Roland A70 - removing parts to create a "keybed" only controller?

[miden]

Has anyone come across any online stuff about converting the A-70 to a simple keybed only controller? IE with the pedals and MIDI ports intact, but perhaps removing it all to a lighter and more practical chassis (bespoke) with spaces for laptops/iPads etc?

 

I think the biggest issue will be power supply and which control chips need to go with it...

 

Might be too much of an exercise though, and not "do-able" at all

 

There is just such a dearth of 73/76 note controller only keyboards out there, and my A-70 still plays fine!

[ElmerJFudd]

This looks like the service manual, which would get you inside and give you an idea about disassembly, reassembly and what the case you envision would need to hold it.   But I can't imagine how anything I would build to hold it would come out lighter.   Cooler looking perhaps (I'd use wood and tolex), but lighter?  

[miden]

21 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

This looks like the service manual, which would get you inside and give you an idea about disassembly, reassembly and what the case you envision would need to hold it.   But I can't imagine how anything I would build to hold it would come out lighter.   Cooler looking perhaps (I'd use wood and tolex), but lighter?  

 

Thanks m8, yeah I am tending to agree...but it's more to get a flat surface...and maybe even a possibility of squeezing it into some sort of plastic frame from an older non-working keyboard  - dunno....might just be a Quixotic quest hahaha!

 

Thanks for the link to the service data too!

[stoken6]

I suspect that most of what you want to take out of the board isn't going to be that heavy. 

 

Looking at a pic of the A70, most of the front-panel "furniture" is fairly shallow - apart from the pitch/mod wheels and joystick, which you should be able to remove. If you want space for an ipad or similar, how about a carefully designed "shim" that sits over the remaining panel space, with cutouts for the existing buttons, so that you can rest something on there. 3D printed, perhaps? Or skilled woodwork/marquetry?

 

Cheers, Mike.

[J.F.N.]

Or cash it in and source a Roland A33 / A37 ?

[miden]

8 hours ago, J.F.N. said:

Or cash it in and source a Roland A33 / A37 ?

 

Yeah I had thought of something like that, but down here, I'd have to probably pay someone to take it hahaha! Very small market. And the 37 is pretty. ugh non-existent nowadays.

[miden]

11 hours ago, stoken6 said:

I suspect that most of what you want to take out of the board isn't going to be that heavy. 

 

Looking at a pic of the A70, most of the front-panel "furniture" is fairly shallow - apart from the pitch/mod wheels and joystick, which you should be able to remove. If you want space for an ipad or similar, how about a carefully designed "shim" that sits over the remaining panel space, with cutouts for the existing buttons, so that you can rest something on there. 3D printed, perhaps? Or skilled woodwork/marquetry?

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

yes, I might research removing the power supply and try and find a digital one, I'd expect  it all runs on 12-14v DC circuitry, maybe even 9??

[J.F.N.]

11 minutes ago, miden said:

 

Yeah I had thought of something like that, but down here, I'd have to probably pay someone to take it hahaha! Very small market. And the 37 is pretty. ugh non-existent nowadays.

 

If in Europe and red glue problem is fixed, I would potentially be interested... hehe!