Making my own Midi pedalboard.

[spotty]

Step 1 has been achieved. For $20 I got an old Lowrey Virtuoso organ with a broken key. I plan to strip the Leslie out for a friend, and extract the pedalboard (1 octave).

Now I want to convert the pedalboard to Midi. I understand there are kits for such things? Where do I go from here?

[nullogik]

If you're money rich and time short, you can just purchase a MIDI pedalboard prebuilt - just plug and play. Have a look here:

http://www.midiworks.ca/products/pro...d=22&category=

Price is around US$1500

[Krummhorn]

Now, that's a nice looking pedalboard ... and priced smartly, too.

Anyone else have one of these?

[Corno Dolce]

Man, that is a cool site - One can build one's own organ for just a minuscule fraction of the price that established digital organ builders charge. Apropos sound modules - here's some interesting ones:

http://www.ahlborn-galanti.com/Speci...rchiveMod.html


Cheers,

CD

[Robert Bell]

If you want to build a pedalboard and can find a set of pedals probably the easiest way to construct the electronics is to purchase a MIDI computer keybord with 37 mi****ys and wire the keyboard contacts to the pedal contacts. You don't need touch sensitivity so you should only need two wires per contact.

[spotty]

Thats the plan. I have the pedals out now so I'm just keeping my eyes open for a cheapo keyboard I can Frankenstein.

[raymondo30837]

Hi Spotty, It looks like we are on a similar quest. My Viscount 350, with a one octave pedalboard, which I am converting into a 32 note pedal.

I also looked at your sulution, using a cheap synth with midi. Sadly these are quite rare here in France. So I opted for the pedalboard encoder from Sound Research.

My pedalboard is "home made", using magnets and reed switches, the most difficult phase of the project.!, as for the voices, with this organ, there appears to be several options!

Non of my endevors, either mechanical or electronic are origanal, just an interesting project to try and capture my past as an organist.

I will continue to post as my project progress's. In the meantime, it is very interesting to follow your progress.

My regards Raymond

Ps: I forgot to mention, I am in the proccess of designing a bit of hardware for easy voice selection from the pedalboard, for use with the Sound Research hardware and possibly other. When its finished and debugged I will post it for anyone interested. Further regards Raymond

[greatcyber]

Man, that is a cool site - One can build one's own organ for just a minuscule fraction of the price that established digital organ builders charge. Apropos sound modules - here's some interesting ones:

http://www.ahlborn-galanti.com/Speci...rchiveMod.html


Cheers,

CD

I just followed the ahlborn-galanti link and I was ASTOUNDED at the marvelous sounds there! Boy, what I couldn't do if I only had a whole bunch of money to spend on one of those organs. Technology is amazing, especially to an older guy like me...and I used to be a systems tech when I still worked. I sure wish I could be around in about another 50 years...just imagine!

I'm still doing research on it, but my big drive in life now is get an old organ and "MIDI-ize" it to have a virtual pipe organ. So far I just have a Casio keyboard with 77 keys and it is fine for piano playing, but once I get into the synths for organ, i.e. joux, etc., I lose the ability to use at least 3 octaves, even if I reset the values of the notes. But like I said, I'm learning. You gotta have a hobby, right?

Stephen

[Corno Dolce]

Hello Stephen,

Yes, its totally amazing what can be done these days. "Virtual Organs" like *Kloria MyOrgan* and *Hauptwerk* make it real easy to get a sophisticated instrument for a very modest cost. Click on the link below for another system:

http://www.artisanorgans.com/

Cheers,

CD

[Contratrombone64]

Thats the plan. I have the pedals out now so I'm just keeping my eyes open for a cheapo keyboard I can Frankenstein.

Now THAT made me laugh ... Mary Shelley would toss in her grave I'm sure (was that Frankenstein's author? My memory's dodgy at best).

[StentorVox]

I am also MIDIfying pedals for an organ,
was considering converting a MIDI keyboard,
but soldering MIDIbox Do-It-Yourself PCBs
is a better solution.

Several who are MIDIfying pedals contribute
some helpful solutions to the MIDObox
ucapps.de forum.

Some pedal claviers have imbedded switches
suitable for triggering MIDI events, although
some have protruding tabs that are placed
at a matching strip of switches at the bottom
of the organ console to signal MIDI events.

These must have reed switches attached to pedals.

I have a half dozen different styles of pedal claviers
currrently being studied (illustrated at my website)
for my current pedal MIDIfication.

P K

[Contratrombone64]

Thats the plan. I have the pedals out now so I'm just keeping my eyes open for a cheapo keyboard I can Frankenstein.

Spotty-the organ in your avatar is very handsome, where is it located?

[daveycrockett]

I have read elsewhere that trying to change formerly used pedalboards is not recommended, but I am encouraged, if you think it is easy enough to accomplish, for someone who really is not an electronics expert. What do you think? Could someone describe more completely how MIDIfying a pedalboard is accomplished?

[greatcyber]

Old post, I know...but here is some relevant info for those contemplating this for their VPO:

http://www.largonet.net/midiboutique...y/gallery.html

This shows the circuitry needed in order to make the pedals "midified":

http://www.largonet.net/midiboutique...y/gallery.html

And from the Miditzer site:

http://site.virtualorgan.com/communi...hp?f=36&t=2167

And finally, an option without an actual pedalboard (done within a sequencer):

http://members.shaw.ca/el_supremo/pe...No_Problem.htm

I add this now as I am currently evaluating just how to do this for my own pedalboard.

Hope it is helpful.

[Dorsetmike]

Now THAT made me laugh ... Mary Shelley would toss in her grave I'm sure (was that Frankenstein's author? My memory's dodgy at best).

Strange coincidence that I should read this thread today, the local paper has an article on Mary Shelley; her grave is just a couple of miles down the road from here, should I nip down and check if she's still right way up?