Technics EAx & midi

[lparsons21]

Today has been a slow day for me, my shoulder is acting up so no golf. Which gives me time to fiddle around and think. Which is always dangerous.</p>

I know that the EA's are spinets with 44 key keyboards, but electronically I think they are nearly the same as a console, so I got to thinking that maybe if a midi keyboard was hooked up you could get 61 keys instead. Unfortunately my midi keyboard is somewhere buried around her as I don't use it, so I can't test that.</p>

Has anyone tried hooking one up and seeing if you get an extended upper or lower keyboard via midi with the Technics voicings?</p>

</p>

[andyg]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi

I'm pretty sure that was the case with the GA3, given its relation to the FA1 console, but all the EA's were spinet only. Worth trying out though!

[lparsons21]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



Well, after spending a little time to find the midi keyboard, and then spending lots more time to find the blasted power brick for it...</p>

Yep, it does work. I now can extend the upper or lower keyboard to a 61-key keyboard and can set the octaves lower or higher from the base. And both keyboards work at the same time. So it appears that the electronics for a console keyboard is there. I don't know about pedals yet as I've not figured out how to get the midi keyboard to play them. But I can do the upper or lower controlling from the midi controls in either/or the organ or the midi keyboard.</p>

Interesting...</p>

</p>

[lparsons21]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



More digging around with the midi keyboard...</p>

The EAx are pretty flexible on what you can do and what you can play. You can easily set up channels for each sound group, organ sound, rhythms, acc., and others from the screen on the EAx. </p>

You can select to control either upper/lower/pedals and associated sounds, so maybe a use might me a riff or a broadened melody on either upper or lower, you can move things up and down octaves, giving an effective lower tone than you can select on the organ itself. For instance a 32' stop could be had by moving down an octave with the 16' selected. Of course, you lose the 1' stop at that time.</p>

Reading the reference guide leads me to believe that you could control all of it from one midi keyboard if it was multi-channel. Mine can only do one channel at a time, I think.</p>

Changing the sound selected from my midi keyboard seems to be hit or miss, and it doesn't seem to pick the right sound. I think that may be more me not understanding midi fully.</p>

</p>

[lparsons21]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



AAACCKKK!! I feel like an idiot. My midi keyboard is only 49-key. But it does work down beyond the range of the 44-key one on the organ. Which leads me to believe that it would work with a 61-key...</p>

</p>

[Guest]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



I have a 76 key midi-keyboard. What do you think would happen if I hooked it up to my FA1?</p>

</p>

And, I'll add a side note here, just in case you and others missed my add-on post about my FA1. It quit working - except for the console and stand lights. Oh no! Boat anchor.</p>

Figured out how to take it apart. Found the problem. There are two spring interlocks located at each end of the top that cut the power when the upper lid is opened or contact broken for what ever reason. I think my reason was a slight bit of corrosion preventing good electrical contact.</p>

If all Technics organs have this feature then maybe I have discovered something that should be passed along. (Everyone but me probably knew this already)
</p>

[Guest]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



I have a 76 key midi-keyboard. What do you think would happen if I hooked it up to my FA1?</p>

</p>

And, I'll add a side note here, just in case you and others missed my add-on post about my FA1. It quit working - except for the console and stand lights. Oh no! Boat anchor.</p>

Figured out how to take it apart. Found the problem. There are two spring interlocks located at each end of the top that cut the power when the upper lid is opened or contact broken for what ever reason. I think my reason was a slight bit of corrosion preventing good electrical contact.</p>

If all Technics organs have this feature then maybe I have discovered something that should be passed along. (Everyone but me probably knew this already)
</p>

[lparsons21]

Re: Technics EAx &amp; midi



There's a fair chance that it would give you a 76-key range on whichever voice you selected it to play based on what I'm seeing.</p>

I didn't notice anything like that interlock on my EA5 last time I had it open, but then I wasn't looking either. Glad to see that was the only thing wrong on yours.</p>

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