Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?

[Guest]

I'm looking at purchasing an used Allen Model ADC-520 from a local organ company. The model is a 2 manual, origianlly manufactured in 1984. I would use this organ as a practice instrument in my home, so I don't need anything too fancy. Would this be a good buy for $3000? (including 2 speakers and free delivery) It's in perfect working condition with no defects.</P>


Below is the stop list:</P>


Pedal:
16 Bourdon
16 Lieblichgedeckt
16 Bassoon
8 Trumpet
8 Octave
4 Choralbass
Mixture II
- Swell to Pedal
- Great to Pedal</P>


Swell:
16 Bassoon
16 Bourdon
8 Trumpt
8 Viola
8 Viola Celeste
8 Gedeckt
4 Spitzprinzipal
4 Koppelflote
2 2/3 Nazard
2 Blockflute
- Percussion
- Sustain
- Celeste Tuning
- Tremulant</P>


Great:
8 Principal
8 Gedeckt
8 Trumpet
8 Krummhorn
4 Octave
4 Koppelflote
2 Blockflote
Mixture IV
- Tremelant
- Swell to Great</P>


General:
Memory B
Sustain Short
Chiff
Reverb
Chorus
Vibrato
Console Off
External Off
Main Organ Off
Antiphonal Organ Off
7 Adjustable Pistons

Any feedback you can provide would be greatly appreciate!</P>

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



I would call this reasonable rather than a good buy. I am assuming that this is a local dealer and not someone who has to drive many miles to deliver the organ to you. I would hope that they would include a minimal setup and not just drop it in your home and say: "These wires go here and these wires go there; good luck!"</P>


You might want to verify that this is not a Princess pedal board, but rather a genuine AGO console.</P>


I wish you all the best!</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



As many will attest - Allen is one of the better digital organ manufacturers, I recently acquired an ADC-430, which isthe sameorgan minus a few stops in the swell and great division - the pedal stops look the same however. My organ just arrived today and is still in its shipping crate, but I did play it before I bought it and it has a pretty decent sound the principals are smooth,I don't remeber if mine hadceleste, butthe 520does! - the reeds are a bit electronic sounding, but are nothing to scoul at... I don't have the external speakers yet, so yours should sound pretty good once voiced et al. as Mechenstimme said. The organ itself is a solid piece of furniture, with a roll top, blind capture action and dual memory bank with the 7 programmable pistons and the pedals have the sealed reed magnetic switching, so it should prove very reliable for you.</P>


JBird604 is the resident expert onthe technical side - you can add midi to your ADC organwithout too much difficulty as well. According to Allen they will support any organ they ever manufactured. I was dealt with very courteously by Allen's Tech department when I called with a question regarding size/weight. My only issue is my crescendo pedal - it works, butmakes '' scratchyor crackly ' noises as the stops engage during the pedals travel, however it stops once the pedal is in one position.</P>


Mike</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



That's great news! I didn't know that you could add MIDI to an older Allen. I already have a mac book, and I've played with the demo version of Hauptwerk using my clavinova, so it'd be soooo cool if I could add that to the Allen. (Alas, MyOrgan isn't built for mac)</P>


Thanks for the feedback Mike.

Matthew</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



http://organforum.com/forums/thread/49885.aspx</P>


This is the advice the good people here at theorganforum gave regarding my organ, might be of help to you.</P>

[jbird604]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



Matthew,</P>


Do follow the link that Mike gives above and read all the notes about the ADC-430, which is very similar to this organ. All the comments that I made about the 430 would apply to the 520 as well.</P>


In Dallas you have a very fine organ technician named Bill Ehrke. I believe he is on the staff of the Rodgers dealership, but he works on all brands and would be a great guy to service the Allen if you need him. Or, the Allen dealer may have a good tech, I just don't know who it is.</P>


Yes, MIDI is easy to add to that organ. Just a circuit board that plugs in and a couple of quick connections to another board. Allen sells a MIDI kit for the ADC models that has all the necessary stuff, even stop tabs, I believe. Depending on how the dealer marks up his cost, it will run maybe close to $1000, perhaps a little more with installation. But that is a bargain compared to having to add contacts, solder a bunch of tiny little wires, run it all to somenon-Allen adapter board, etc etc etc.</P>


Actually, some 520's were shipped with MIDI installed. There may not be any stop tabs for it. There might be some tiny toggle switches under one side of the keydesk for turning MIDI on and off in each division, or it might be wired to be active all the time. The MIDI plugs may be inside the console. You might check on that before you spend money on an adapter. Even if the basic MIDI is installed without stop tabs, the tabs can be added.</P>


