Conference napalm::commusic_v1

>the top panel of the Mirage is blistering ...

    No doubt from your awesome technique, eh?

&*}

    Edd do you have one of the real old Mirages (black buttons on keypad)?
    
    Mike

    > awesome technique....
    
    I wish...(although I'm wondering if all those knuckle-slides
    during Good Lovin' might have something to do with the lateral
    movement in the keys....)
    
    Actually, the paint is orange-peeling, blistering, and chipping
    slightly on both the silk-screened upper panel and the smaller
    one over the disk drive.
    
    The drive cover is easy to remove. That'll get painted this weekend.
    The main cover is just as easy to remove but I'd lose the graphics
    if I painted it myself. I hopefully can by a new one fairly cheaply
    from Ensoniq *if* they have any. My Mirage is one of the early models.
    
      
    Edd

    re: .2
    
    That's the one....
    
    Edd

    
    I had one of those as a loaner while mine was being modified, and
    I got the impression that a certain amount of that lateral travel
    was "normal" for that particular keyboad action. Also, I had heard
    so much about the "sponginess" of that keyboard, that I was pleasantly
    surprised that it wasn't as "spongy" as I thought it would be.
    
    Mike

    re keys' 'lateral movement':
    
    If this was an acoustic piano I'd say the vertical slot that each
    key pivots on needs refelting.

>All the keys appear to have approximately the same feel. This makes
>me believe that there is a small number of parts/adjustments that
>may be outta whack and (if such parameters exist) adjusting them
>should affect all the keys equally.
    
    Not likely.. you can't escape having SOME individual pivoting and
    triggering mechanism per key.  However, if that were true, then
    just some of the most-used keys would be sloppy, not all.  Ah well.
    
    karl

    Karl, ya just re-stated what I attempted to say...
    
    I figure there might be 2 kinds of adjustments, if any. Key-specific,
    which I'd look for if it was only some of the keys. (Probably the
    most used keys if I was looking for a wear problem). The second
    set would be 'Global'; something that adjusts the action of the entire
    keyboard. 
    
    I figure the 'Global' adjustment (once again, I don't *know* what's
    in there yet) would have a small number of parts when compared to
    the individual key adjustments, which would be duplicated for every
    key....
    
    To be honest, I don't know if the lateral movement is truly new
    or only newly noticed... Can't hurt (ha!) to take a look inside....
    
    Mike, I agree, some movement is normal; this seems maybe abnormal...
    
    Edd (who_is_so_used_to_the_spongey_keyboard_he_actually_likes_it)

    
    		   < A neophyte reply on keyboard action>
    
    I am a complete beginner at keyboards but I do like my Roland
    midi controller's action.
    
    The action is "lighter" than a piano but it is still heavier than
    some others, the "y" ones in particular.
    The keys are very accurate, and to my hand very even from one end
    to the other. 
    
    I fell in love with it the first time I touched it, in fact that
    drove my purchase decision. 
    
    I tried all of the others and with the exception of the ROLAND
    RD300 piano I like the one I have.
    
    Actions are like speakers, beautiful women, etc. very personal.
    
    Rich.
    

>    I am a complete beginner at keyboards but I do like my Roland
>    midi controller's action.

So which Roland controller is this?

/Mitch

    The keyboard on my four year old DX7 looks like the rolling hills
    of West Virginia because the felt bar which catches the hooks which
    protrude from the bottoms of the keys is folded and mashed in various
    places.  This also causes some of them to clunk a bit more than
    others.
    
    I have tried to fix this, but it wasn't easy.  For my money, doing
    anything to sixty individual keys is a job better done by somebody
    who gets paid to be bored all day.  Also, I have seen several cases
    where the ``repair job''  caused things to be much worse.
    
    Steph

    Fixed it.
    
    How to do...
    
            (1)  Remove the 5 allen head screws the hold the large 
                 silk-screened cover down. Be carefull, they're short.
    
            (2)  Gently lift the cover from the front. It's hinged in
                 the back. When you lift it, the volume slider, keypad,
                 LEDS, etc. come with it. Nice. No unmounting of anything.
                 This will expose the entire key assembly.
    
            (4)  The back of each key has a slot in it. Mounted below
                 keyslot is a long spring steel mechanism with a number
                 of springy tangs, one for each key. This tang is the
                 only thing that effects the action other than the 
                 keybed. The tang is inserted into the slot of the key
                 and clicks over a single ratchet.
    
                              |-|-----------------------
                              |_|___________            | Key Front
                                |           |___________|
                       Tang---> |____________X____X_____   Keybed
                                             ^    ^
                                           velocity sensors
                           
    
    (5) Gently press the tang towards the front of the machine while *lightly*
        lifting the key. As soon as the key releases, pull it forward and
        off the guide pin that looks like this...
                                             
                                     |-----------|
                                     |    _______|
                                     |___| 
    
    (6)  Once you get the key off (2 seconds to remove once you figure it
         out), gently press the tang backwards. CAREFULL!!! Break it and
         you're dead meat. To be honest tho, you'll have a hell of a time
         breaking it. This steel is pretty strong.
         
    (7) To reassemble, slide the key back over the guide pin. Lift the
        back of the key and slide it down on the tang. Pulling the key 
        forward makes getting the tang to clip over the ratchet *much*
        easier. Just pull forward lightly and *click*....
        
    The whole operation shouldn't take more than 45 minutes. Made a
    world of difference.
    
    Edd