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Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

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Akronleigh

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Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 06, 2018 10:50 am

Hello,
Interested in gaining knowledge of the best possibilities to convert a 3-manual Allen organ to the Hauptwerk
System. This is a home installation—looking for the most cost effective approach. Open to all ideas.
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organtechnology

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 06, 2018 11:43 am

Akronleigh wrote:Hello,
Interested in gaining knowledge of the best possibilities to convert a 3-manual Allen organ to the Hauptwerk
System. This is a home installation—looking for the most cost effective approach. Open to all ideas.


For a 1970s Allen I suggest removing the Allen electronics down to the keybaords and switches and then wire the keys, pedals and switches to modern MIDI encoders/decoders. After that you need to build a Haupwerk computer and get a suitable USB sound module, amplifiers and speakers. Hook it all up and play. I also remove the moving drawknobs or magnetic tabs in favor of touch screens. YMMV.

https://organtechnology.com/wp-content/ ... 11/133.jpg

Thomas
Complete Hauptwerk™ systems using real wood consoles, PC Sound Engines, Dante Audio for Home or Church. info (at) organtechnology.com http://www.organtechnology.com
Authorized Hauptwerk; Milan Digital Audio and Lavender Audio reseller.
USA and Canada shipments only.
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RaymondList

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 06, 2018 12:59 pm

I have recently converted my 1967 Allen to Hauptwerk. I did as mentioned above and ripped out all of the old electronics. I used two contacts per key and MidiBoutique provided me with Midi encoders that worked with 12 to 15 volt keying. I used 14 volt with great success. The most tedious part of the whole conversion was identifying for each key the proper wires in the harness coming from the key contacts. It was not really that difficult, just time consuming. The thing works wonderfully and I still can't believe the sound I get from this old thing I have in my house!
Ray
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organtechnology

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 06, 2018 9:19 pm

RaymondList wrote:I have recently converted my 1967 Allen to Hauptwerk. I did as mentioned above and ripped out all of the old electronics. I used two contacts per key and MidiBoutique provided me with Midi encoders that worked with 12 to 15 volt keying. I used 14 volt with great success. The most tedious part of the whole conversion was identifying for each key the proper wires in the harness coming from the key contacts. It was not really that difficult, just time consuming. The thing works wonderfully and I still can't believe the sound I get from this old thing I have in my house!


We are developing an optical keying system for pedal boards that will be DIY and another version for keyboards that will be installed by us for now. The first sets for pedal boards are in house now

The keyboard versions will eliminate the contacts and weird matrix Allen uses and replace them with a bolt on rock solid optical system. The PCBs for the first three keyboards are just waiting on the light blocking pieces to be made.
Complete Hauptwerk™ systems using real wood consoles, PC Sound Engines, Dante Audio for Home or Church. info (at) organtechnology.com http://www.organtechnology.com
Authorized Hauptwerk; Milan Digital Audio and Lavender Audio reseller.
USA and Canada shipments only.
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engrssc

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostWed Nov 07, 2018 12:24 am

Congrats on that Thomas. Should be a welcome addition for many "converter" persons. 8)

Rgds,
Ed
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engrssc

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostWed Nov 07, 2018 12:24 am

Congrats on that Thomas. Should be a welcome addition for many "converter" persons. 8)

Rgds,
Ed
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Sylvaticus

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostMon Nov 12, 2018 9:54 am

My console is based on a '70s Allen. I too removed the original wiring and, using the original contacts, rewired in an 8x8 matrix for use with Midi-Hardware's encoders. They function flawlessly. From what I understand, these decoders can be easily programmed to work with the odd Allen matrix, but because of my trepidation at all things MIDI (and experience at soldering) I decided I would rather leave them at default configuration and just do the work.

The one thing I would have done differently, had I been less anxious to get going, would have been to try to preserve the Allen preset mechanism.

Good luck on your project -- it will take a bit of time, and be worth every second. BTW, if you do not wind up using the Allen contacts, I would welcome the opportunity to purchase two of the contact rails from you for my next build this winter.
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jkinkennon

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostMon Nov 12, 2018 12:31 pm

If you are wanting to make the Allen tabs or drawknobs work that's an a bit of a specialty of mine. I have free designs, software, and PCBs (affordable) available from OSH Park if you want to built your own encoder/decoder. See the website on the signature line below.
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jbittner

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 13, 2018 9:49 am

This might be an option to consider
https://zumagroup.com/midi-stop-controller/
John B.
Allen 965 MOS 2
Zuma Group MOS-2 Midi Keyboard Encoder
Zuma Group DM Midi Stop Controller
Hauptwerk 4.2
Major I ACO
Paramount 320
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Antoni Scott

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostThu Nov 15, 2018 9:06 pm

If you contact me by private e-mail I can tell how I did a 1970 Rodgers.
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wlsartore

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostTue Nov 20, 2018 2:51 pm

I midi-fied my Allen 505B console with products from Artisan.
http://artisanorgans.intartists.com/ArtisanOrgans/Artisan_Products.html

They have a wide variety of products to suit the various vintages of Allen organs.

Bill S.
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jkinkennon

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostWed Nov 21, 2018 12:20 pm

Be aware that the Artisan approach requires modifications to each SAM's driver board. With a large number of stop tabs or drawknobs this requires many hours of tedious work.
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engrssc

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostWed Nov 21, 2018 1:04 pm

Plus there are easier and less expensive ways to do a conversion such as using components from

https://www.midi-hardware.com/

Rgds,
Ed
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jkinkennon

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostThu Nov 22, 2018 2:50 am

Ed, could you clarify which of Roman's products can handle the Allen stops as I couldn't spot what you were referring to. These are fine encoders and decoders at attractive prices but I don't see which one can work with the Allen 50v SAMs along with their attached driver boards. That's why I mentioned this as "a bit of a specialty" in a previous post.
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engrssc

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Re: Looking to convert a 1970’s Allen

PostThu Nov 22, 2018 8:34 am

Going by what another "converter" did where he used:

https://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=MIDECO&R2=USD

along with either

https://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=MIBO-HS&R2=USD h

or

https://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=MIBO&R2=USD

I did notice that these extender boards are rated at 30 VDC at 2 A and 35 VDC at 2 A respectively. I didn't look into details beyond what he told me regarding his Allen conversion.

Rgds,
Ed
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