I’ve assembled my first custom Zynthian (second in all, my first was an official kit) to use with an Allen AP-4 organ console. I’ve been playing this organ for several years now and have only been disappointed with the built in sounds.
The organ console and speakers are in decent shape, and it has both a midi and audio interface itching for use, so this was pretty easy to get working. I was also able to plug the power adapter into organ’s main power supply so the main switch will turn on both the console and the zynthian.
Thanks for the suggestion! I considered it briefly, but decided against because:
The existing opening for the wires is underneath that shelf, would have to drill a sizable hole
The screen would be partially blocked up there
I’ve seen some of the proprietary modules that Allen makes (and sells for way more than a fair profit) and they’re usually installed with some sort of drawer underneath the existing desk space. I think that’s why they left a nice opening for cables to pass through.
I noticed a couple of audiophile sub woofers being given away in my town, in the Craigslist Freebies section, people downsizing, moving into apartments is one reason for giving them away. If you monitored these listings, perhaps you could collect an array of these self powered speakers…
Cool stuff! All very relevant, though I’ve been scouring the classifieds for a while and folks around here either don’t have decent gear or are not so generous…
I did see the keyboard mapping option. Definitely an affordable extension if needed. I have 7 general pistons which send program change messages. If I can map an empty stop or two to toggle bank changes I should be set to navigate pre-set programs.
Of course I’d love a few pads and pots, even a pitch wheel, but the instrument is not technically mine to make significant alterations…
Just curious, do virtual organs commonly use the 7.1 surround sound format?
There are 8 channel sound cards or USB DACs that work with Raspberry Pis, but I don’t know if any of the 1000 LV2 plugins out there process surround sound. Audiophile room acoustics tuning systems use DSP processors with horsepower beyond the Pi.'s capabilities
Hey I used a Smarti PI Pro Case too
Did the organ console come in a kit ? Are you going to map all the switches on the organ to functions on the Zynthian ? That’s a cool build.
you mentioning ascii control, that would be interesting if a keypad could be developed with a set number of rows and columns, good example, 3 sets of 2 columns with about 22 rows each, to support a 4 manual build, each key when pressed would have an led to give on state, each key could have silk screened stop names.
any thoughts on this as this would be something I’d love to investigate.
I’m not an expert on VPOs but I know some builders do that. Others direct their budget to the highest quality in a 2.1 setup. It’s hardly a standardized industry, though the same could be said for pipe organs.
That would be an interesting project for either a new complete build including console and speakers. As a church musician who has to play the spectrum of styles, I think the Zynthian platform offers unprecedented diversity in “one” instrument.
Thanks @Jerryn, yes I used the AP-4 to make my recordings.
I didn’t build the console, it’s a 23-year-old instrument that was in need of expansion. Eventually I’d like to be able to use the stops to control certain parameters. They send NPRN CC messages so I still need to do some work on that end.
Also, they still toggle the organ’s built in stops, which I can use in alternation/combination with the Zynthian sounds. I may disable the built in stops someday, freeing up all the buttons for re-mapping.
