Yamaha Electone DK-40AS help needed

[jimmywilliams]

Re: Yamaha Electone DK-40AS help needed



Thanks for the tips and info about the organ's vintage. This organ is "newer" compared to the 1960s stuff I have worked on that seems much simpler by comparison. I don't think the problem is a disconnected wire from each of the sliders, only because every flutestop is bad on the swell manual. I am thinking that these are all tied together somehow and there is a single point of failure. Maybe there is one wire/harness that brings all the flutes to a pre-amp somewhere that got disconnected? Or maybe the flute voices on that manual are a separate channel? Regarding that solo synth, the strange thing is that the voices will be soft/scratchy and then just disappear; I did try "playing them in" and it had the opposite effect. I did not open the organ to look at it. I have my "feelers" out regarding the service manual; I may take a chance and get the manual I saw on ebay. I really don't need another organ so I hope they will just want to have this serviced and use it. From what the guy there told me, most of the couples just use the "standard brand" wedding pieces (Pachbell's Canon, Wedding March, etc.) so they should be playable in some arrangement or another on this spinet organ. The gazebo is enclosed and not too large so it should work. We'll see...I'm writing something up to send to the management there and I'll have to find out how far they want to take this project. I'll let you know what happens.</P>


Thanks again,</P>


jim</P>

[OrgansR4Me]

Re: Yamaha Electone DK-40AS help needed

Hi, Jimmy. I found your question interesting and visited the Electone Museum for some insights. The content seems to date the organ at 1972 and the A seems to stand for analog. I am guessing but I would think if you find analog circuits in the DK40 schematics you have hit paydirt. Since the organ works on a slider system it could be as simple as a broken wire from the sliders for the upper keyboard. I've had that same experience with Hammond drawbars. I always used the solo keyboard for instrumental solo voices on my Yamaha. That may have been something that hasn't been done in awhile if the organ hasn't been played regularly by an organist familiar with Yamaha. I think the scratchy, weak voices are probably just needing a chance to do what I call "play" in. Persistent attempts to activate weak or absent voices by keying thecontactshas worked better for me than "going under the hood"! The lack of happy couples just dying to have organ music is another example of "what ever happened to the home organ market"! Good luck. If nothing else, maybe they'll offer to give you the organ!

[jimmywilliams]

My wife and I just spent an anniversary at local resort. They have a gazebo that they do weddings in and, of course, I had to poke around the organ situation (can't get away from this stuff even when I'm on vacation!). The person in charge let me take a look at the equipment. The organ is a Yamaha Electone DK-40AS. I gave it a once over in the hopes of possibly getting some extra tech work. There were two main problems with it that I was able to find. If anyone can give me some idea as to what the cause may be, or guide me in the direction of a schematic, it would be appreciated. I searchedthe weband found schematics for DK-40 and DK-40BS, but none for the DK-40AS. Are these schamatics "compatible"?</P>


Problem 1: Top "small" keyboard solo synth (I it supposed to be monophonic?) - does not work correctly at all. When I do get voices through, they are soft and crackly, then eventually just fade away and then I can get nothing out of that section afterwards until turning off/on again, and the same thing happens.</P>


Problem 2: Top "regular" keyboard: None of the flute section works. The reeds and strings work fine. Flute sectionworks on the bottom manual so I assume it isn'ta generator problem.</P>


Rhythm unit works. Balancer controls work. Portamento ribbon works. Internal tremolo (some sort of "leslie"?) works. All stops on bottom manual (flutes/strings/reeds) work. "Percussion" on manuals and pedals seems to work. Pedals work. DId not test the auto chords/bass/etc. part.</P>


Remember I have no idea how this organ isdesigned internally and I wasn't about to spend my anniversary vacation taking it apart! It seems of a much newer vintage than what I am used to working with. </P>


Sadly the organ is rarely if ever used, and most couples are bringing in CDs, etc. You all know how I hate to see these languish so I gave the person in charge my info and told him that I can do tech work and also play some wedding services. Besides possibly getting some side work (wy wife is also a flautist), I would also just like to contribute somehow to the organ being used again. Somehow to me a wedding ceremony with no live music is missing something ... but to each his/her own. I think if the organ was working there may be more interest in using it for weddings held there. There is some other accessory equipment there that seems to have fallen into non-use (another time, another post) but I figured I would tackle the organ itself first and see where things go from there.</P>


Thanks,</P>


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