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Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:25 pm
by harry
Hey Guys,

just wondering if any of you have experience in setting up a clav?

mine is really very very good - thanks Ev!!!!

just want to tweak it as the bottom octave and a half F to Bb (1.5 octaves) is louder than the other notes - therefore chords are lower in volume than left hand parts - im not good enough as a keys player to vary my attack between left and right hand..ect..

Im going to change the hammers as its needed - might help. Not sure what could be causing it,..

apart from that - wah pedals send the unit into self oscilation - phasers and autowahs (no mutron here unfortunately) seem to wor okay...
was thinking of doing the transistor swap and recapping as per jim williams info....

anyone use a wah sucessfully with theirs?

cheers

h.a.r.r.y.a.r.v.a.n.i.t.i.s

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:25 pm
by wez
harry wrote:anyone use a wah sucessfully with theirs?


only in a very, very sexy recurring dream of mine.

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:11 pm
by jkhuri44
stupid question, but if you were using wah, you'd need to make sure you match impedance with a convertor is going from the clavi's line out into a guitar level of a wah...i take it you've already thought of this?

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:10 pm
by analogpro
Hi Harry,
The lower register is a bit louder normally than the top register due to the string type and length. Having said that a possible cause may be as you say the hammers are in need of replacement, but I don't think that would relate to the problem as you describe it. Has the Clav been dropped ? If so you may have put out the aleignment of either of the two pick ups, or you may have a dead pick up. Check to see if they are both working or see if the pick up under your bottom strings is the same distance off the strings as the treble area. I've never come across the problem you are describibng with any of my clav's that I've had over the years. If all else fails play harder in the top register.

A clav thru a boss CE-1 chourus sounds equaly as good as you can overdrive the input stage and even make the sucker feed back.

Cheers Garry Lynch
Analogpro

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:53 pm
by harry
Jamil - i never though of that - so im guessing i will need to convert from low impedence to high impedence ? not sure how to do that? reverse di?

Garry - I initially though the volume thing was due to the change in string guage in the lower register - but the weird thing is it happens after half a dozen of the thick strings - there is no perceivable difference between the last thin string to the first thick string.

All of the different pickup patterns sound different and seem to work as they are described on net so im guessing the pickups work correctly - i will try and measure the distance from pickups with a feeler guage and check against individual pickups to see if it happens with one or the other - i was told that one was replaced - maybe it wasn't algned..... would't know if it has been dropped but all else feels good - keys are more or less consistent in feel - one or two strike the note differently but i'd say thats to do with the sticky hammers,

thanks so much guys - this is really a great place to learn -

h.a.r.r.y.a.r.v.a.n.i.t.i.s

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 7:11 pm
by Futureman
jkhuri44 wrote:stupid question, but if you were using wah, you'd need to make sure you match impedance with a convertor is going from the clavi's line out into a guitar level of a wah...i take it you've already thought of this?


Maybe from a technical point of view.. but I run synths into Wah pedals, envelope filters and all sorts of crap all the time, and I've never had any real issues, no feedback.

Speaking of Mutron III's.. I've got a Melos envelope filter, which was a licenced copy of the Mutron III back in the day (Exact same circuit including the opto-isolators used) that I am going to flick on ebay.. It sounds waaay better than my 'Has Bros Mutron III'.. awesome sizzle and dirt.

Regards
Mike

Re: Clavinet - getting it into shape

PostPosted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:55 pm
by harry
Hey Mike,

i'm very interested in the melos if you want to avoid ebay..... damm it i'm too broke but my calv needs it....


h.a.r.r.y.a.r.v.a.n.i.t.i.s