Allen Organ 505-B & MIDI

[myorgan]

Could someone please tell me about the Allen 505-B? I understand it is an MOS-2.</P>
<UL>
<LI>Is it upgradeable to MIDI (send &amp; receive). If so, how?</LI>
<LI>What about the tone?</LI>
<LI>Is there a stoplist that anyone knows about?</LI>
<LI>Does the card reader read plastic or paper cards?</LI>[/list]


Thinking of getting it for a (very) small church I play for, and want to make sure they're not saddled with a "white elephant."</P>


Thanks in advance for your help.</P>


Mike from Maine.</P>

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI



Hi Mike,</P>


All I know about the Allen 505-B is that it is a two-manual, two-computer model with a decent stoplist. It may be a good option if the price is right; but it might be better to wait for an ADC model.</P>


There are other members who know much more about this than I do; I am sure they will respond also.</P>


Good luck!</P>

[radagast]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI

[quote user="myorgan"]


Could someone please tell me about the Allen 505-B? I understand it is an MOS-2.</P>
<UL>
<LI>Is it upgradeable to MIDI (send &amp; receive). If so, how?</LI>
<LI>What about the tone?</LI>
<LI>Is there a stoplist that anyone knows about?</LI>
<LI>Does the card reader read plastic or paper cards?</LI>[/list]


Thinking of getting it for a (very) small church I play for, and want to make sure they're not saddled with a "white elephant."</P>


Thanks in advance for your help.</P>


Mike from Maine.</P>


[/quote]</P>


One thing I can tell you is that it is electronic and not a pipe organ. This would be better off in the correct forum.</P>

[myorgan]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI



Radagast,</p>

I apologize for accidentally stepping in the wrong forum. I did not intend to offend so easily.</p>

Sorry! [:-(]</p>

Michael from Maine</p>

[quote user="radagast"][quote user="myorgan"]
</p>

Could someone please tell me about the Allen 505-B? I understand it is an MOS-2.</p>
<ul>[*]Is it upgradeable to MIDI (send &amp; receive). If so, how?[*]What about the tone?[*]Is there a stoplist that anyone knows about?[*]Does the card reader read plastic or paper cards?[/list]


Thinking of getting it for a (very) small church I play for, and want to make sure they're not saddled with a "white elephant."</p>


Thanks in advance for your help.</p>


Mike from Maine.</p>


[/quote]</p>


One thing I can tell you is that it is electronic and not a pipe organ. This would be better off in the correct forum.</p>[/quote]

[radagast]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI

[quote user="myorgan"]


Radagast,</P>


I apologize for accidentally stepping in the wrong forum. I did not intend to offend so easily.</P>


Sorry! [:-(]</P>


Michael from Maine</P>


[quote user="radagast"][quote user="myorgan"] </P>


Could someone please tell me about the Allen 505-B? I understand it is an MOS-2.</P>
<UL>
<LI>Is it upgradeable to MIDI (send &amp; receive). If so, how?</LI>
<LI>What about the tone?</LI>
<LI>Is there a stoplist that anyone knows about?</LI>
<LI>Does the card reader read plastic or paper cards?</LI>[/list]


Thinking of getting it for a (very) small church I play for, and want to make sure they're not saddled with a "white elephant."</P>


Thanks in advance for your help.</P>


Mike from Maine.</P>


[/quote]</P>


One thing I can tell you is that it is electronic and not a pipe organ. This would be better off in the correct forum.</P>


[/quote][/quote]</P>


No offense taken, just a friendly reminder.</P>

[jbird604]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI



Mike from Maine,</P>


As an organ technician, I can heartily recommend Allen MOS-2 organs. Solid system, very few problems with the numerous organs of that type in my service area. These models were last built about 1982, so they are 25 years old. The foam surrounds of woofer cones should have already rotted out and been replaced, and that is the only known predictable failure, other than card reader lamps and capture batteries.</P>


The MOS card reader originally used the paper punch cards, but I think later on Allen issued those cards in plastic. Makes no difference what material, the cards just have to be the right format. MOS readers are not intended to read the later ADC or MADC cards, just the first generation of cards.</P>


There is a model 505 in a church near me, and I enjoy playing it very much. The double-computer design gives nice ensemble effect, you have all kinds of celestes you can create, using either the on-board voices or the cards. The MOS-2 system has a nice chiff on some stops, especially the Koppelflote 4 in the swell. The 505 has the sturdy Double-Memory capture action that works quite reliably and quietly.</P>


MIDI -- Allen made no provision for MIDI, but there was a company selling retrofit kits for MOS-1 and MOS-2 Allen. It was easily connected to the KBA board and required little or no soldering. It provided MIDI out only -- so you could play an external device from the Allen keyboard, but not vice versa, therefore no MIDI playback of the organ. Here is a link to this company, though I haven't tried their adapter:</P>


http://www.aljco.com/midi.htm</P>


Good luck.</P>


John</P>
<P mce_keep="true"></P>

[myorgan]

Re: Allen Organ 505-B &amp; MIDI



John,</p>

You're a wealth of information. Thank you so much
for responding to my question. I think I'll make an offer.
Thanks so much. People like you are a credit to this forum.

</p>

Mike from Maine</p>

[quote user="jbird604"]</p>

Mike from Maine,</p>


As an organ technician, I can heartily recommend Allen MOS-2 organs.
Solid system, very few problems with the numerous organs of that type
in my service area. These models were last built about 1982, so they
are 25 years old. The foam surrounds of woofer cones should have
already rotted out and been replaced, and that is the only known
predictable failure, other than card reader lamps and capture batteries.</p>


The MOS card reader originally used the paper punch cards, but I
think later on Allen issued those cards in plastic. Makes no difference
what material, the cards just have to be the right format. MOS readers
are not intended to read the later ADC or MADC cards, just the first
generation of cards.</p>


There is a model 505 in a church near me, and I enjoy playing it
very much. The double-computer design gives nice ensemble effect, you
have all kinds of celestes you can create, using either the on-board
voices or the cards. The MOS-2 system has a nice chiff on some stops,
especially the Koppelflote 4 in the swell. The 505 has the sturdy
Double-Memory capture action that works quite reliably and quietly.</p>


MIDI -- Allen made no provision for MIDI, but there was a
company selling retrofit kits for MOS-1 and MOS-2 Allen. It was easily
connected to the KBA board and required little or no soldering. It
provided MIDI out only -- so you could play an external device from the
Allen keyboard, but not vice versa, therefore no MIDI playback of the
organ. Here is a link to this company, though I haven't tried their
adapter:</p>


http://www.aljco.com/midi.htm</p>


Good luck.</p>


John</p>
<p mce_keep="true"></p>[/quote]