From Bkuris@gmail.com Sat Jun 24 11:52:04 2006
Subject:Simple keydip modification for FATAR waterfall organ keybeds

After gigging with my homemade dual manual waterfall controller, it
was obvious that the keydip needed to be corrected. Today I was
successful reducing the keydip from 14mm to 10mm (stock hammond is
8mm). I will also post the proceedure, but here is the full text for
the group. It would be great to compile a list of cloen keyboards
that work with this mod (first few steps are reversible). For those
who have never played on an organ with shallow keydip, you are in for
a pleasant surprise as your chops will "magically" improve!

Good luck,
-Ben

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Simple Keydip mod for Fatar manufactured waterfall organ style
keyboards
by Ben Kuris 6/24/06

Problem statement:
Stock key dip on doepfer/fatar waterfall midi controller kit, MKE
TP/8O is 14mm. The lower end of that motion is just plastic flex.
Hammond A-102 has measured keydip of 8mm.

Result:
After mod, fatar has keydip of 10mm and retains touch sensitivity.
Limit of key travel is now a large area of rubber so key action has a
pleasing bounce during trills. Moving the limiting stop also stops
key flex and reduces the chances of breaking a key.

After the mod, keyboard action is noticeably faster and closer to a
real Hammond.

Time: 2hrs

Materials/Tools:
1) ~36" stip cut from a fan belt— approx 5mm thick with rubber
top
2) Optional medium dampening gel (NYE NYO Gel 774 or equivalent)
3) Needlenose pliers (for removing key springs)
4) Glue gun

Method:
1) Remove about 5 keys.
2) Cut about 10cm off of belt and slide under a white key so
that the belt is as far towards the front of the key as possible but
still within the flat part of the black plastic of keybed.
3) Verify thickness and reduction in keydip while maintaining
MIDI key triggering and velocity using white key 1st. Then do the
same with a black key (adjacent white key must be removed to see).
You want to go as thick as possible without impact the key's
triggering ability.
4) Remove all keys carefully (don't lose springs!)
5) Cut long strip to length of keyboard and glue down (I used a
hot glue gun). Be careful not to damage key contact dome area. I
glued down from one end to the other working in on 12cm at a time
6) Optional: Apply dampening gel to keybed hinge point and front
guides. I put on a latex glove and worked the gel in with my fingers.
7) Reassemble
8) Verify that all keys trigger evenly