Now it is time to play!

Last night I finished a long journey, my organ is playable again, and it is a permament installation now. I went through a few iterations.

I now have this:





The console is Reuter Op 1267, bought from Zion United in Kansas. I added MIDI with a HWce (manual and pedal keying, stop switches, expression pedals) and MIDIbox (stop LEDs). I've replaced the pedal contacts with reed switches and magnets, and stop switches with microswitches. The audio interface is M-Audio Fasttrack Ultra (USB). I currently use headphones and a pair of Mackie MR5 monitors (without a sub for now, they have enough power, I think, more than my previous noname pc sub). The PC is an HP Touchsmart 610xt all-in-one pc with 8GB of ram (for now) and 256GB ssd, and an i7 2600 quad core cpu. It has a 23" touchscreen and it is held in place above the music stand by a regular tv mount. HW 4.0 Advanced is used. I can load St. Anne's in about 10 seconds (24 bit full).

For the full story check out these galleries, they have a lot of info in captions:

Buying, moving, taking apart, cleaning, putting it back together, adding reed switches:

https://picasaweb.google.com/102240880271704307308/Organ

Adding LEDs to the stop tabs:

https://picasaweb.google.com/102240880271704307308/DIYLightedStopTabs?authkey=Gv1sRgCP2U3b_mkMWwLw

Making things nice and permament:

https://picasaweb.google.com/102240880271704307308/20120422Orgona?authkey=Gv1sRgCKSlq9zEi_G4ew

Thanks to everyone for inspiration and support. I've now decided not to change anything for a year, but focus on playing and practicing. Projects to do would be to replace the manual contacts (they were a little bouncy, but now they look much better), add more pistons, more speakers, lights, etc. There's always something.

Imre,

Can you tell me a bit more about the conversion of the stop tabs? Is there anything besides the micro-switches providing tactile resistance to the tab? How bright are the LEDs you're using? Are you using 3mm LEDs?

Thank you.

Yes, they are 3mm LEDs. The tactile response now comes only fron the microswitches, but you can nicely feel if you've pressed something. I'll add springs on the inside, they'll increase the travel a bit and give a better feel. The LEDs are not too bright, they're nicely glowing. I can adjust the brightness with a pot inside the console, right now I keep it low also because my power supply is not strong enough.

Imre,
I really like what you have done with the lighted tabs. You are really on to something here.
Thank you.
Ted Williamson
San Diego

Yes, they are 3mm LEDs. The tactile response now comes only fron the microswitches, but you can nicely feel if you've pressed something. I'll add springs on the inside, they'll increase the travel a bit and give a better feel. The LEDs are not too bright, they're nicely glowing. I can adjust the brightness with a pot inside the console, right now I keep it low also because my power supply is not strong enough.

Imre,

I really like the idea of a potentiometer. It's so easy for LED's to be blinding! Did you put the pot on the negative side and just insert it between the output board and the common wire?

I've got more stops to light up then you have, but I think it should still work.

Thanks so much!

Mike

Yes, the pot is on the common wire. This way I didn't have to add resistors to all the LEDs, and I can adjust them. I'm running them at a very low current I guess.

Yes, they can easily be blinding, but the colour has a lot to do with it. I like these amber ones very much.

Yes, the pot is on the common wire.

Don't you find the brightness changes according to number of LEDs lit?

Nick

Don't you find the brightness changes according to number of LEDs lit?
Nick

If that is the case - then you need to get a regulated power supply - plenty of these on ebay at all voltages/amps.

James

If that is the case - then you need to get a regulated power supply - plenty of these on ebay at all voltages/amps.

Quite possibly, but if all the LEDs are commoned to one series resistance, I would expect interactions.
What's needed, I think, is a variable voltage regulated supply.

Nick

Yes, they do change in brightness as more LEDs are turned on. I've attributed that to the weak power supply.

Yes, they do change in brightness as more LEDs are turned on. I've attributed that to the weak power supply.

A weak power supply would certainly contribute to the problem, but I'm sure that the circuit itself is the main culprit.

The issue is that as more LEDs are switched on, the increasing current through the common resistor causes an increasing voltage drop across it. Thus progressively dimming all the LEDs. A true variable voltage regulated supply wouldn't be difficult to source or build from scratch.

Nick