DIY console by Daniel Cook

[mdyde]

Here are some pictures of Daniel Cook's Hauptwerk console, first with three manuals and then four, in case they're of interest to any of you:

Here are some comments from Daniel:

I’m using various things for my console (see attached photo as 3 man and then as 4 man).

The Keyboards are dismembered Yamaha Keyboards set into a wooden frame.

The pistons run on two separate boards. Just over half run on a classic organs board by Ron Coates.

The rest run on a dismembered E-Keys keyboard.

Thanks Daniel for allowing us to post these.

[G3]

Excellent and impressive.

George (G3)

[hinemini]

Who is Daniel Cook, is he active on this Forum?

Have Questions about disassembling Yamaha Keyboards....

[mdyde]

Daniel's forum username is DanielCook. You could try sending a private forum message if you want to contact him privately.

[PeterD]

Martin/Daniel

That looks a stylish console with fuctional simplicity, Just a couple of questions.. Are the screens 17 or 19 and secondly what is the overall width of the console- I might just have room !

Thanks

Peter

[bigwold]

Daniel
Where did you get your thumb pistons from and the all-important question, at what price?

[DanielCook]

Hi everyone,

The Console is 2ft deep, 5ft 1 1/2 wide and 5ft 2 high

The pistons are standard pipe organ pistons from Kimber Allen (http://www.kimberallen.com)
They are £3.50 each ex VAT and its costs extra for the engraving. Its worth it though, they feel good and are easy to fit.

The screens are 17 inch touch screens I bought from e-bay very cheeply.

[Kronenberg II]

Hi Daniel,
A previous post (Hinemini) ask about disassembling the Yamaha keyboards which you have used. I have recently started to set up my system with just one Yamaha keyboard at present ( a new basic model at around £60) and can't really see how to seperate the parts which are not needed for a console. I took the keyboard apart initially to put foam rubber strips under the keys to give a more resistant touch which has worked quite well. However, the way in which the keyboard is wired together internally confuse me and I really need to know how to effectively get rid of the bits and pieces which are not needed.
Can you, or anyone else lead me on this?

Thanks,
Richard

[IanPounder]

Hello Richard

In fact you can't usually discard any of the electronics (except if there is a separate circuit board positioned so that it only gives contacts for some buttons - rhythm, perhaps - that you won't be using). You can remove the boards and mount them more neatly, but the components aren't laid out in a way that gives the functions you want in one place (e.g., the power amplifier module may well be on the same board as the 12v input / voltage control / smoothing; so all you can do is cut off the speakers).

The disassembly is more to do with cutting away plastic to make it possible to have the correct vertical distance and overhang between the manuals, and provide piston rails. Daniel has taken this a stage further than me, in that he has replaced the key felt rail with wood, which also makes it easier to mount "real"pistons.

In some ways it's easier to do this with (eg) M-Audio MIDI controller keyboards, but I prefer the "feel" of the Yamaha keys.

[hinemini]

In fact i managed to make a bridge on the "motherboard" of the Keyoard , so i can discard the controller board which leads the commands of the knobs and switches to the motherboard. You don´t need those knobs. I only had the problem, that the Power on Knob is not hardware but gives only short contact to activate the Keyboard. Bridging solved the problem, whenever power is supplied, the keyboard starts working.

Thanks to Ian for his further informations to me!

[hinemini]

UPDATE

I actually removed the display, simply cutting the wire- now no MIDI functions any more.

Think, it´s probably the best, to keep all of the electronic components.

[Anton Heger]

Who is Daniel Cook, is he active on this Forum?

I think, he will be!

Look at http://forum.hauptwerk.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5094
Brett Milan wrote there:

We would like to offer a short concert performed by Salisbury Cathedral's organist, Daniel Cook. ...

As soon as Brett's upcoming sampleset is finished, Daniel can study at home on his 'own' organ

[hinemini]

Hi Daniel, how did you fix the Yamaha keyboards ?

[Morse]

I'm considering adding a third manual to my setup. Is the Yamaha keyboard being discussed here the model YPT-210? I prefer to buy a model that has already been successfully disassembled and used by someone.

[IanPounder]

Hello Al

I'm 99% certain that Daniel used the YPT200, but the 210 is just the usual Yamaha cosmetic upgrade, so it should be fine.

For anyone in the UK planning to use the YPT200, Argos have them at a good price at the moment in their sale.