Building own Console - and converting Roland PC-200 mkII

Dear fellow Hauptwerk users

All the best for 2016 to one an all!

I came to a point where I want to give realization to my dream of having a proper HW console.

I got hold of an old Viscount Domus 832, but the electronics are dead, the console were in a bad state, so I salvaged the 2 manuals, thumb pistons, Register Tabs, Swell Shoe, Internal speakers and External Speaker cabinet, and ditched the rest. It came without a pedal

I also got my hands on a Johannus 210, and decided to use this as my basis for my console.

I took of the top of the cabinet as I need the space for 4 manuals - will when I'm done fit a new top with Music stand.

My current hardware that are working together is the following:

Lenovo Laptop with 16G memory - Windows 10
D-Link powered USB hub
Edirol UM-3ex MIDI hub
2 x Edirol PRC M80 keyboards
1 x Roland PC-200 MK II midi Controller
2 x Assus Active Studio Speakers.:

I also have the following hardware and would like to add this to my console in time:
2 Viscount Manuals,
Viscount Register tabs
1 Viscount Swell Shoe
2 Johannus Swell Shoes
14 Foot Pistons
2 External Johannus Speaker Cabinets
1 External Viscount Speaker Cabinet
1 set each internal Speakers from a Johannus and a Viscount
(Really not to sure if I really need all this speakers and how I will connect them, but that is a problem for the future...)

I would also like to get a proper USB Audio interface and 2 Launch Pads in the near future...

So now you know where I am heading.. but what I need help on now is the following:

1 - I found AGO specifications for placement of the Manuals in relation to the pedal-board, BUT I need to know - what is the specification for placement of foot pistons?

2 - AND - what is the inclination for the manuals? From the Johannus and Viscount - I measure a 2/2.5 degree inclination on manual 2, what is the inclination for manuals 3 and 4? 4 and 6 or 5 and 7.5 degrees - or something else?

3 - The other BIGGIE where I need help with is to get my PC200 to work as pedal division........
The Johannus cabinet is fitted with magnets on the end of the pedals, on the inside of the cabinet there are PC boards fitted with reed switches on a bus system, so my thoughts were to connect wires on each end of each reed switch, and run this to the keyboard and connect to the connection points of the keyboard but........
On opening the keyboard I found that under the notes run a rubber strip with bubbels. Under each bubble are 2 small contact points that make contact on the PC board. For each not thus 2 connections - both seems to be a matrix system. I thought that If I can figure out which of these points are giving the signal for the note to sound, and solder the wires from the reed switch to it, I will have a working solution, but - nope - technology caught me! Pressing down on each bubble get the note to sound, if I short each of the 2 connection point per note manually, one at a time, nothing happens, if I short one set, and while holding down on the "short" then short the second point, the note sounds, but continue to do so until i release the first "short" is there any way to "bypass this?

Does anybody have a solution for me - I am aware of all the nice solutions out there - eg - MIDI boutique etc, but Importing stuff to South Africa is currently un-affordable with our bad exchange rate - I would like to use what I have a far as possible.

4 - Any ideas, and help for above project would be appreciated - I did see in the forum extensive threads eg on the Launchpads etc, so I's sure I will get right getting that to work. my Main problem now is Firstly getting the pedals to work through the PC 200, get the right specs for inclination and them how to get the Viscount manuals connected to my system - They are wired together with 2 ribbon cables? is this of any use - must be compatible with an existing midi encoder? I also have the "midi" interface from the Viscount that provided connection for the external MIDI connector - not sure if this would be of any help?

Hope to hear form you guys ASAP

Kind Regards
from a VERY hot and currently VERY DRY South Africa
Vivaldi
(Pretoria)

Hi Vivaldi

1 - I found AGO specifications for placement of the Manuals in relation to the pedal-board, BUT I need to know - what is the specification for placement of foot pistons?

I doubt that there is a specification for this. I'd just look at a few real consoles for ideas (if you need to) and place them wherever it's convenient or comfortable.

what is the inclination for the manuals? From the Johannus and Viscount - I measure a 2/2.5 degree inclination on manual 2, what is the inclination for manuals 3 and 4? 4 and 6 or 5 and 7.5 degrees - or something else?

Again, I think this is largely a matter of personal choice.

...Pressing down on each bubble get the note to sound, if I short each of the 2 connection point per note manually, nothing happens????!!!

The Roland PC200 MkII is velocity sensitive, which complicates things quite a lot. A common way of sensing the velocity of a key press is to use two sets of contacts for each key and measuring the time delay between the first and second set of contacts closing (or opening when the key is released). To replicate this on the pedalboard would require two reed switches, slightly separated, for each pedal note.

If there is really only one set of contacts for eack key on the Roland, I can only imagine that it somehow senses the changing resistance as the bubble collapses and bases the velocity on the rate of change. I haven't come across this myself but I guess it's technically possible.

If you can't resolve this, you might be interested in my home-brew encoder described here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12849&p=94757&hilit=pedal#p94757 . I could send you one ready built and programmed as a pedal encoder pretty cheaply.

Nick

Hi Nick, did you receive my PM?