Many years ago, I bought a Yamaha Clavinova digital piano. It was the latest thing at the time. I could play it like a regular piano, add 40+ voices, backgrounds, and rhythms. I could also record tracks one on top of the other to create my own style. Along with all of this, I got floppy discs that contained full orchestra tracks, along with song books where I could play along. Wow!
Somewhere along the way, the complete recording device quit working. I began checking into replacing the disc drive and found that if it was even possible, it was extremely expensive. So I just shelved the possibility and continued to enjoy the piano parts that still worked.
Recently I found the manual that came with the keyboard, and had a brilliant (for me) idea. Why not ask Curley's son, Tall Guy, who is my resident computer geek, (no offense Tall Guy) to see if he had any ideas for fixing this thing. Well, let me tell you folks, that guy really came through. He did research on line, asked questions, and so on. And discovered that any (almost) floppy disc drive would work. He installed a drive from an old computer I had stored in my garage. Nothing! He found another one, tried it...nothing! He did more checking and found out that some of the wiring needed to be changed so he came in and did some wire cutting and soldering at my kitchen table. Those wires are so small, and so many of them in a sort of ribbon. He knew just which ones to cut, strip, and solder back in a different configuration. He plugged it in and still nothing. In checking closer, he discovered the simple fact that the wire ribbon needed to be turned half a turn. Suddenly, it was working. He plugged in a disc and hit play, and there was music.
Since then, I have been enjoying the keyboard, and spent probably too many hours sitting there playing one tune after the other after the other..
Tall Guy is a self taught computer guy. He isn't afraid to tear into a computer,be it a tower or a laptop. He's repaired monitors, too. People give up on their equipment, and he takes it home and makes it work. He's smart, and also just a good guy. I will be grateful to him for a very long time for making my piano a "full service" piano once again.
Hey Tall Guy, if you need anything from Taco Bell, let me know. I live closer than you do!! And by the way, thanks!!
Peace,
LE
5 comments:
How is Tall Guy with floor furnaces?
I could listen to someone play music all day; lucky you to be able to make your own.
Enjoy, and happy new year!!
He was just glad that he was able to make it work without making it worse. He was really nervous about that. I don't think you could spend too many hours playing the piano, especially when it brings you such joy.
It's good to have your own tech support person. I have one too.
I have a Technics digital piano as well. It still works fine, more than likely that's because I am not a pianist! I play "at" the piano and not very often at that. The only one in the family who can actually play is my daughter but she doesn't like to. The rest of us (me, T.A. and Maddie) are wannabees!
Glad that Tall Guy was able to get you back in tune again, Jimmie Earl. It's amazing how easy tech stuff is for some folks.
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