HAWK-800 Constructions and Installations Instructions –
your own printed circuit board stand offs. See the section “Mounting the kit in your synthesizer” for photos and
recommendations on how to mount the kit in your synthesizer.
Tape Features
WARNING: The HAWK-800 upgrade kit supports loading and verifying tape patch and sequencer data from the original
Korg Poly-800 and EX800. It does NOT support MK2 tape patch and sequencer data. The HAWK-800 MUST be running boot
software version 2.0 or higher to support the tape load and verify features. All HAWK-800 kits shipped from July 2008
onward are provided with boot version 2.0 or higher. HAWK-800 kits obtained prior to July 2008 can have their boot code
upgraded to version 2.0 or higher at which time, they will also be able to support tape load and verify. Tape dump features
are NOT supported by the HAWK-800 software and there are no current plans to support tape save features.
Loss of MK2 Large Sequence Size Feature
WARNING: The only function of the Poly-800 MK2 that will cease to work after you install the HAWK-800 upgrade kit will
be the large MK2 sequencer data size. The HAWK-800 upgrade kit supports the original Korg Poly-800 sequencer size of a
maximum of 256 events. The HAWK-800 will not receive sequencer data from MK2 sysex bulk dumps. The Mk2 can receive
sequencer data from the EX-800 bulk dump (that uses the smaller sequencer 256 event maximum). Keep in mind however,
that the HAWK-800 upgrade improves the sequencer by providing 7 individual sequencer locations of 256 events each.
Backup Patch and Sequencer Data
WARNING: You WILL lose all of your patch and sequencer data during the installation process. You should backup your
patches prior to starting the installation of the HAWK-800. Refer to the following table for methods available for saving and
then restoring your patch library data.
Patch Library Backup and Restore Methods
Poly-800 Model
Backup Method
Restore Method
Poly-800 original 1
st
method Save patches to audio (using
tape save feature).
Restore patches (using tape load feature).
EX-800
Save patches using sysex
dump or, Save patches to
audio (using tape save
feature).
Restore patches using the saved EX-800 sysex dumps or,
restore patches (using tape load feature).
Poly-800 MK2
Save patches using sysex
dump.
Restore patches using sysex dump. Note that sequencer
data from a MK2 sysex dump will NOT restore the sequence
data because the HAWK-800 does not support MK2 large
sequence data size.
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