Optigan: Extra High-End

[utters]

I am very much enjoying my newly acquired optigan. The chord buttons are all OK, the reverb sounds great, it doesn't hum AT ALL (yessss), and is holding its pitch well. FOR NOW...

however...

Compared to most optigan recordings I have heard (including the samples on optigan.com), the sound of the discs seems to sound a little bit muddy

Yes, I know the optigan does generally sound crap, I just thought it would be nice if it could sound tinnier and treblier as opposed to bassy and warm, which believe it or not, is how mine sounds

So, what can I do? Should I clean the discs? And should I clean the lamp? I haven't done so already... Would it make any difference?

I have cleaned the optical sensor thing...

Any help would be much appreciated

[joel hamilton]

Record it direct and crank the christ out of the top end.
Enjoy.

[utters]

I haven't actually tried the headphone output yet, I will have a go when next in the studio

I see the optigan.com website is a bit of a ghost town... I don't suppose anyone out there has the service docs cd-r?

I'd be willing to buy a copy if anyone has, cos the website probably wouldn't sell one before the end of the century!

[linus]

This is a luxury problem my friends. A fully functioning Optigan is rarer than hen's teeth.

The fact that you don't have lots of hiss/hum means you should be able to (as Joel suggested) boost the top end.

Just enjoy it. Don't mess around with it too much for fear of breaking it.

[utters]

This is a luxury problem my friends. A fully functioning Optigan is rarer than hen's teeth.

The fact that you don't have lots of hiss/hum means you should be able to (as Joel suggested) boost the top end.

Just enjoy it. Don't mess around with it too much for fear of breaking it.

haha I know what you mean! With optigans there is a fine line. When I opened mine up I was amazed to find everything so clean and orderly.

The original owner who had it imported to the UK must have modded it to take 240v so I think it's had some work done on it. Some good work too!!

But when you hear of things like plastic internal parts you start to worry, no matter how ship-shape it all might seem

And if the bulb goes you're ruined too

Definitely not one to sling in the back of the tourbus

[the velour fog]

you could do the output mod, which is pretty simple and really improves the sound.

http://www.optigan.com/pdfs/OptiOutMod.pdf

[utters]

you could do the output mod, which is pretty simple and really improves the sound.

http://www.optigan.com/pdfs/OptiOutMod.pdf

what exactly does that do? does it just attenuate the signal so you can plug-into a half decent preamp and use the gain there?

I've had a look at that pdf but no little about electronics so might have to leave it!

[the velour fog]

you could do the output mod, which is pretty simple and really improves the sound.

http://www.optigan.com/pdfs/OptiOutMod.pdf

what exactly does that do? does it just attenuate the signal so you can plug-into a half decent preamp and use the gain there?

I've had a look at that pdf but no little about electronics so might have to leave it!

"This method provides a low source impedence input to the external amp, eliminating most hum pickup and supplying sufficient signal amplitude to drive the microphone inputs."

the optigan only has a headphone out. the mod makes it line level, and also splits the signal between the keyboard section and the chord and percussion section. you end up with two 1/4" jacks one for each section, and it sounds a lot cleaner.

i know very little about electronics, but i was able to do this pretty easily. i even chopped my optigan for easier mobility. i just need some more damn discs!