Allen ADC-4300DKC - Modification Updates

[myorgan]

Hi all,

I hope you don't mind, but like Dell Anderson with his organ update thread, I thought I'd start this thread to share with you some of the modifications I've made on my ADC-4300. Since the Forum doesn't have very high resolution photos able to attach to posts, I'll probably create PDF files with the notes and photos, and/or ZIP files that have the photos zipped up. Please let me know if this helps anyone, so I can continue the updates as they occur.

Michael

[Admin]

Hi all,

Since the Forum doesn't have very high resolution photos able to attach to posts, I'll probably create PDF files with the notes and photos, and/or ZIP files that have the photos zipped up. Please let me know if this helps anyone, so I can continue the updates as they occur.

Maximum dimensions for attachements is 1024 x 1024. For the Gallery, it's 1500 x 1500 and the Gallery provides for annotations.

[myorgan]

Allen ADC-4300DKC - Modification Updates

I've often wondered why Allen never provided matching toe studs for all the pistons. It couldn't cost that much money--could it? After embarking on the project of adding toe studs to my 4300 and running all the wires, I now understand. Of course, they could do it faster and cheaper than I could, couldn't they?

The following posts will outline my trials, tribulations, as well as the anticipated excitement and joy at having a newly upgraded organ for practice--even though it is in my garage!

Please let me know if these posts are in any way helpful to you at all.

Michael

[myorgan]

Maximum dimensions for attachements is 1024 x 1024. For the Gallery, it's 1500 x 1500 and the Gallery provides for annotations.

Thank you for that clarification.

[myorgan]

Toe Stud Project

What started as an addition of an amplifier and a Sub-Bass Crossover card, instead turned into a project last week of adding 6 toe-studs to my organ. Of course, drilling holes through a perfectly good piece of mahogany was emotionally, one of the hardest things I had to do for the project. The other was soldering the contact wires without 5 hands and a willing wife (initially)!!!

Since I was unable to learn how to connect directly with the pins on the contact strip (photos in a previous post on this Forum), JBird604 suggested wiring them in parallel with the matching piston on the piston rail. Of course, this meant more wire and running cables, but I was OK with that. Now, which pistons to duplicate?

I selected the following pistons in order of use/need (after seeking learned advice):

• Gt. to Ped.
• Sw. to Ped.
• Tutti I
• Tutti II

Then, the question became, of the following, which would I use the most:

• Sw. to Gt.
• Recall

• General 1 (set the general rocker tabs only)
• General 2 (set the general rocker tabs only)

Again, after consulting with a learned advisor, I chose to have the last 2 toe studs be the ones in bold above.

Now, what about placement? My first inclination was to put them all to the right of the boxes, just above the Pedal divisionals, but then I determined I couldn't reach the 5th and 6th toe studs if they were too far away, so I chose to put two to the left of the boxes--now, which two?

From my research of photos I'd gleaned from the Internet, and after consulting my advisor again, I chose to add the pistons in the following order:

• On the left--Recall, and Swell to Great.
• Swell Boxes
• On the right--Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, Tutti I, Tutti II.

Some of the photos of organs put all the Great and Choir couplers on the right of the boxes with the Swell couplers to the left, but since the Pedal divisionals were to the right, I decided to place the Pedal couplers and Tutti (where Sforzando used to be) to the right of the boxes, with the Manual coupler(s) to the left of the boxes.

More trials and tribulations in following posts.

Michael

[myorgan]

Sub-Bass Finished

Well, finished adding the Sub-Bass Crossover and wiring it up (photo IMG_1775). It involved adding the AM-100 dual amplifier I had left over from my 505B, although I'm presently only using one channel.

The attached photos are of the project once finished. Since the crossover card didn't come with screws, I needed to purchase some from the local big box store to mount the card. I mounted it up-side-down because that allowed me to take the output from the USEM-1 and move it to the High output of the Sub-Bass Crossover card without re-routing it.

Connecting the +/-15 wires was a challenge! My wire strippers just ended cutting the wires again, even though I used the 22ga. stripper. So I used my Leatherman knife. Because I may use this card with the Symphony organ, I didn't want to cut the power wires to 12" for my organ, and need longer wires for the Symphony's organ, so I just stapled some twist-ties to the board, and ran the wire in a big oval around the swing-out panel (IMG_1776). Easy to remove and replace, yet functional.

For the rest of the connections, I just purchased a 3' and a 6' RCA Male>Male cable from Radio Shack and used them. The 3' cable was used to go from the USEM-1 (mixer) board to the Sub-Bass Crossover input, and the 6' cord was used to go from the crossover card to the AM-100 Amplifier input.

For the wire to the sub-woofer, keeping in mind that it may be located at some distance from the console, I purchased a 500' spool of 14/2 speaker wire and cut off a 40' hunk to connect (IMG_1777). I didn't like the idea of bright yellow cord on stage for performances, but as I thought of it, I definitely won't have other musicians tripping over it or pinching it with their stands (both have happened in the past).

Now, I FEEL the bass. Not sure my neighbors like it as much as I do, but . . . .

---

[davidecasteel]

If you really want to FEEL the bass, why not get a second sub-woofer and wire it to the other half of the amplifier, and feed both channels with the same input signal?

(Just asking....)

David

[myorgan]

If you really want to FEEL the bass, why not get a second sub-woofer and wire it to the other half of the amplifier, and feed both channels with the same input signal? (Just asking....) David

David,

ROFL! Actually, you're not far off! In a couple of weeks, I hope to pick up another sub bass, but I wasn't intending to connect it at the same time. Now, you've made me think--you little devil! ;)

Michael

[DellAnderson]

Funny I missed this thread when it started (a lot of possibly interesting posts seem to do that now that the subscription process is more complicated than just subscribing to a list, come what may). Do you have any photos of your new 'shrooms you can share? (toe pistons)

[myorgan]

Do you have any photos of your new 'shrooms you can share? (toe pistons)

Thank you for asking, Dell. I do have many photos to share, however, the day after I made the post and finished the work, a situation at my paying job was created that will be demanding 10>20 more hours per week for the forseeable future. I hope to get some time this weekend to update at least some of the photos. You were part of my inspiration, though!

Michael

[DellAnderson]

... I do have many photos to share, however, the day after I made the post and finished the work, a situation at my paying job was created that will be demanding 10>20 more hours per week for the forseeable future. ..

No problem, no rush, just looking forward to then whenever you have extra time. More work is better than less work these days, so first things first.

[Gerritfrl.]

Hello,

I am looking for a Allen ADC 6000 organ, the model with drawknobs. Or an other larger 3 manual ADC Allen.
Age 1986-1988. For shipping to The Netherlands.
Can anybody help me with this matter?
Thank you!

Gerrit.

[Admin]

Hello,

I am looking for a Allen ADC 6000 organ, the model with drawknobs. Or an other larger 3 manual ADC Allen.
Age 1986-1988. For shipping to The Netherlands.
Can anybody help me with this matter?
Thank you!

Gerrit.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160654700373?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1438.l2649#ht_4897wt_1073

[Gerritfrl.]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160654700373?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1438.l2649#ht_4897wt_1073

I saw this Allen on ebay, but it is to large for my home...Even the console bust be larger than a ADC6000?

Gerrit

[circa1949]

Hello Gerrit. Please only discuss technical matters here. Discussions of organs for sale belong in other forums. Thanks!