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  • MIDI'fying the Yamaha FX-20

    Hi Everybody,

    This is my first post to the forum. I have searched assiduously through the forum threads for posts on the topic of MIDI'fying an FX-20. If I have missed any relevant material from the various contributors, then my apologies in advance.

    I have had the good fortune to have been able to intercept a Yamaha FX-20 when it was literally being taken to the rubbish tip.

    With the help of some engineer colleagues here where I live in Australia, and the gracious assistance of “Tuscon Dave”, I have been able to repair and restore the instrument to something approaching its former glory. The problem that had stopped it in its tracks was the failure of the main output amplifier package. A little circuit tracing and the subsequent on-line purchase of the appropriate package sorted that issue. I also took the opportunity to take the trouble to source and fit replacement belts for all those the motor-driven gain controls.

    Having come to “get close up and personal” with the innards of this instrument, what is really impressive is the build quality of this 1983-model Yamaha. Clearly, there are many more years of life in the keyboards and pedal-board of this wonderful instrument. I am repeating what many others have already said in these forums about the FX, (and other), series of Yamaha organs merely to endorse what has already been said: if you have access to one of these instruments, then please look after it, please keep it going.

    For this reason alone, it makes perfect sense to equip these old Yamahas with a MIDI (or better?) interface and to enable it to be used with a fast PC as a Virtual Organ Console. With this in mind then, I had started to trace the signal flows. Searching these forums, I have learned that such as contributor “fredy2” and Tim Singer have already completed the task. I have of course accessed Tim Singer's write-up on his impressive “midification” (see: http://www.tsstech.org/electronics/fxmidi.html ), and have had a useful discussion with Tim. I have attempted to contact “fredy2”, but so far without success. Not wishing to reinvent the wheel, and being extremely time-poor, I would very much like to learn from “fredy2”'s experiences, and, depending on which way I decide to go, to be in a position to purchase one of his interface converters, if that is yet possible. I note the glowing reports at such as “Ormly”'s (coment #7) at:
    http://www.organforum.com/forums/sho...and-LESLIE-720 , as to the new lease of life into the present state-of-the-art that “fredy2”'s conversion to the FX-20 enables.

    Is anyone reading this post able to put me in touch with “fredy2”, or to point me in the direction of sourcing one of his converter boards, or, if all that is not now possible, where I might obtain the information as to how best to decode the signals available at the MDR-1 40-pin connector?

    Thanks in advance, and thanks to to all those contributors that make the OrganForum such a valuable resource of information of all things to do with Organs.

    Best regards,
    Paul

  • #2
    I have an FX-1 which is very similar. I found a guy who made a MIDI interface where he intercepted the key contact signals and converted to MIDI. I was about to jump on it except his system didn't do velocity.

    I've talked with Fredy as well but he has not come through. His system took the data out of the MDR-1 port which would capture velocity, presets etc.

    Last year, I was contacted by email by a gentleman who was building another MIDI interface using the MDR-1 port. He had both an FX-20 and FX-1. We had some long conversations for months. He was explaining how the Yamaha system has to be in one mode to send MIDI, and in another mode to receive it. He was working on those codes while he had very thing else mostly worked out. I was pretty excited that I was finally going to get comprehensive MIDI for my FX-1.

    I didn't hear from him for several weeks when suddenly I got an email from his family that he was dying, only days to live. Wow, what a shock!

    So the elusive MIDI is still not happening.

    I believe he was using an Arduino based setup to take the data from the Yamaha and convert it to MIDI. This is probably not hard for a code guy but he would need to have access to a working Yamaha, understand MIDI and have the time and inclination.

    Geo

    Comment


    • #3
      FX20 MIDI' flying

      Hi Paul
      As a new forum member having just joined, I am delighted to know that there are still FX20 organs out there going well. Our church had one in the late '80s and which I have played for years. I love the organ and its abilities for both classical and modern music.
      I am fortunate to own one myself, and now having moved interstate, have found one in our new church which I play. When I return to my previous state in Australia for work for several weeks a few times a year, I always play the organ in our previous church as well. So I have access to three FX20 organs and seem to have the responsibility to keep them all in top condition. One church has two TM5 tone cabinets and the other church has two TM1 tone cabinets.
      My interest here is in MIDI' fying my FX20 and possibly the others, for virtual organ use so am very keen to hear of anyone that has had success.
      Best regards
      Robert
      [email protected]

      Comment


      • #4
        Hello all,
        I've had an FX-20 for about a year now, and recently I've been trying to decipher the signals produced by the DB-15 MDR jack using an Arduino Micro.
        While I'm very experienced in C/C++ and know more than enough about the MIDI standard, I think it's going to take quite a while to actually make an accurate MIDI converter with the information I currently have...
        I have looked in the service manual, but it doesn't seem to have anything explaining the MDR signal.

        If anyone knows anything about the MDR jack (pinout, baud rate?, etc..) it would be great to know!

        Elaviers

        Comment


        • #5
          I love my FX20, and would like to midify it. I'll be watching this thread with great interest!
          Home organ, same as church's organ - Rodgers 940

          Sign on my work toolbox that effectively keeps people away:

          DANGER!!! 1,000,000 OHMS!!!

          Comment


          • #6
            I've downloaded service manual pdfs for both the FX-20 and MDR-1. I'll see what I can do!
            Will definitely report back here if I manage anything cool. :P

            Comment

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