record", "play/ stop"} (no edit)
3 plastic drumpad buttons (icons show base, hihat, snare)
programmable rhythm pattern ("program" & "play/ space" buttons)
accompaniment ("chord/ off" button, case writing "auto bass chord")
simple analogue(?) percussion
CPU "Zilog R904, Z0860008PSC, SZJL-W30, 9334 N1" (28 pin DIL)
demo button
jacks for microphone and 9V DC power supply

This instrument was released by the obscure brand "Superb Sound Audio Products", which also released the awful My Music Center variant EK-91DX. The case style was blatantly copied from a Casio SA-21. Although all 8 sounds and 8 rhythms have OBS buttons, their buttons are labelled with numbers those meaning is listed on the control panel to imitate the case style of modern soundbank keyboards.

The small PCB contains quite much analogue stuff, similar like my MC-2 instruments although the CPU has less pins. The green writing on the beige PCB top looks like copied from something hand written, thus it was likely designed without computer.

This instrument was possibly the direct predecessor of the MC-2 hardware class.

*removal of these screws voids warranty...*

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