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vince

Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 10:23 am:

I just bought an old Wurlitzer organ for $20 and it makes some cool sounds almost like a moog. Unfortunately, the keys aren’t responding as well as I’d like. There’s a slight delay or no sound at all at times on a few keys, and it pops and buzzes like a bad pot on a guitar or mixing console. I spayed electrical cleaner on the electronics and that seemed to help a bit but it still needs help. Does anyone have any secrets?

interruptor

Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 03:47 pm:

i am no specialist with wurlitzer organs at all.. but this sounds like a problem with bad contacts to me. if possible open the keyboard until you can access the contacts that are closed when pressing the keys. i guess there must be one behind or under each key. then clean both metal parts making each contact with a q-tip and alcohol.

this page has the following advice: One of the most common problems with combo organs is dirty key contacts. That scratchy, crackling noise that the organ makes when first played after many years of storage is quite common, and fairly easy, although tedious, to remedy. Keep in mind that many organs have several contacts for each key - sometimes as many as nine! So you may be in for a LOT of cleaning .. more

vince

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 07:01 am:

yes sir, that worked - thanks

Mike Zee

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 08:29 am:

Vince! what exactly organ (model) did you get? any chance to see a pic..or maybe there's somewhere on the net a photo of it (or similar). There are like 100s of Wurlitzer organs ...all sorts of 'em.

Most of them will not fit into my VW. hah! Did you get a bench with it?

heh heh
Also, you may know already, but with an instrument like that you sure need to stock some stuff from this place: caig.com... check through their stuff, read descriptions etc...they make all sorts 'medicine' ...
record something, let us hear it!

/respects
/Mike Zee aka Dr ZEE

Mike Zee

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 08:38 am:

Something like this ?

/mz

vince

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 09:56 am:

no not like that, I have a Wurlitzer Funmaster/Sprite, model 350, nothing fancy but you can get some cool sound out of it. Now that the keys work I have another hoop to jump through. I need an imput. There is only a 1/4" out. I'm able to run out-board effects to an amp but I want to be able to run the out-board effects over the organs amp and speakers beacuse they give a distict sound. Does anyone have a manuel for this guy or more importantly does anyone know how to wire up a input?

Mike Zee

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 10:14 am:

that's a rather pretty MAD idea, Vince

I love it, thou ....
I don't think anybody here have a manual for you thing... trying to find one on the net ... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, forget it. If you realy want one, you can try to search e-bay, some guys sell copies of all sorts of vintage gear ... they go fo 10-20 bucks or so ...thou
If you know electronics ... you can try to look into and USE your electronic-designer brains ... but be careful. From my experience it may be a bit harder to achive , than may look like at first. If you clearly see the blocks there ... you can try experimenting... well, you also can end-up with dead instrument at the end ..heh heh ...
good luck
/mz

interruptor

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 07:41 pm:

mike: wicked pics of that NY wurlitzer

vince: you could also place a mic in front of the organ's speaker and then run the mic signal through your effects. if you are playing live you can send the resulting signal to the venue's PA or just to a guitar amp on the stage. that way you don't have modify your organ!

vince

Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 10:33 am:

Yah, I've done that - but like I said I get a distinct sinth sound from the organ speakers. Unfortunately, I loose this sound when I run it out to an amp. I know there is a way. Knowing me I'll fry this organ trying...

Thanks,

Mike Zee

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 02:03 am:

Vince, I've got a bit confused about what are you trying to achive. If you are talking about recording your organ as it sounds (by itself) ...the only way to do it is to mic it. Just as with any guitar amp. Even if you get some line output, then you are not going to have the same sound.... the final power amp stage +/speaker itself - that what makes it sound 'distinct' ... or at least it is an important part of it , this is something you can not 'direct-out'

- You have to mic it. Do it with close-mic (something like sure sm57 dynamic mic or similar)... or two mics close plus distant (condencer) mic for picking up room ambience. This way you can manage as close as possible to capture the 'distinct' sound of your organ.
or am I missing something totally from what you are trying to do.
/respects,
/Mike Zee aka Dr ZEE

vince

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 11:36 am:

Your saying put the effects on the mic signal and monitor through a recorder or mixing board. I'll try it...

Mike Zee

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 12:00 pm:

Vince!

heh heh ... what do you mean, man ?
OK. Are you saying that you want to get the sound of your organ the way it sounds ITSEF? Right?
If so, then mic it. Mic - preamp(or mic/preamp input on your mixer) - mixer's channel. Then you apply (send/return or insert or direct out and back ..what have you) what ever effect you wish - it's all in your mix?
Or mic-preamp-mixer channel - record it. Then later when mixing/or dubbing - apply effect(s) as you would do with any recorded instrument/vocal track ...

Or is you idea to somehow apply effect on the sound of organ and then play the 'effected' sound through your organ's speakers... ...?

/mz

Johny Bravoxbx

Posted on Saturday, July 08, 2006 - 03:56 am:

Geben mir bitte eine Brotchenxbx

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