Rodgers 645 console build

Here is where I will be documenting my buildup of a Rodgers 645 console.
First, a little history:

I had played around with Hauptwerk in the past, but never had a good application for it. I have been a piano major at my local college, and have switched over to the new-this-semester organ major program. I found this Rodgers 645 console and a half day later, it was in my living room.

Now I have an instrument I can use for practice, and since it has MIDI, I can continue playing with Hauptwerk.

I started posting to this forum a while back, and in return have had lots of great help from great people. For sound sets, I ended up purchasing the MDA Metz, and volume I of the MDA Father Willis. Sometimes I use the trial version of Velesovo for Bach practice.

Here is the console (just to the right is an old Allen console from the 60's):


One of the keys was messed up when somebody thought the closed roll-top was a good place to grab and lift, snagging the key as the roll-top rolled up:


Wanting a subwoofer that could easily play 16Hz, I turned to Danley Sound Labs and their amazing DTS-10. (2) 12" drivers in a horn-loaded configuration. 4000 watt amp in mono bridged mode to run it. Dimensions are 60"x44"x16" @ 300lbs:


Console in place, subwoofer hiding in the corner, now waiting for monitor speakers and everything else to show up:


Monitors in temporary location, still no sub amp or mixer to run the monitors:


I'll post some more photos later, as well as an equipment list.

Console in place, subwoofer hiding in the corner

Neat use of the word hiding.

Rgds,
Ed

Can I ask how much the Danley cost (IM if you prefer). Took a look at the website and there seems to be no price info and the link for dealers took me to an equally uninformative site that doesn't claim to operate in my state. Thinking of DIY something similar but a purchased option has some appeal.

mike

Can I ask how much the Danley cost (IM if you prefer). Took a look at the website and there seems to be no price info and the link for dealers took me to an equally uninformative site that doesn't claim to operate in my state. Thinking of DIY something similar but a purchased option has some appeal.

mike

I don't have the price in front of me; I'll have to post back later tonight when I'm home.

The DIY version of the DTS-10 isn't sold anymore, but was just over $1k when it was being offered. A real steal if you have the space and an amp to run it. (the DIY version is passive; the pre-assembled retail is available in passive and active versions).

The console has been torn apart, and all (10) speakers removed. A new kneeboard will be measured and cut, with a hole big enough for (3) swell shoes.





Stop tabs removed:



At the wood shop, crafting new parts. This is a riser block for the music rack:



New kneeboard cut and ready to re-upholster:



Swell shoes (2 from midiworks.ca) in place:



Quick note. If you are retrofitting a Rodger's console and want to add swell pedals like I am doing, the ones from midiworks fit perfectly, providing you unscrew and remove most of the bracket that comes with it. It seems like they were designed to do this, and it is a great idea:



Crude mockup of the console with (3) keyboards. The bottom keyboard is a Behringer UMX-610. The stop rail is too tall now, and will be replaced with a solid piece of walnut. The void to the left and right of the keyboards will be turned into little shelves for pencils or whatever:



Now that I put these photos here, I realize that they are dim and grainy, and the house is a mess.

Now that I put these photos here, I realize that they are dim and grainy, and the house is a mess.

No worries about any house mess. We have eyes only for the organ!

I'm curious why you didn't replace the existing expression pedal, to have three matching.

Lawrence

Lawrence,

Cost was the main motivation for not having three matching pedals. The existing pedal already works through the existing MIDI system, so I chose to keep using it.

Also, I think it's funny that I hadn't noticed the general chaos of everything until I captured it in a photograph. Interesting how the mind works.

Makes sense. I imagine you upgrade the third pedal to match in the future, but not likely a priority.

I know that when I see photos of my studio, I'm always shocked at the mess of the wires. I don't normally notice them that much, but sure do in photos!

UPDATE: I've been busy lately, and I have pictures to prove it.

The knee board has been upholstered and fitted. Now I need to find some rubber "c" channel to finish the inside edges.



This is the keyboard stack, with the top lid placed so I could see how everything was going to line up. Leaving the top lid in its original position wasn't an option, and I wasn't interested in modifying the front of the lid (couldn't think of a good looking way to do it without having to find some edge banding that would match), so I just pushed the lid backwards about 3 inches and decided that was the final solution.



The next step was to figure out how to mount and attach the thumb piston board for the bottom keyboard. Also, to get the geometry of the bottom keyboard to be right, I had to put a 1/8" board across the front, not only to raise it up slightly, but also to slightly angle the keyboard per AGO recommendation.



