Jay Beckham Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 I want to Midify my Conn Model 632. It hasn't worked for years. So would like some help and to be pointed in the right direction. It has two 61 note manuals and a 25 note pedal board. I also want to use the stop tabs and would like to add some combination pistons on the keyboards and perhaps a few on the pedals. It only has one expression pedal. I might be able to build another for one of the manuals and perhaps even a crescendo pedal. I want to be able to get a church type sound and have the option perhaps to get a theater organ sound. I figured I could label the stop tabs with dual names where needed. Both organs should have a big organ sound. I do not want to retain the Conn electronics as it does not work. Also I am an experienced wood worker, programmer, and have assemblied loads of electronic parts including soldering all sorts of boards. Thanks Jay Beckham Berkeley Springs, WV USA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 The first step is strip out the old electronics and reduce the console to a box of switches. You may be able to make use of some of the wiring from those switches so think about leaving the wire that runs from the switch to the first connection. The MIDIO128 project is well suited to MIDIfying an organ console. 1 core and 4 DIN can convert up to 128 switches to MIDI Out. You will need more than 1 core because you will have more than 128 switches. It is better to wire in an organized way, e.g. 61 note manual to 2 DIN boards with 3 unused inputs, than use every available input. You will use MIDI Out from 1 core to MIDI In of the next and merge to get the required number of inputs. Install a linear pot on your swell pedal, e.g 10K linear, and there is a small patch to MIDIO128 that will allow you to get MIDI from the swell pedal. There is a lot of information about using MidiBox to MIDIfy old organ consoles in the Miditzer Forum, free but registration required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted August 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 Hi Thanks for the reply. Can I assume you mean using the circuits etc found at www.ucapps.de? I saw the MIDIO128 circuit and the DIN circuits. I did click on Pauls PCB shop and got a error. Is he the person that sells the boards and/or kits? Are there others also available or do I have to buy my boards from Eagle or one of the other suppliers e.g. PCBExpress. I have used them in the past or should I etch my own? I have also been looking at Midi-Hardware.com from Poland. Bottom line I want to be able to use Hauptwerk church organ softwae and buy a theater organ file from Paramont. Both softwares work together and there are also free versions which sounded really good to me. I assume that the MIDIO128 is the core you are talking about. Again thanks, and would appreciate any additional help. Shortly I will begin stripping out the electronics from the organ and leaving as much of the wires. One thing I did notice, the switches as all normally closed. So when you push the stop tab down it opens the switch. Hopefully this hardware can work either way depending on pull up or pull down resistors. Jay Beckham jay@thebeckhams.us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 MIDIO128 is software. The Core and the DIN are hardware. You can buy ready made boards but you have to assemble the components to them. I am in the U.S. and I buy my boards from SmashTV. He does ship worldwide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted August 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 Hi again I checked out their website. The kits are the way I will go. Done a lot of kits so no big deal. Which Core do I need? He shows Core8 and Core32. Also what is the PIC ID calculator all about? Thanks, Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Core8. You should give each Core that is chained together a unique ID so they can be programmed while in the chain. Note that the kits are just a PCB and parts--no instructions. There is a lot of useful information, including a guide for assembling the Core, in the Wiki: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Hi Again Yes I understand they are kits and I did see the instructions on the other web site. I have done a lot of board assembly so that is not a problem. I gather I need the ID as they are burned into the PIC? Thanks Jay PS jay@thebeckhams.us is my direct email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted August 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 It would appear then I would need 2 Core8s and 7 DINs. 4 DINs for the Great and Swell, 1 DIN for the 25 note pedal board, and 2 DINs for my 46 Stop Tabs. That adds up to about $165 plus shipping with the kits. In comparsion if I buy completed boards from Mid-Hardware converting Euros to Dollars about $200 plus shipping. So i wonder about the kits? What do you think? Jay Beckham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 jimhenry and others So far I have gotten three different approaches to this organ. Just to review, Conn 632 with 2 61 not manuals and a 25 note pedal board and 46 stop tabs. I have also determined that I will be using the Hauptwerk software most likely the Basic organ (20 ranks) or the Free organ (10 Ranks) and one of the lower end Paramount theater organ. I will also use an exsisting PC and purchase a Barebones and add the neccesary cards to it e.g. as midi sound card. Also some exsisting stereo speakers. Most likely will not use the Conn speakers or their Lesley system. There are the kits from Smash TV around $175 or so. Finished boards from Midi-Hardware around $200 + shipping Finished boards from Midi-Boutique around $427 + shipping I am capable of building the boards but would rather not. I also looked at Artisan which appears to be way beyond my budget unless I don't understand their pricing. They did show a Midi Two Manual conversion kit for $550. I will be striping the physical unit shortly but carefully. So can anyone tell me the difference between all these options? Thanks Jay Beckham in Berkeley Springs, WV USA jay@thebeckhams.us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I am getting ready to attach my keyboards to the Midibox DIN boards. Would like some advice as to how to lock down the six bus bars so I can use all six wiper wires for contacts to feed my Midi hardware. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Why do you want to use six bus bars? One should be enough. Maybe two for redundancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi Jim I was just covering myself in case the wiper wires would break. So maybe two is enough? Still don't know a good way to lock them down. Jay Why do you want to use six bus bars? One should be enough. Maybe two for redundancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Can you post photos of the bus bars and explain what it is you want to "lock down"? It is likely that no one here has ever even seen a Conn 632. I know I haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Attached is a picture of the rods and the wiper wires. The first three bus rods have built in resistence so I won't be using them. The other six are just plain metal. The are rotated by certain stop tabs to turn that stop on. So the little wires attached to the wood dowels are moved by the keys. So I need to rotate at least two of the rods and lock them down in some way. Thanks Jay Can you post photos of the bus bars and explain what it is you want to "lock down"? It is likely that no one here has ever even seen a Conn 632. I know I haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Can you post a picture of the mechanism that rotates the bus rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted September 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Here is the end with the most rod controls on it. They vary by manual but the white plastic lever and the black metal plate with holes in it are the same. Can you post a picture of the mechanism that rotates the bus rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Does the lever on the end of the bus rod press against the felt when it is the position where the conductive part of the rod contacts the wipers? If so, you might be able to tie the rod in that position with a piece of wire that is looped through those holes to the right in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Does the lever on the end of the bus rod press against the felt when it is the position where the conductive part of the rod contacts the wipers? If so, you might be able to tie the rod in that position with a piece of wire that is looped through those holes to the right in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Beckham Posted September 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 No the felt limits its movement but not in a good way. Seems that the rod is lined up when the lever points out in line with the holes in the bracket that supports the rod. I may try and use the cables that moved the lever and just clamp it down using the screw holes that held the cable in place. It is like an old car choke cable. I can cut it and just use the inside wire and the device on the end that hooks over the lever and clamp it in place with a screw. When I posted this question several days ago I assumed someone had used the Conn keyboards and knew a bit about them. But I guess that wasn't the case. So I am going to start building my DIN boards and my Cores and attach wires to an octive and see what happens. I understand that my Cores should already have the software in them when I got them from Smash TV? Is that true? Thanks Jay Does the lever on the end of the bus rod press against the felt when it is the position where the conductive part of the rod contacts the wipers? If so, you might be able to tie the rod in that position with a piece of wire that is looped through those holes to the right in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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