Hauptwerk/Rodgers 330 Project

Hello Hauptwerk DIYers,

Just wanted to share with you all my just-completed Hauptwerk project; photos viewable at https://goo.gl/photos/KjLC4d2yvWK8mtQn7

The History:

Last January 5, I acquired a splendid 3-manual Rodgers 330 AGO classic console (with the wood-core keys), emptied of its vintage analog electronics and drawknobs, and perfectly suited for immediate MIDIfication. The key contacts are springy 2-wires that the key presses down onto a common buss bar, and the pedals use magnetic reed switches. I was able to take the remaining factory-original wiring from the keyboards, pistons, toe studs, expression shoes, and pedal contacts; and terminate it all on 3 66-type telco punch-down blocks. From there I interconnected about 33 10-cond ribbon cables and routed them to a MIDIbox interface, consisting of 2 Core modules and 8 DIN cards, which altogether have the capacity to encode 256 individual contacts with a latency <1 ms! The 2 MIDI outputs then go to an Edirol 3-port MIDI/USB interface, and on to the main Hauptwerk 3.2 computer. After 2-months of construction with a fair amount of troubleshooting, the whole system is up and running perfectly.

I can't adequately describe what a thrill it is for me to play a real 3-manual AGO console, having migrated from my first Hauptwerk project using a vintage Yamaha E-3 with 2-manuals and a 25-note flat, radiating pedalboard, which did serve me well for the past 3+ years, and hooked me on Hauptwerk for life

The Rodgers console takes my Hauptwerk experience to a totally new level--I'm finding in some ways I have to relearn to play from scratch. My brain has been programmed to play a very non-AGO 2 manual console, and now has to be reprogrammed for a full-scale 3-manual, concave/radiating pedalboard machine. I'm also somewhat overwhelmed with so many new, creative opportunities for registration and performance.

I'll just have to leave it to the pix on my Picasa Web page to convey the rest of the story...

Nicely done! I like the tennis balls and see their purpose!

Good eye you have, John. I knew someone would spot them sooner or later. They're a very practical necessity for the increasingly accident-prone, like me, and I thought they'd add a whimsical touch to a very nuts-and-bolts interior.

Philip,

What an impressive project! I really like the 66 block transition from kb to flat cable. Did it punch-down easily on both types of wires? Were the wires identified as to note or just the color indicating manual?
Nice gallery too. Wow.

Pax,

Thomas

Hello, Thomas,

Thank you for viewing this post.

I am really impressed with all of the wonderful posts in this DIY section of the forum. Seeing everyone's unlimited and uniquely creative projects encouraged me to finally go after my "dream machine."

The original Rodgers factory wiring was just the right gauge for the 66 blocks--I think the conductors were about 24 gauge, solid. The ribbon cable conductors, however, were really too small--28 gauge, stranded--but they mostly worked. During troubleshooting I had to redo more than a few of those punched-down connections, and now they are all maintaining good contact. The individual wires tend to slip and mash in the clearance between the punch-down tool's "mouth" and the clip, so that the wire was not pushed far enough down to displace its insulation. (In retrospect I think the trick might have been to grip both sides of the wire with my fingers over the tool's handle so that it would stay taut over the bit while being pushed down into the clip.

Alas, there was no wire identification other than a whole bundle being the same color for a particular manual, e.g. 62 (61 notes + 1 buss bar) red wires all go to the Great keys, etc.--so, I had to identify them individually using continuity testing.

Cheers!