Once that had been figured out, it was time to cut and dry-fit the keycheeks and thumb piston board. Note: the majority of the console is made of oak, with the darker pieces made of walnut, making it a little tricky to stain-match and find suitable wood.



Since everything above the middle keyboard had been raised a few inches, I had to figure out a way to fill the void to the left and right sides of the keyboards. Eventually I decided to make a simple "step" in the wood, forming little shelves. Unfortunately due to some miscommunication, the wood for the little shelves were made of oak rather than walnut, and don't really match, but in the end, they add a little visual interest.



Once the pieces were dry-fit, I sanded, stained and finished the pieces. Here the pieces have been dry-fit:



Even with the top lid out of the way, the music rack was still too close to the top keyboard. I fashioned a riser and attached the music rack to that, giving me more clearance. Some red felt was attached to the bottom of the middle keyboard using a low-temperature hot glue gun.



Around the backside, my good wife used some cardboard painted flat black on the inside to fashion a box to conceal the swell shoes. She used gaffer's tape on both sides of all seams.



The power supply for the organ uses an IEC connection (think computer power supply) and the MKSC4A needed somewhere to be plugged in. I didn't want to have more than one power connection hanging out of the console, so I brainstormed a little and came up with this part:

(this is the 1.5' version; I used a 6' version)


It splits a 6' power cord to provide an IEC plug for the console, and a normal female socket to plug a power strip into.

The picture is kind of dim, but you can just make out the black cord here. I used a 3 outlet power strip I had laying around, until I get around to mounting a standard 6-outlet one.



Next up are pictures of the finished product and a final equipment list.

Looking better all the time!

Here is a list of equipment I am currently using:

(1) Rodgers organ console model 645
(1) Behringer UMX610 keyboard
(2) swell shoes from midiworks.ca
(1) MKSC4A scanner from midiworks.ca

(1) MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid
(1 pr.) Mackie MR8mk2 active monitors
(1) Danley Sound Labs DTS-10 subwoofer
(1) Behringer EP4000 2 channel amp (in bridged mode, outputting 4000 watts to 1 channel for the subwoofer)

(1) Dell XPS 420 quad-core computer - Windows 7 x64 - 8GB RAM (max it will hold)
(1) Acer T231H BMID multi-touch monitor
(1) monoprice.com monitor arm

Here is how the monitor and arm mount to the console:


MOTU unit: (<-- did you know that acronym stands for Mark of the Unicorn? )
and amp. The stock fan in the amp case was far too loud, so I replaced it with a much quieter one. It runs cool to the touch.


Lo and behold, the finished product:


Speakers up high for a more diffuse sound:


This work was done in a matter of a few weeks. I had to tear it apart and re-assemble it in time for the new semester to start.


What do you think?

Congratulation. I am very impressed.

Rgds
HeAu

We are beginning a very similar console rebuild. I think it is a model 700 Rodgers. I am curious as to why you recovered the knee board when there are no speakers mounted on it? I am planning on stain and lacquer for our replacement.

I am also giving some small consideration to using the old knee board with only the one woofer, blocking the holes for the other speakers and thus making a 16' sub-woofer out of the cabinet. Are the big speakers worth saving? The magnets look a little small for a sub.

We also found two Rodgers keyboards that match and will be adding one to this organ to make it a three-manual. If you are interested in the other, send me a PM.

Pax,

Thomas

We are beginning a very similar console rebuild. I think it is a model 700 Rodgers. I am curious as to why you recovered the knee board when there are no speakers mounted on it? I am planning on stain and lacquer for our replacement.

I am also giving some small consideration to using the old knee board with only the one woofer, blocking the holes for the other speakers and thus making a 16' sub-woofer out of the cabinet. Are the big speakers worth saving? The magnets look a little small for a sub.

We also found two Rodgers keyboards that match and will be adding one to this organ to make it a three-manual. If you are interested in the other, send me a PM.

Pax,

Thomas

Thomas,

Cost and time were the main factors for not staining the knee board. Finding a suitable sheet of wood would have been difficult. I used regular plywood that was available at the time.

As far as the woofers are concerned, they are not adequate for playing down to 16Hz at an audible level. You would have a longer excursion driver, built into a suitable box to have a chance at being satisfactory.

For reference and to satisfy curiosity, this is what a Rodgers 645 "home" console looks like. The wood all seems to be stained the same, unlike my console, where there are at least three different wood types and stains. The knee board in this example has been stained to match the rest of the cabinet, and the speakers are external, seen in the right corner of the picture:

Thanks for the reply. BTW That was 16' not 16 Hz. So it is more like 32 Hz.