New organ- Kawai DX900

[Technics]

Finally getting an organ again! (Will be great to have in this home based corona dodge!)
a Kawai DX900 and am really looking forward to it getting here (to be freighted over by piano movers)

in 1997 I had a Kawai DX800 And it was awesome... - due to moving and economic crap had to sell it late 2000...
I had the DX brochure with it at the time and saw the model up DX900 / 1900 in there too... wondered what's the use of the 3rd keyboard was.. (since seen the 900 in flight on YouTube)
really like the the idea of the solo chime sounds... the glockenspiel sound will be handy while playing Joe Jackson's Steppin Out...

these Kawais really have a good sound and the drawbars/internal Leslie setup make it sublime...
the DX800 had plenty of punch - never had to work hard in a jam session - and believe the 900 to have more power output (not that that will be needed)

Do worry a lil bout unobtanium LM8671 ICs... but I'll scour for spare one

and on this forum here it's awesome knowing one of its developers are and admin on here!

- Baily :)

[andyg]

You'll enjoy the DX900! The drawbars have an edge to them that the digital DX800 didn't have - we decided to go for a purer, more sine wave sound. The strings are better on the DX900. If the phasing isn't quite right (and some early ones were set up by the engineers, until I showed them how to set the phasing correctly) it's an easy job to do with a long, thin screwdriver.

The rhythm unit also sounds better on the DX900. They are the same unit but the digital DX models' rhythm units always sounded a bit muffled.

Somewhere upstairs is the 'advanced' owner's manual. It's about time I dug it out and scanned it so that 'new' DX900 owners could print out a copy. I'm on the case!

[Technics]

Oh I am gonna love this.... thought the DX800 was the bomb...

will post more when it gets here... woulda been cool to have the DX800 still... woulda been interesting to hear them for more close comparo....

Andyg you and the other developers done good making this series!

[Technics]

Would love to see than advanced manual too!

[andyg]

I have a couple of family things to sort out, and then I should have a chance to look for the manual - I think I know where it is!

[Technics]

Just been flipping through the DX800 manual and DX900 manual.... I think the only thing I'd miss from the DX800 is the Celeste section - which I remember really added a layer of richness.... I remember the DX800 sounding sublime with it, (spesh when Leslie off or slow)

[andyg]

The Brass/Sax section has a celeste/chorus effect. Again, being all analogue, it's adjustable with a screwdriver. And there are two independent organ generators in the DX900. One for flutes and percussion and the other for strings, brass etc. The solo synth and pedal synth are also independent, so when you start mixing, the ensemble is richer than the DX800, which did indeed benefit from the Celeste buttons.

[Technics]

Am looking forward to this...

as for your adjustments, I'd have no problem following your suggestions there (as I a am a stereo service technician)

my big rig is an all Technics stereo - One could wonder why with organs I jumped from my Technics fortress - Technics organs in my books couldn't keep up w/ the Kawai.... drawbars n leslies a big force

though the speakers are Matsushita in the Kawai organs

- some pics of the Technics Triple Thunder

[andyg]

OK. Here's the drill for setting the phasing. There should be two boards that do this, one for the strings and one for the Brass and Accordion. I used to have the service manual but I gave it away to another 'new' DX900 owner some time ago!

Strings. Identify the board and find the two pots for slow and fast modulation. Back both right off. Increase the slow modulation until you get something like a slow leslie sound, then increase the fast modulation until you get a really smooth strings sound.

Brass. IIRC you have the same two pots. One controls the chorus/celeste on the Brass and the other the phasing of the accordion - adjust these to suit!

[Technics]

Do have a service manual pdf so will look to I'd the PCBs - good to know how these should be dialled in

[andyg]

I gave mine away, as I said. There is a Vintage Organ Group on Facebook that's worth joining if you are on FB. Someone on there may be able to help.

[tobeycat2007]

The dx900 still looks very impressive organ, see quite few come up for sale in the uk was good seller possibly Kawai's best ever seller, though the SR4 and sr6 I think did rather well they also appear for sale quite a lot. Never come across the console dx1900 model those seem very rare.

[kkeys]

Yes. I agree the DX-900 is an impressive organ. I've heard Brian Sharp play one live through what I was told a 720 Leslie that was off-stage. The sound was quite impressive. Later I went into the local Kawai dealer with the expectation of being able to try one out. Unfortunately there were no DX-900 or DX-1900 organs on the floor. There however was an organ that I never expected to see, the Kawai T-30 that was used on B#'s Canadian tour!.

OP has asked, "what's the use of the 3rd keyboard” The 37 note top keyboard is a solo keyboard. According to the brochure the Preset Percussion or Synthesizer voices can be assigned to it.


Service Manual here, if still needed:

https://themanualsservice.com/produc...t-89-pages-eng

[seamaster]

The dx900 still looks very impressive organ, see quite few come up for sale in the uk was good seller possibly Kawai's best ever seller, though the SR4 and sr6 I think did rather well they also appear for sale quite a lot. Never come across the console dx1900 model those seem very rare.

I seem to recall seeing more X430s than pretty much any other Kawai.

[tobeycat2007]

Forgot about the x430 was also decent seller. Never heard a dx900 on 720 would sound good we had 710 did lift the organ to new level, giving drawbars a T5 sound.