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Pedalboard - Viscount?

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

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Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostWed Feb 17, 2021 10:58 am

Hello,
My first post to the forum!
I have been playing the piano for many years ( grade 8 ) and took my first steps to the organ 2 years ago with lessons. Unfortunately, these have been few and far between this last 12 months due to Covid lockdowns.
I would love to build my own organ and Hauptwerk seems an ideal way to go. I know someone who has a Hauptwerk setup and am very impressed.
I am looking into getting a pedalboard - 30/32 note - and they seem hard to find. However, Viscount organs do sell midi pedalboards, 30 or 32 note, and I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, please. I hope to visit a showroom when our lockdown restrictions are eased to see them myself but this won't be for a while yet.
So, in the meantime, if anyone uses or has any comments on these pedalboards, it would be great to hear from you.

https://viscountorgans.net/products/midi-pedalboards/

Very many thanks,
Peter
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magnaton

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostWed Feb 17, 2021 11:36 am

organhopefull wrote:I would love to build my own organ and Hauptwerk seems an ideal way to go. I know someone who has a Hauptwerk setup and am very impressed.

Hello Peter and welcome to the forum.

I'm familiar with Viscount (as they are their touting modeling technology vs sampling) but not their actual hardware per se. Glad they are offering an AGO MIDI pedalboard as a separate purchase item. Your tag doesn't show where you are located. If you are in the US, alternative sources for MIDI pedalboards would be Classic Midi Works in Canada and Custom Organ Works in Minnesota
http://arnoldorgans.com/category/midi_pedalboards

If you would like to build your own organ as you posted, try finding an pedalboard off an older console and MIDI-fy it yourself. Once in a great while I see older 2 manual organs for free or maybe < $200 where the pedalboard is salvageable. Here is a video of showing this kind of project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoFcEz0MsmI

Regards,

Danny B.
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organhopefull

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostWed Feb 17, 2021 11:40 am

Hi Danny,
Many thanks for the reply and I'll certainly bear all your points in mind.
I am in the UK and Viscount have several stores / showrooms but at the moment we can't travel and I doubt if they are open anyway.
Thanks again.
Peter
PS I've now added my location to the profile!
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engrssc

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostWed Feb 17, 2021 1:06 pm

Not sure about availability in the UK, but in the US there are quite a few used consoles of all species as used instruments. Pays to shop on such as eBay UK etc. Likewise there are many threads here describing conversion using the Search function.

Rgds,
Ed
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IainStinson

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostWed Feb 17, 2021 1:31 pm

Peter,
There is a pedalboard on UK eBay now. It would need contacts fitted and a midi encoder and a stool. A suitable midi encoder kit would be something like this https://www.midiboutique.com/mpc32mqh. You should check that they can ship to the UK following Brexit. You might find an organ stool on eBay, or try to buy an old from an organ builder.

I bought an old console on eBay some years ago, and used Midiboutique encoders. I used it for a number of years when I was working away from home. You could also see if one of the digital organ suppliers would sell you an old console they have taken in.... You can buyHW consoles...

Good luck.

Iain
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Bonanches

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostSat Feb 20, 2021 7:24 am

Hello Peter,
I have a very good 32 note radiating and concave pedal board for disposal free of charge.
It had magnetic contacts fitted but the magnets have been removed. The pcb's with the contacts are still fitted but some
may need replacing.
I don't know your geographical location, mine is Northumberland (right on the Scottish border). If you wish I could send you
a photo if you send me your email address via messages. You would have to arrange collection, it is quite heavy.
Regards
Julian
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organhopefull

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Re: Pedalboard - Viscount?

PostSat Feb 20, 2021 11:03 am

Hi Julian - and all those who responded to my post,

Apologies for not replying sooner. The friend I mentioned who has a Hauptwerk setup contacted someone he knows and the result is that I will be getting his pedalboard in a few weeks time! He apparently acquired another and was thinking of disposing of his original. It is 32 note and has been midified so all I would then need to do is to learn to use the pedals better than I do at the moment! No doubt that will come with practice which will be easier when I can do this at home. There seems to be a lot of swapping / disposing of pedalboards!

So, thank you Julian for your very kind offer and to all those who offered help and advice. I can see this is a very friendly and helpful forum.

Best wishes to you all.

Peter

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