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This question probably applies more to permanent type installations but I always mount electrical outlets on the underside of my grand piano.

In the case of my AvantGrand, I have the piano itself, the light that's mounted on the music rack and a small fan all plugged into an electrical outlet. When I sit down to practice I simply hit the switch on the outlet and everything comes on.

I just mounted an additional outlet on the other side of the piano and will use that for my wife's laptop. All the cables underneath the key bed are neatly arranged using 'cable management' things that you can buy from RadioShack.

Trivial things:

For the Kawai the most I've done so far is add a second hook in the centre under the DP so that I can hook the trailing headphone cable centrally since the plug/socket is on the extreme left.

For the Casio I made 3 shaped shims out of plastic (half the thickness or more of a credit card) to slip between 3 pairs of keys that occasionally clicked. Having acquired the Kawai and since I now use the Casio less I've now removed the shims.

Most manufacturers will tell you that any modifications to their products will instantly void the warranty. (some are a bit more relaxed about it, depending on what was done and the particular circumstances of the warranty claim) Most will also refuse to perform or advise on any modifications.

Adrian, did you read my initial post here?

To change the subject, you call yourself a service engineer, is that the same as a repairman?

I have a gerbil in a small treadmill nailed through the top of my Privia (the treadmill, not the gerbil) to remind me of the futility of existence. Will this void my warranty?

Is the gerbil connected to the USB port?

Yes, is that bad? I'm getting some latency, but I thought that was due to a lack of fiber in his diet.

Hook him up to a generator.

Gerbils are a great source of free electricity.

If the nails went through the main circuit board, I suspect it might.

Here's my entry into the modification universe.

I had started to play in rock bands by the time Hohner came out with their Clavinet (It's an electric version, with a guitar type pickup under the strings). I used it with a distortion effect to have the same kind of sonic texture as a guitar through a loud amp. For lots of people, it's most known for being the instrument on Stevie Wonder's Superstion; here's a YouTube link, with theClavinet coming in at 0:08.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OJsYwLs7yE
BTW, a recent web article dissects the 8! tracks of clavinet on this tune.
Anyway, back to the topic. Clavinets have a keyboard range of 5 octaves, F1 to e3, here's a pic:
http://www.gti.net/junebug/clavinet/fig1.jpg
You may know that rock bands, especially beginning ones, tend to play in E and A a lot, because that's the keys that suit a guitar's open strings. This left me frustrated because I couldn't hit the low E. So, my modification as follows:

I took all the keys off their mountings. I then reassembled them with the former highest E on the mounting previously belonging to the low F. This required cutting a notch in the left cheek block, and also means that the highest note is now a D#/Eb. I then tuned all the notes 1/2 step down. It left me with a scarred instrument, BUT I could happily play a solid low E!
I loaned the instrument to a friend, moved out of the area, lost track of the friend. My modified Clavinet (I believe the serial # is 741539) is probably still somewhere in the San Francisco Bay area; if you hear of it let me know!

Better yet, take a picture and post it, or send it to me!

Latency in gerbil-driven ports can often be decreased by installing a feline-motivational-adrenaline-activator behind the gerbil. In other words, put a cat in a cage behind the gerbil to motivate the gerbil to run faster.

elecmuse3, wow, now *that's* what I call a 'mod'!

Hardware transpose, lol!

Cheers,
James
x

I would like to know whether a Kawaii Digital CP205 can be modified to include more voices and sounds? I would prefer not to buy a new digital. The piano is a 2004 and works well, and there is no warranty - so I don't have to worry about voiding it. I would to know from a technician who has actually done this sucessfully.

Many thanks,
Guy

Hello Guy,

As with most digital pianos, the CP205 cannot be modified to include additional voices/sounds. However, using the instrument's MIDI capabilities and Line-In connectivity, it is certainly possible to use the CP's keyboards to play sounds stored on a computer (i.e. a 'virtual' instrument) or another MIDI device such as an expander module.

Kind regards,
James
x

I modified one Headphone outlet, so it doesnt switch off the speakers.
I use it for my MP3 recorder, thats more comfortable, because its accessible from the front.
(Piano manufactures should do this too, thats a win-win situation and even cheaper in production)

I opened the piano and connected a plug (with overvoltage and shortage protection) to the control voltage of the sustain pedal. This plug fits into the expression pedal connector, so I can alternatively and optionally use the sustain as expression pedal.

From beginning on, the half pedal functionality was far too sensitive. The whole voltage range of the Pedal was 0-3 V, but the difference between Sustain 0 and Sustain 127 was 1.5 to 2 Volts. This means the half pedal functionality was there, but it was impossible to really use it.
So I soldered a resistor network to the sustain input that stretched the range and adjusted the offset for better usability.

I made a delay circuit that blocks the write gate of the floppy for 2 seconds after power on. So the piano does not longer destroy disks that are inserted on power on.

I eased the keyboard action and made the velocity sensors adjustable and debounced the contacts, so I was able to adjust the action for better repetition. Weigt and velocity response are unchanged.

I cannot place a Gerbil on the piano.
I fear he wouldnt like my playing. Must practice more....


Peter

I installed a music stand (given free by the dealer when I pointed out it was missing from the DP) on my V-Piano, but strictly speaking, it's not really an installation, because the stand's legs are on the floor though the music rest itself protrudes over the slab of the V-Piano, so that I can reach the music easily. I also installed lots of music scores on either side of the music rest, but again they're not really installations, just props for my convenience.

A gerbil wouldn't enjoy sitting on my V-Piano, because I use headphones, so all it will get is the thudding of silent keys but no music to help it relax. Though I don't actually play relaxing music (my favorite musical terms are 'allegro con fuoco' and 'furioso'), so maybe that's to its advantage.