Hi Jean,

A memory backup capacitor is simply a small device that is similar to a battery in that it will provide miniscule amounts of power to bits of the keyboard even when the keyboard turned off in order that certain settings are not lost. Given long enough though, it will run down just like a normal battery and your settings will be lost. Turning the keyboard on however will immediately 'top up' the capacitor and it will be able to carry on as before. This is different to a lithium battery, which has a defined amount of capacity at time of manufacture and cannot be recharged.

Most types of memory, be them inside your keyboard, PC or any other device need a constant supply of power in order to retain their data. Lose the power and the memory is immediately wiped - it is said to be volatile. Non-volatile memory is a special type that will retain data even when the power to it is disconnected. The variety of this used in Technics keyboards is called Flash memory - the only way to erase the data contained in it is to overwrite it with something else, it will not simply be lost over time. Hence the term 'non-volatile flash memory'. Exactly the same type of thing is used in the memory cards that you buy for use in digital cameras, or indeed the card that the new KN7000 will use instead of a hard disk drive.

The problems you are having sound to me more like wear and tear rather than battery problems, especially things like controls not responding properly even when the keyboard is normally connected to the mains supply.

Hope this is of help!

Regards,

Richard.