Hammond Solovox Model L Tube Synthesizer:
Did I mention I was also going to have unique instruments available at XFMR? I will have synths of all kinds from ancient tube based to the modern virtual types. I like modular synths and will slowly be building my own from tube and solid state modules. In addition to recording bands with prepared material I would also like to have some jams with my unique gear. The experimentation possibilities are endless. I will then pull multitrack loops so folks (including myself of course) can take the best moments of the jams and make their own arrangements out of them. I just picked up this beauty from fleabay and I have big plans in store for it. In case you don't know what it is or didn't read the title, this is a Hammond Solovox. It is a monophonic tube synthesizer designed to attach to a Hammond organ and be used for solos. It uses a unique coil-based keyboard to control a single tube oscillator with multiple stages of octave dropping circuits that create a deeper and fuller sound. It has other cool stuff like a vibrato circuit a muting circuit, attack controls, multiple voicing layers via the octave circuits, and a neat output power amplifier with variable-mu 6SK7 tubes that drives a built-in speaker.
My plans are first to install a dummy load so the speaker can be switched off and then add a padded 1/4" output from the speaker level tap, probably with it's own trim control. I can make all the circuits modular where possible. I can bypass the internal oscillator and input an outside signal via a switched 1/4" jack feeding straight to the driver tube. Individual outputs and volume controls for the 4 voices, plus a direct preamplifier input would be nice to have. Some of the fixed values will be replaced with variable pots and condensers. There is plenty of room for a control panel behind the keyboard so some kind of wood panel there with big knobs and a few oversized switches would give me one heck of a mono-synth!
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Looks SICK. Coincidentally I picked up a Solovox (keyboard only) this weekend and was thinking about hacking it for MIDI. I have an extra MIDI keyboard I can sacrifice, and I've done stuff like this before. I can't really make sense of the output connector though Jesse. Any suggestions?
ReplyDelete-PettyV
If you have JUST the keyboard, all you have is the controls. They are all mechanical and use two switches per key. One is a global note on, and the other is one of a series of custom inductors that are closed one at time for a mono phonic action. I don't see any way to make it useful without the amp. Now and amp with no keyboard can be hacked to work without the keyboard and I am working on that presently, but the keyboard with no amp is not too useful I'm afraid. Look at what model your keyboard is and then look online to make sure you know which model amp you need to go with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jesse- sounds like simple SPST switches, and the brain I'm planning to use isn't velocity, so I'm optimistic. I'll mess around a bit with a continuity tester and see what I can figure out. Can't wait to hear how yours sounds. Sure you'll be posting to your soundcloud.
ReplyDeletePettyV
ANy thoughts on restoring a Model J keyboard?
ReplyDeleteThe keyboards look to be very complicated and difficult to fix if they do not work right. I would try some Caig Faderlube and DeOxit for the contacts of the keys themselves and the multipin to see if it is maybe just corrosion or dirt that is making your keyboard not work properly. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine.
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