The 520 is a good model. Not as big as the 4-digit ADC models, but nice stop list and the stops are all "straight" in that nothing is unified up an octave or unisons made into mutations. However, the same stops are used in more than one division. I've played on many of these and do not find this minor borrowing to be a problem at all. There are excellent celestes, nice mixtures, quite credible reeds,fully functional couplers, a 12-step transposer. No card reader on this model. Expression cannot be divided, since some ofthe same stops are used in both swell and great.</P>


It is fully AGO. The only ADC models with princess pedals are the 220 and 222 (and maybe a theatre model -- was there a 320?)</P>


RE the noisy crescendo pedals. Yes all ADC Allen's are plagued with this (and the older MOS models too). The problem can be almost entirely eliminated by flushing out the crescendo rotary switch with WD-40. You'll be amazed at the difference. Just stick the nozzle into the holes and squirt. Be sure to have a rag or paper towel to catch it on the way out!</P>


I think the price is about right if you are getting it delivered. I recently heard of a 420(same organ with self-contained speakers) that was priced at $4000, which I told the lady wasa little high. But $3K for a 520 isn't bad.</P>


Best of luck. Let us know how you like it.</P>


John</P>
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[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?

[quote user="jbird604"]


RE the noisy crescendo pedals. Yes all ADC Allen's are plagued with this (and the older MOS models too). The problem can be almost entirely eliminated by flushing out the crescendo rotary switch with WD-40. You'll be amazed at the difference. Just stick the nozzle into the holes and squirt. Be sure to have a rag or paper towel to catch it on the way out!</P>


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


[/quote]</P>


Thanks John!!!- amazing the amount of repairs that simply call for a squirt of WD-40 [:P]</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



WellI've decided to go with it, and she's being delivered today. Now I just need a name for her!</P>


(After test driving the organ, it was apparent to me that it was woman - ha ha!)</P>

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?

How about "Leia" after Princess Leia Organa from Star Wars?

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



Oakley, Good to hear [Y]</P>


LoL Never considered the organ's gender or giving it a name...I think BIG BERTHA might be appropriate for me, considering the amount of 'feed back' I have been getting from (family) regarding the organ's real estate requirements...Some coincidence -getting mine moved into the house tonight as well, although I did give it a spin while it was sitting on its pallet in the garage. Looks like the 430 and 520 do have identical stop lists afterall. I am seriously considering some digital reverb, I am not much impressed with the 'zingey' noise that is added to the otherwise pleasant tones with the stock reverb tab. Let us know how your set-up goes and your opinion of the organ!</P>


Mike</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?



Well, they delivered her last night, voiced her, and positioned the speakers.</P>


Tonight after work,(and after rock climbing ---hmmm, I wonder if I'm the only organist that rock climbs, after all, the shoes aren't too different) I'm headed home to paint the speakers. Right now they're that ugly utility brown color... at least now they'll match the living room.</P>


The sound is actually pretty good. Last night I was disappointed, but I think it's because I couldn't find appropriate stop settings. There's too many to choose from; but this morning I was thrilled. I think I might finally be getting the hang of it!</P>


As far as names go, I was thinking Agnes, Blanche, Henrietta, or Sandra (pronounced Sawn-dra) -- she's a tough old broad that's been around for awhile but still as feisty as ever. [:D]</P>


Also, Mike, I don't know how much you enjoy baroque music, but I found a pretty cool website that I'm been playing with in order to get some ideas on new songs. It's loaded with Baroque mp3s. www.virtuallybaroque.com --- let me know what you think. </P>


Best,
Matthew</P>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Model ADC-520 -- Good buy?

[quote user="oakley140"]


Also, Mike, I don't know how much you enjoy baroque music, but I found a pretty cool website that I'm been playing with in order to get some ideas on new songs. It's loaded with Baroque mp3s. www.virtuallybaroque.com --- let me know what you think. </P>


[/quote]</P>


Matt, </P>


My[co]crashed the other day [TO HELL WITH WINDOWS VISTA!!! ]...Thanks for the link! That is a very interesting site. I always associate J.S. Bach with Baroque music, but there are so many others (Handel, Purcel, etc.). I am slowly piecing together the rather over played tocatta and fugue D min, but I enjoy it ... There aresome simpler pieces Iwill be working on to improve my technique and that site is a great resource for ideas. Well, rock climbing eh? No, haven't tried that, mind you working in an office all day, the first place I am looking to go enjoy my time is outside, be it hiking, boating or just a day fishing with a few [B] [;)].</P>