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Running a Wurli (without an aux out) through an amp

Started by Alan Lenhoff, December 16, 2017, 09:42:19 AM

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Alan Lenhoff

Quote from: Rob A on April 20, 2012, 12:30:26 PM
I have a completely different approach. I have the old version of this passive direct box, which allows you to get from speaker level to line level cleanly, quietly, and without modifying the piano.

I love the archives of this group.  I'd been wanting to run my 140B into an amp, but there is no aux out.  I didn't want to alter the piano, and I wanted to use the headphone jack for the signal since it silences the internal speakers when it's in use.  Using Rob's suggestion (from 5+ years ago) as a starting point, I called Sweetwater and they suggested using this device with the headphone jack:  https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProRMP 

It works great. (And if you've never heard your Wurli through a guitar amp, it's a pretty amazing difference in the sound -- very aggressive and metallic-sounding. It's almost like having a different piano. I like both sounds, and it's nice to have a choice.)

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland Juno 60; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

pianotuner steveo

That's a good tip, but VV sells ( or used to sell) a passive box that was far cheaper and works great. I bought one for my 206. It just has a resistor and capacitor inside, but sadly, they glopped hot glue all over the parts so that you can't read the values. Even sadder still, is that back in the 1970's, I asked Dennis Paufler at Wurlitzer how to do this, and he told me the values of the parts. I had the letter he sent me in the same notebook as my service manuals for many years, but it since has vanished...

For newbies out there, remember that you still have to power up the Wurlitzer when you do this, the pickup requires the high D.C. Voltage and will not produce any sound without power.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Alan Lenhoff

Without getting into an electronics debate that is above my knowledge level, the VV box is a completely different electronic design than the box I bought. I don't know what the results would have been with the VV product, but I can say the Reamper works wonderfully with my 140B. It's very quiet and sounds great. 

And just for the record, since the Reamper box has an XLR input and needs to link to the mono headphone jack, something like this is needed to make the connection: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PXM105 . It's a 1/4" TS to XLR3 Male cable.  On the XLR, pins 1 and 3 are connected to ground and pin 2 is hot.

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland Juno 60; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )