Rodgers Organ MIDI Hardware and Configuration
I purchased a Rodgers Organ for $150. Brent picked it up with the Town and Country Minivan. A very tight fit.
That same day, I bought the Artisan MIDI hardware (described elsewhere). Brent and I worked hard and ripped out the organ's normal electronic content, and then installed the MIDI circuit boards and wired. I think we finished it the same day.
The next day, we ran a CAT 5 cable between the organ, and my PC in my home office. 3 of the conductors form a MIDI signal from the organ to the PC, and 3 more of the conductors are the audio path from the PC back to the organ. It seems to work quite well, although sometimes I hear radio stations coming out of the organ speakers.
CAT 5 Configuration
At the box, in the organ, its RJ45 is connected like this:
| Ethernet Pin | What its connected to |
|---|---|
| 1 | MIDI DIN shield |
| 2 | MIDI DIN 5 (Black) |
| 3 | Stereo Left (Black) Hot |
| 4 | Stereo Ground |
| 5 | MIDI DIN 1 (White) |
| 6 | Stereo Right (Red) Hot |
| 7 | MIDI DIN 4 (Red) |
| 8 | MIDI DIN 3 (Yellow) |
MIDI Configuration
Using the Artisan MIDI kit, I connected the 3 manuals, plus the pedals, plus some pistons (with some new ones on the way). I program the MIDI stuff by using a USB to MIDI adapter (located in desk drawer) and using special software that comes from Artisan, create and send a text file configuration. It seemed to work quite well. That text information is available her.
Crown Amp
Purchased Crown stereo amp so I can use larger speakers with the organ.