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“Antiquizing” cheap plastic keyboard

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profeluisegarcia

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“Antiquizing” cheap plastic keyboard

PostTue Nov 05, 2013 8:19 pm

(I had to introduce this neologism since I did not found an appropriate antonym to “modernizing”).

I made my HW system with Yamaha NP-11 keyboards**. In that time I had not a clear idea about commercial keyboards with good touch and how to bring them here.

Well, after playing everyday my favorite instrument –Arlesheim´s A. Silbermann- with the picture of the instrument in front of me , I did not feel quite comfortable playing such a wonderful instrument on a cheap plastic keyboard. So, after long doubts I decide to invest a weekend trying to make my keyboard a little similar to those existing in in Silbermann´s time, covering the plastic keys with wood (French maple).

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Here is the partial result during the middle of the work

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Prayer: "From wives who complaint about the living room being a mess for a while due to HW related works". LIBERA ME DOMINI¡

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First keyboard completed. Comparison before-after

I was trying to get something similar to this:
http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Keyboard_ ... 0HVp9j7Fc0

**In previous posts I highly recommended NP-11 for incoming low budgeter Hauptwerkians given its (1) elegance, (2) affordability, (3) easy to install, and (4) the most important, its touch, a little more weighted that other keyboards of the same prize range. But now I withdraw this recommendation. Why? After disassembling he instrument I found that the mechanism for the ressistence of the key is merely the extreme of plastic of the same key: no springs, no magnets involved, just plain plastic, which for sure will suffer sooner more than later “plastic fatigue".

My though today for new haupwerkians is to save money and get a good brand keyboard, even only one (by the `price of two cheaper ones, like my NP-11s), and later the the second one... ( Midiworks, Schwindlers and Pausch are now my candidates). This is the hardest decision in HW for most of us: as everybody knows, we can see and heard organs but we can´t touch keyboards at a distance).

Anyway, if somebody likes details about how I did it, please send me a PM.

ADENDA: I just reinagurated the keyboard with Bach´s BWV 552. Strange as it sounds, the feel playing upon wood is very different. In fact, I feel myself more close to Arlesheim¡ (Gestalt?)
Last edited by profeluisegarcia on Sun Dec 01, 2013 10:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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James

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Re: “ANTIQUIZING” CHEAP PLASTIC KEYBOARD

PostWed Nov 06, 2013 6:02 am

Very nice job. I have sent a pm for more info.
James
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1961TC4ME

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Re: “ANTIQUIZING” CHEAP PLASTIC KEYBOARD

PostWed Nov 06, 2013 11:32 am

Looks good! I never thought of trying anything like that, very clever idea! Your Yamaha parts look very much the same as I found when I dismantled a Casio Keyboard to use the keys and key bed from it as triggers I adapted to the original keys of my Allen console. Nothing but cheap plastic keys as well but so far working flawlessly. Must be some good cheap plastic! :wink: Back then which was about 5 years ago, there wasn't much for keyboard options, that or the ones available were simply out of my price range, so there was a lot of creativity going on at the time and I pretty much went to the extreme and by todays standards would look pretty odd how I did it, but it works.

As they say, if there's a will there's a way. :D

Marc
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profeluisegarcia

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Re: “Antiquizing” cheap plastic keyboard

PostThu Nov 14, 2013 6:23 am

A friend of mine from overseas -one who knows a lot about real and virtual organs- made an interesting comment on this topic I´d like to share:

Yes, an organ will still sound better and more authentic with these keyboards.This seems to be crazy, but I very often have been told about that.
Our brain makes an enormous part of the sound impression. If you feel wooden historic like keys, it makes a difference in our perception!

:o
Regards
Luis

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