Home Organ Midi Conversion
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- Way back in the early days of my Hauptwerk Hardware business I modified a Yamaha B35 home organ. I made a video about the conversion but never got round to editing and uploading it, mainly because the majority of enquiries I received were about bigger more classical organs. However, I always thought there must be people with home organs who would want to have a go at converting them to Midi consoles for use with Hauptwerk or other virtual organ software.
The organ used here had all it's keys, stops & switches soldered directly to printed circuit boards, so this video shows you how we get around that and how to wire it up to the Hauptwerk Hardware Universal Midi Encoder.
For more Midi adventures, conversions and products take a look at my website www.hauptwerkh... or you can email me at contact@hauptwerkhardware.com
I hope you find it useful.
Videos referred to in the video:
Universal Midi Encoder • Hauptwerk Hardware Uni...
Wyvern Conversion Part 28 Programming. • Converting the Wyvern ...
Excellent presentation. Very clear, well supported by the video! Thanks. I am eventually doing a conversion for an AGO console to Hauptwerk. This is a 1950's Connsonata 2C2 that I have maintained as fully functional, it's still fun to play so I hate to disrupt it. But I suppose its days are numbered and I should bite the bullet and just do it. The original keyboard switches have 6 poles of silver wires for each key due to the way the coupler system works. Due to age these are fatiguing and breaking. I've replaced about 1/3 of them with home-made "fingers" which work very well but are very tedious to install. So I am contemplating replacing the keyboards (or maybe getting another console) for Hauptwerk. Your video was very illuminating to me about more modern keyboard architecture so I am leaning toward new keyboards. The pedals don't seem to have the fragility of the keyboards so the ones I have should work fine. Thanks for publicizing the insightful work you are doing on these conversions!
Is there a way to this while preserving all of the original functionality. What about the possibility of a more comprehensive midi out and in so that it can be controlled for its onboard sound and also be used as a midi controller? Thanks
Amazing, you’re a genius…
What gauge wiring needed for soldering keys, pedal, switches to encoder? These videos are excellent and take a lot of fear out of doing a conversion.
I use 7/0.2mm stranded wire. I wouldn't use solid core as it tends to break easily.
Incredible job! Is there a part 2 where you demonstrate the finished product?
I wand to do a project like this; however, I wonder if I want to keep the original sound as an option.
Disconnect all keys, buttons and nobs from the original electronics, but connect them to a micro controller.
Use the microcontroller to make MIDI.
Replace all original keys, buttons and nobs with outputs from a microcontroller, possibly with some interface to make them work.
Have MIDI input on the micro controller.
Havenrgot the salvage unit yet, because I figured it wil take some time, and I have delayed untill I can find time to do it.
Brilliant
Hi! I need to play an organ like this but I’m finding it hard to find the right settings for the lower keyboard. Could you help me? Thanks!
So did it work? we should hear it
Did it work, i am really interested in undertaking such a project.
A old Lowrey organ is easier and better as for the wooden structure of the notes. It gives a real feel to the real pipe organ. ua-cam.com/video/_5f2k3zND44/v-deo.html
🤗💜👏👏👏👏gracias
great useful video! thanks. question: I'm having a Gem Jumbo 61 organ and it doesn't sound right (half of the keys are mute and knobs do not function well) do you have any ideas how could I bring it back to life?
Sadly there's no easy answer because so many things could cause that. Why not convert it to a MIDI console and use a virtual organ like Hauptwerk or Grand Orgue?
@@HauptwerkHardware yeah that's actually why I looked for a video to convert it to a MIDI, been hoping to fix the organ first so I could enjoy bit of acoustic sounds
@@HauptwerkHardware can you fix a Gulbrasen Pacemaker Organ ?
Hola que modelo es ese organo electone?
Is a Yamaha B35 and a Yamaha Electon B35 the same instrument? And, if not, are they wired the same? Can I use this video to help me convert my Yamaha Electon B35? Thanks.
I believe the Electone was the name of that range of organs so I think they are the same.
Is it possible to convert a midi organ so that you can run it through a modern DAW like FL Studio or Abelton? I would love to be able to add a whole library of sounds to my workspace, and use it for recording music
Some of the digital organs have MIDI as standard, both IN & OUT. You can simply plug one of these into a DAW or any other MIDI equipment with the standard 5 pin lead. For the older analogue organs (pre 1990 ish) you would need to make a conversion and that would be a big job.
@@HauptwerkHardwarethank you for the quick response! the organs I own are all pre90s, unfortunately. Do you have any ideas or resources on hand to try to tackle such a project? You're tutorial here is the closest I've found so far
@@iavv334 It would be easy enough to convert it to a console that will send MIDI. The hard part would be to make it receive MIDI signals and play from them. These organs use a scanning technique for the keyboards which makes it necessary to follow how each key is connected. In other words each key has to connect to whatever it was originally wired to rather than simply just connecting to power or ground. This makes it necessary to either use analogue switches or relays controlled via MIDI - Not that hard but you would need a shed load of them and then a bunch of logic to address them. You can't simply use a transistor or FET in this application. I did actually convert my old Yamaha D85 using relays in this way, there is a video of that on my other channel. People commented that the noise of the relays was annoying, and they're right, it is. But as I say you can't simply use FET's. If you have the time and a decent digital recorder I would suggest sampling the sounds from your organ(s) and then using the samples to make a virtual organ definition that can be played using Hauptwerk or Grand Orgue software. That way you don't have to convert it to play MIDI directly. Hope that helps. Here's the link to my D85 video ua-cam.com/video/lYKJQJmHfRE/v-deo.html
What’s the musical piece at the beginning?
It is the opening part of the fugue. J S Bach Toccata & Fugue in D minor BWV565.
These are based off theater organs
Man, you're moving too fast and can't see what you are actually doing.......
What are “stops”? What are “pistons”?
Stops are basically switches for 'sounds' on an organ. They turn on or off certain sounds for a particular keyboard. Pistons are switches under the keyboard (that you can push with your thumb) the can adjust the stops controlled by each keyboard. There are many good videos of organs here where you will see them being used.
Leavewe thank you. I forgot I was considering trying to do this a few months ago. I wound up buying some moog Taurus pedals.
easy breazy looking....dangerous for a newby😂