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Topics - Swabian_Keys

#1
Hey,

currently i got my hands on the above stated Rhodes and i really love the more mellow tone compared to the rhodes i owned before. So lately im working on the voicing etc. but i noticed i get a really bad static noise. The signal is taken from the harp, so no passive circuit noise from the front panel. I checked all groundings for corrosion and a tight fit, broken cables etc.  I also removed the capacitor from the higher register to see if its the antenna in for the noise, which it wasn't. I resoldered the the main solderings from the rca jack to the pickups etc. Nothing changed though.

The only hint is, while lifting the harp, lots of the noise gets lost, so i suspect its coming from the dampener bar (which is also grounded via the grounding cable to the rca-jack). Any suggestions for further checkings? Is it possible to ground or shield the dampner bar?  I have a recording attached so you can check the static sound. At around 12 seconds i lift the harp about 8 cm and return it to harp support again.



#2
Hey,
im looking all over the web to find the colored and foil shielded cables that are connected on the PCB of a wurlitzer 200a.
While im having a 200, i want to upgrade those for maybe less microphonic cables.
Any hints? Im located in Germany btw.
#3
Hey,
I just got myself a wurli 200! Timestamp beneath the keyboard says its from 1972.  Yay. Now the first thing i want to do, probably like everyone, is trying to get rid of the hum.
I just ordered that pickup shields. While waiting for them, i wanted to isolate the Powercables from audio cables etc..
Now i just recognized, that the entire wurli is softly vibrating. It feels a little like a Purring cat, just not that heavily, very very sublte:D
I plugged in headphones to make sure that the speakers are not the vibrating part, so it has to be the Power Transformer i guess. Which also makes totally sense to me.
Seems like the transformer slowly vibrating itself apart? I wouldn't mind, as its somehow cool (and cheaper) than replacing it, but i could imagine that that introduces hum? Do you also feel your wurli to softly vibrating?

i also checked the transformer, which seems not to be isolated on the bottom. Would it make sense to try isolating it with layers of copper and rubber to not be part of the grounding to reduce hum? (heat/grounding problems)

Also one thing im wondering about is, that the Power Transformer is obviously a 220v/50hz (big stamp on top:D). Buuuut they changed the Voltage in germany to 230v back in the 80s. Anyone has experience with that?
The pre-owner just used it like that...
Some Pictures included:
https://imgur.com/a/rncfgZg

#4
Hey,
I "refurbished" a rhodes mkI '79 about maybe half a year ago.
Since then i voiced it bit more harsh, to get some harmonics out of it.
To me it still sounds dull...

My chain is: Straight from the harp-> Roland Rubix44 Hi-Z Input-> Ableton

Now i made a comparison: https://youtu.be/b_G6Vi6-97c

From 0:00 to 1:38 this is the straight signal from the instrument.
From 1:38 to 2:20 i used amplitube to emulate TwinReverb+ added Eq and Comp.
From 2:20 to 3:00                 -   /      /    -                       + Small Stone Phaser emulation. (Why does it sound so harsh?)

I think it sounds a little dull and muddy. What do you think?
Also compared to emulations, it sound pretty dark with less energy in the mids.
Except for the highest Pickups, which give harmonic destortion, becourse they're so close.
Somehow i like that uneven feeling.

I don't think  getting any typ of preamp will fix this?!
Just ordered the Behringer Copy of the SmallStone Phaser and the Boss Chorus-Ch1 copy, to get it a little out of the box.

I also attached the ableton and amplitube settings for transparency.

Let me know what you thinking.

Cheers :)


#5
Hey,

I just got a 79 Stage Mark I for 900€. My first EP ever. It was quite used so i started repairing.

First i rebushed the keys, the back and the balance rail.           --> No loose key action anymore.
I also used teflon spray for lubing, but im sure that isn't the way professionals would do.
For the backrail i got an 5mm piano cloth.
I know its thicker than the original, but i wanted to try silencing the noise from the keys falling back.

It showed up that i fucked my action with that. So i shimmed the complete harp plus the harp support.
Also i used to get my keydip quite even with this.                     --> 9,5 to 9,9 mm

I leveled the keys a little, but it doesn't need to be perfect for me. Someday i'll might be more into that.


Next step was to get the pickups done.
I had seen the pickup winding "maschine" http://www.shadetreekeys.com/2011/09/09/pickups/ build by Shadetree Keys. Thanks for the nice programm btw!
A cheap and funky construction. So i rewinded 6-7 Pickups with it. It worked pretty good for me. 180 Ohm each and total output was ~1350 Ohm.

Escapment was quite similar to the preferences in the Serice Manual so i left it.

Voicing was done as well is i could. And tuned it quite equal with abletons build in strobo tuner.

I have some bad pictures for you to see my folish reparings as im sure there'll be a shitstorm on shimming harp support etc  ;D

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1blOQWWTOjMXiUykdpY92sdgDEI8M4ZXM

I also have an audio file recorded to hear how it ended up.
Signal chain: Presonus TubePre 2-> XLR-> Proceed AVP2-> shitty laptop sound cable-> Ableton -> little Reverb + Phaser

https://www97.zippyshare.com/v/TAmazeud/file.html


So now im curious if i should mod it with felt hammers and VV tines to get more bark?
As i only payed 40€ for cloth and wire i could afford new stuff. 
I only read hate about moding different to the construction year. But would love to get it barkier though.


Love&Peace