Harrison Labs -- Is this MIDI adapter really for Allen "MDC" models? confusing ad

[jbird604]

Browsing ebay, saw this ad I haven't noticed before. In the title it says this is a MIDI adapter for Allen "MDC" organs. That would be a nice product, since we all know the limitations of the MDC models (20, 22, 40, 42, 52), including the lack of mixtures and couplers, the uninspiring unified tones, the quirky celeste effect and the poor carillon. If one could actually MIDI-fy one of these for $320, I'd have a new respect for these, at least the AGO models.

But, further down in the blurb, they start talking about "MDS" models (which obviously need no MIDI adapter, since MDS models were all built with full MIDI implementation). And near the bottom, they refer to a MOS organ with this adapter on it.

So, which is is? Anybody got any ideas?

http://www.--------/itm/MIDI-KEYBOAR...item2c762f3ebd

[Pipeorganbuilder]

Best to call Harrison Labs and ask Stan.

[circa1949]

LOL. It's so typical of "HLabs" breathless, loosey-goosey advertising. Like the mystery "traveling wave generator" which did something miraculous to the sound...they just couldn't tell you what in terminology used anywhere else in the vast music processing industry. (was it a reverb? chorus? who knows)
Agreed that MIDI would help make those MDC consoles easier to "recycle" - which is all they are good for IMHO. I like Allen, but things like the MDC series, their insistence on "princess" pedals being standard on the smallest model instead of a no-cost option, etc. remind one that they are first and foremost "in it to win it". It's a pattern of deliberately hobbling the entry level instruments so that people will never really be happy with them, and may have to buy 2 organs instead of one. WIth MDC organs, there was no technical reason they couldn't have had a Principal 2'. to at least give them some semblance of liturgical organ sound. So that they could at least pull off a sterile, dull imitation - of a TC-1! But hey, that attitude is part of the reason Allen is still around. Probably a good place to post the details of this lawsuit: http://www.leagle.com/decision/19921...Supp1162_11792 which makes for very amusing reading.

[Admin]

Discussion of unification, duplexing, etc. moved here.

[PeteKnobloch]

Very smart to move the later posts to a new thread. They were all far off the original post question.

This Midi board seems to only connect to the keyboard and pedal logic to generate Midi key data only. There are 3 connectors for each Midi port. I have to assume that these are for the SYNC, CLOCK, and DATA lines coming from each shift register chain from the switch contacts. Nothing more. And you would have to also add a Midi Merger unit to combine the 3 ports into one port going into your PC. Not very elegant.

[Admin]

The screw terminals are the analog inputs for expression. Installation is much more complex than it appears from the photo of the board. The ad copy says there is a level translator board (not depicted) that sits between the board depicted and the main computer. You have to a solder a 20 conductor cable to the main computer board in order to connect it to the translator board and then connect the translator to the Midi board shown.

I think it would have been more straight forward to de-mux the keys directly. I think he interfaces to the main computer board because he wants to use the transposer functionality. I would do that in software, but I don't think his hardware is microprocessor based.

[PeteKnobloch]

I stand corrected Admin - Guess I need to read more. So ignore my last message people.