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Domus D80 - Viscount ?

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  • AndrewC
    ppp Pianississmo
    • Aug 2011
    • 17
    • Sydney Australia

    #1

    Domus D80 - Viscount ?

    Hi all,

    A Domus D80 is on eBay locally starting price $150. It has 32 pedals and 2 x 61 manuals and googling shows it to be a Viscount circa 1983.

    Does anyone have more info or experience/opinions on this model ?
  • AndrewC
    ppp Pianississmo
    • Aug 2011
    • 17
    • Sydney Australia

    #2
    Click image for larger version

Name:	Domus80.jpg
Views:	2
Size:	90.6 KB
ID:	582181

    Does this picture jog anyone's memory ?

    Comment

    • arie v
      ff Fortissimo
      • Dec 2005
      • 2330
      • Toronto, Canada

      #3
      Hi,

      Over the years, I have serviced a number of older analog Viscount organs similar to this. This organ as it is labelled Domus, would have been built for the Dutch sales agent for Viscount. Probably explains why it has the flat pedalboard. The 1983 does sound plausible. Viscount did not go digital until 1987 or 1988.

      I certainly would have no interest in it. These organs used cheap divider technology and simple formant filters. One does not buy these for the sound.

      Typical problems with these are cold solder joints, poor connectors leading to poor performance, noisy pedalboard, poor quality poteniometers, leading to poor performance again.

      Not one for my desirable list.

      If you are interested, bid VERY LOW for it. Not worth more than a few hundred bucks on a good day.

      AV

      Comment

      • AndrewC
        ppp Pianississmo
        • Aug 2011
        • 17
        • Sydney Australia

        #4
        Click image for larger version

Name:	Domus2.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	1.8 KB
ID:	582183

        Thanks arie V,

        Yes the organ is labelled "Melodie House - Bruxelles" so it is in the right area. The current owner noted that his schematics did mention Viscount and he has been resoldersing cold joints, replaced op-amps and has a small supply of tone-generator chips. He also says the pedals are clunky and need re-felting. The current price is $162 but I would have transport costs on top of that. I'll watch the auction and see how much it ramps up as I was considering using the organ as the basis of a midi-conversion (if its own tones are poor) as it is complete and appears presentable.

        Out of interest, what is your desirable list ? I am also looking at some Hammond 920's and/or theatre organs such as a Baldwin Cinema II or Conn 640/650's.

        Cheers !

        Comment

        • AndrewC
          ppp Pianississmo
          • Aug 2011
          • 17
          • Sydney Australia

          #5
          P.S. I emailed Viscount asking them about parts availability.

          No response so far........

          Comment

          • arie v
            ff Fortissimo
            • Dec 2005
            • 2330
            • Toronto, Canada

            #6
            Hi,

            Don't expect a quick answer. Those folks in Europe quit early on Friday, and don't open till Monday.

            Also, I generally have not had quick responses from those people.

            AV

            Comment

            • RobM
              ppp Pianississmo
              • Sep 2011
              • 3
              • Sydney, Australia

              #7
              Actually I thought this particular eBay auction is an excellent opportunity. There are plenty of small spinet organs on eBay, but very few full console organs, and fewer still with a full spread of 32 pedals.
              This one looks excellent, and I'm watching with envy. It would be a risk-free purchase, PROVIDED that you're handy enough to implement a MIDI retrofit (Arduino, or similar), in my opinion.
              I'd be calculating the cost of logistics myself, but not long purchased a Hammond Aurora-class unit, having only just managed to persuade my significant other to accept the monster into our nice living area.
              I had a smaller 1970's spinet Viscount when I were a lad, and they featured a stack of silver-plated switch wires for every key. Although other switches and connectors were noisy, the switch wires never seemed to play-up.
              Rob M

              Comment

              • AndrewC
                ppp Pianississmo
                • Aug 2011
                • 17
                • Sydney Australia

                #8
                I measured up the rear door of my 4WD and found that it wouldn't squeeze through. Delivery cost would be $300+.

                It went for $356. So it would have cost me something like $700 to get to my place.

                However, I was Youtubing Hauptwerk and found a guide to making your own midi-organ from common components worth considering:

                http://www.my-music.mine.nu/

                Miditizer looks like another good direction as well !

                Comment

                • Guest

                  #9
                  Domus D80 - Viscount ?

                  Just to round off this thread, my daughter and I are now the proud new owners of this Domus D80. The previous owner did a very good job of fixing up most of the issues, except for two manual 1 stops, which my daughter did not miss. She is quite happy practicing on this organ, and to my untrained ears, it sounds quite good for an old analoq. RobM was right, it is a very good and inexpensive home practice instrument for a classical organ student

                  Will try to fix up the pedals which are a bit noisy but tolerable when the organ played in louder volume. If anyone has any suggestions how to go about it and where to get the parts, it will be much appreciated.

                  Comment

                  • DrSound
                    ppp Pianississmo
                    • Sep 2008
                    • 37

                    #10
                    Originally posted by ictan
                    Just to round off this thread, my daughter and I are now the proud new owners of this Domus D80. The previous owner did a very good job of fixing up most of the issues, except for two manual 1 stops, which my daughter did not miss. She is quite happy practicing on this organ, and to my untrained ears, it sounds quite good for an old analoq. RobM was right, it is a very good and inexpensive home practice instrument for a classical organ student

                    Will try to fix up the pedals which are a bit noisy but tolerable when the organ played in louder volume. If anyone has any suggestions how to go about it and where to get the parts, it will be much appreciated.
                    I have the Domus 80 & Domus 70 schematics.

                    If you need it, let me know.

                    Comment

                    • j reimer
                      p Piano
                      • Sep 2004
                      • 199
                      • Sydney, Australia

                      #11
                      Two Sydney people in the one thread! I also live in Sydney, and am a jOrgan junkie......READ "developer". Send me PM's via this forum if you would like a hands-on introduction to jOrgan, which caters for both classic and theatre virtual organs, or even just chat on the phone. If you can visit, you will be astonished at the sounds.

                      John Reimer

                      Comment

                      • Guest

                        #12
                        Hi John, sorry for the late reply for I did not check this forum frequently. Will check out Jorgan when I get some free time during the Christmas break.

                        Tan

                        Comment

                        • Errol Hirschmann
                          ppp Pianississmo
                          • Dec 2012
                          • 5
                          • A, A

                          #13
                          in need of the domus 80 schematics

                          :->
                          Originally posted by DrSound
                          I have the Domus 80 & Domus 70 schematics.

                          If you need it, let me know.
                          please can you forward me the domus 80 schematics it would be so appreciated :->

                          Comment

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