This one didn’t go up in a blaze of glory, but the potential was there… The tantalum capacitors in vintage ARP synthesizers were of questionable quality when they were new, and now are disasters waiting to happen. Good quality tantalum capacitors are a fire hazard when exposed to even brief voltages that barely exceed their ratings, but the dodgy tantalum capacitors found in ARPs seem to pose a fire hazard without any coaxing. This failed capacitor on the Bass board of an ARP Omni 2, shorted the +15V rail to ground and caused the synthesizer not to work. Fortunately it didn’t damage anything else when it vented out its magic smoke. It is very important to replace every tantalum capacitor in an ARP synthesizer to protect your instrument. We offer capacitor kits and recapping services for all ARP synthesizers. Contact us to discuss your needs.
