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DIY console by Daniel Cook

Building organ consoles for use with Hauptwerk, adding MIDI to existing consoles, obtaining parts, ...
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Kronenberg II

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Re: DIY console by Daniel Cook

PostMon Jul 13, 2009 5:18 am

The YPT200 at Argos (UK) is a particularly good deal at £68 because it includes the 12v transformer plug which can be around £10 extra at some stores.
However, I am still not totally clear about aspects of dis- assembling the keybaord particularly regarding the power supply. Do 3 keyboards need three transformer plugs? How do you overide the power 'on' button on the keyboards so that they are powered automatically when the whole system is switched on? I am also wondering how much space is needed behind a piston rail to eventually fit pistons to the system. Who supplies the most straightforward type of piston for a set-up like this?
What I do recommend when the keybaord has been taken apart, is to place foam rubber strips under the keys to give a firmer and more serious touch to the keyboard. The keys come out in sections very easily and I cut 1.5cm thick strips of the more dense type of foam rubber to lay onder the keys.

(P.S. to Ian) I recently came across some organ music in a sale with the name Ella Pounder written on the cover. A n Ella Pounder was also the former piano teacher of a colleauge here in Cardiff. The same illustrious musical family?

Richard
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Re: DIY console by Daniel Cook

PostMon Jul 13, 2009 6:18 am

Hello Richard

You could, of course, use the three power supplies from the Argos "bundle". Since you won't be using the power amplifiers / loudspeakers at all, and the current required by the electronics is small, one of the power supplies would be perfectly adequate for all three keyboards. You'd need to have three power plugs attached to the output, of course. The easiest way to do that is with Maplin's "2.1 power extension lead set", order code JR94C.

As for switching the keyboards on, it's easy to find the circuitboard tracks that lead to the power buttton; scrape off the lacquer and solder a bridge between them. The keyboards will come on as soon as they receive power, and it doesn't matter that the button remains shorted out while the keyboard is in use.

I used simple push-to-make switches for my pistons, so I can't help you with the details of "real" pistons. Daniel got his from Kimber Allen.

Ella Pounder was a distant relative, and taught piano in Middlesbrough for many years. I wasn't aware that she played the organ, though.
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vidarf

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Re: DIY console by Daniel Cook

PostMon Jul 13, 2009 7:12 pm

You could also get 12 volts from the computers power supply, given that the PSU is of decent quality and a little larger than actually needed.

You can check whether one power supply can drive all your keyboards by adding the required amperes per keyboard. Let's say each keyboard draws .5 Ah, you have three manuals and the power supply can deliver 2Ah at 12 volt. 3 x .5 = 1.5 Ah in total, thus under the 2 Ah limit. It is allways a good idea not to max out the power supply due to heat buildup and so on.
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Re: DIY console by Daniel Cook

PostTue Jul 14, 2009 3:42 am

Thanks for those posts. Plenty to think about.

Richard
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Re: DIY console by Daniel Cook

PostTue Jul 14, 2009 4:53 am

A typical Yamaha keyboard draws about 0.25 amps when the volume is at minimum (as obviously it would be for organ use, probably with the speakers disconnected). My 4 keyboards (3 manuals and an old PSS keyboard to midify the ped and pistons) do in fact run from the PC 12 volt supply without problems.
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