My OB-8 died and I’m in the process of repairing/restoring it. Just had a quick question regarding the keyboards in these units…
I’ve read that some of the early units shipped with j-wire keyboards, and the later ones had the rubber-plunger contact-strip keyboards. Mine is rev A8 with the latter. Here’s a shot of a spare keybed that I refurbished and sold recently - identical to the type currently in my OB-8:
The current keyboard works fine- no contact problems (yet), and I love this synth… but I’m just not a huge fan of the way this type of keyboard assembly feels.
Has anyone here ever swapped out the keybed in one of these? Looks like the scanning circuit in the OB-8 is similar to that of the OB-Xa (I think those were all j-wire, yes?), and so I thought if I could find a suitable five octave Pratt-Read keybed I might try to switch it out… Just curious if anyone has been through this, and if there is anything special to consider when looking for a replacement.
I’ve never swapped one, but have one or two J-wire OB keyboards gathering dust.
It’s lots of work to restore a 5 octave keyboard though.
Is something like keyboard feel really worth all the time and expense when one has an already working keyboard?
Pratt-Read keyboards are much heavier than the Panasonic types.
That’s a valid question, and I’ve been back and forth about this a lot over the years (I’ve had this OB since the late-90s). I guess I just prefer that heavier feel of the P-R keyboards (and whatever that keyboard is in my Mini - before they switched to the j-wire assemblies). I figure I could always pass the working bubble-strip keybed on to someone who needs it, assuming the transplant is successful
It is a lot of work to restore the big keyboard assemblies! I’ve done a handful over the years - most recently overhauled the four octave keybed in my fvs, which feels fantastic now! If I can make the OB-8 feel like that, I’ll be thrilled. Just figured that since I have it all apart anyway, it might be a good time to give this a shot.
If you are considering liberating one of your spare j-wire assemblies, drop me a line via PM and let me know what you’d like to get for it.
I can understand desiring the feel of a PR keyboard over the Panasonic, I was just questioning if it’s worth the trouble and expense.
Yours is a valid answer.
However unless I read you wrong or am wrong in my history, the PR keyboards came before the Panasonics.
For all I know, the PRs were not available any longer or the lower price of the Panasonics was just that much more attractive.
One of the PR actions I have uses individual bent screws for their keyboard stops. (!)
Goofy, but I’ve seen these several times before and I can only guess that PR ran out of the keyboard-stop “comb” pieces.
To me that suggests manufacturing supply problems which might support why synth makers started using other actions or it may be the result of increased demand for these other actions.
I’ll PM you soon after I check out what condition the keyboards I have are.
I doubt you’d want the action with the bent screws, even though I’m certain it was done at the PR factory.
