Help! Music Tech Music Maker

[John]

I have a Music Tech Music Maker 50 with Q Select midi.

I get an intermitten sounds from the left hand chord section. It sound as if many buttons are being pushed down at once. Any suggestions to fix the problem?

Anyone know of accordion repair shops in, or around, the state of Michigan?

Thanks for any information.

 

[lmschgo]

A current thread started by another forum member:

Current Map of US and Canada Accordion Shops/Repairpeople - Input needed

On a whim today, I started a custom google map of all of the accordion sale and repair places in the US and Canada that came to mind or showed up on a quick google search. Here is the link. It is necessarily incomplete, and I would appreciate any help in adding spots that you have a website for...

www.accordionists.info

 

[Valski]

Hello John,

Welcome to the forum. Michigan is a pretty big state so in and around can be interpreted in numerous ways. Castiglione Accordions in Detroit was a huge resource but the owner died and the shop was closed a few years ago so that might not help you. However Keith Anderson of Anderson's Accordions used to do much of the tuning and repair work for Castiglione and other shops. I've seen Musictech in his shop so he might be able to help you with your concerns or at least direct you to another resource. He's located in Burlington Ontario, which is somewhat west of Toronto so it may be sensible to reach out. He's a great guy and in my opinion quite helpful, so perhaps you might try a phone call first.

Hope that this helps you and I understand how concerned you might be. Best of luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[McSqueeze]

G'day John. I had a similar problem with my Musictech but the problem you describe can happen with any midi system.
There are 12 chord contacts (one for each note) and when you press a chord button it should fire 3 contacts to make the chord.
I expect in your case that more than 3 contacts are firing so you need to adjust the contact/s that should not be firing.
Good luck.

 

[Squeezeplay]

Had this problem with my Music Tech digital 50 shortly after I bought it. I contacted Music tech, and Claudio told me to remove the back cover of the accordion exposing the midi contacts, then adjust them for space. If you do a search you will find Jerry Nicolato started a group for these accordions… in there is explained how to do this. If you don’t find it, check back here tomorrow. I will see if I still have the instructions.

 

[Jdburringto]

I have a Music Tech Music Maker 50 with Q Select midi.

I get an intermitten sounds from the left hand chord section. It sound as if many buttons are being pushed down at once. Any suggestions to fix the problem?

Anyone know of accordion repair shops in, or around, the state of Michigan?

Thanks for any information.

I have this same problem with my Music tech Music Maker that I purchased used last year. It started making random chord sounds and the D bass button stopped working. Does anyone have a fix or know of a repair shop in the Cleveland area. Thanks.

 

[Jdburringto]

Had this problem with my Music Tech digital 50 shortly after I bought it. I contacted Music tech, and Claudio told me to remove the back cover of the accordion exposing the midi contacts, then adjust them for space. If you do a search you will find Jerry Nicolato started a group for these accordions… in there is explained how to do this. If you don’t find it, check back here tomorrow. I will see if I still have the instructions.

I’m having the same problem but Sorry. I can’t find the Jerry Nicolato thread that describes how to adjust the space in the midi contacts. Can you help me?

 

[Jdburringto]

Had this problem with my Music Tech digital 50 shortly after I bought it. I contacted Music tech, and Claudio told me to remove the back cover of the accordion exposing the midi contacts, then adjust them for space. If you do a search you will find Jerry Nicolato started a group for these accordions… in there is explained how to do this. If you don’t find it, check back here tomorrow. I will see if I still have the instructions.

If you still have it can you send me the instructions. Thanks.

 

[John]

I have this same problem with my Music tech Music Maker that I purchased used last year. It started making random chord sounds and the D bass button stopped working. Does anyone have a fix or know of a repair shop in the Cleveland area. Thanks.

I had a closely related problem. This is what I did to fix it. Take off the bass panel and push the button (D bass) to locate the small black circle type contacts that move. Adjust them as needed. I had to spread them (slightly) to stop the continuous sound. Good luck.

 

[Jdburringto]

I had a closely related problem. This is what I did to fix it. Take off the bass panel and push the button (D bass) to locate the small black circle type contacts that move. Adjust them as needed. I had to spread them (slightly) to stop the continuous sound. Good luck.

Thanks so much. I’ll give it a try.

 

[Jdburringto]

I had a closely related problem. This is what I did to fix it. Take off the bass panel and push the button (D bass) to locate the small black circle type contacts that move. Adjust them as needed. I had to spread them (slightly) to stop the continuous sound. Good luck.

That worked for the bass buttons, but the chords are still firing randomly. I think these are supposed to be close together and fire when moved away from each other, but even with the contacts touching they are still sounding without being depressed When I press the chord buttons they are not the major, minor etc that they are supposed to be but random sounds, but it does stop the random sounds. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Jdburringto]

Here’s what they look like now.

 

[Jdburringto]

Had this problem with my Music Tech digital 50 shortly after I bought it. I contacted Music tech, and Claudio told me to remove the back cover of the accordion exposing the midi contacts, then adjust them for space. If you do a search you will find Jerry Nicolato started a group for these accordions… in there is explained how to do this. If you don’t find it, check back here tomorrow. I will see if I still have the instructions.

Do you have those instructions? The contacts for the chords seem to fire when at some distance apart, unlike the bass contacts. I moved the chird contacts closer together, but even when they are touching, the chords are still firing randomly. When I depress a chord button, a random chord sounds but it is not what it is supposed to be, major, minor, etc, but it does stop the other random sounds from sounding. Here is what it looks like now. Are the contacts supposed to be touching when no buttons are depressed? Thanks for whatever help you can give.

 

[Squeezeplay]

If you still have it can you send me the instructions. Thanks.

Take the bass panel off the accordion. You will immediately see the contacts. If they are too close together, the notes will not stop playing after you let the button go. If too far apart, the note will not sound. . I found one that worked perfectly, and noted the space. Made a little plastic shim to gauge the distance, . If your eye is decent, you can judge the space. If the chords are not releasing, then one or more of the three little sensors are too close together.. IMPORTANT. DO NOT use a metal screwdriver to move the little sensors. If need be use a wooden tooth pick, or a plastic stick. NO METAL allowed.
If you are having issue on the treble side, remove the grille carefully. You will see all the little sensors , move as necessary.
The issue I have found, is that usually the accordion has been dropped, or jolted. Perhaps while it was in the case, and the case was dropped, or tipped over. OR, it received a heavy jolt. Last time I adjusted mine was about six or seven years ago, and it was after a small jolt on the way home from a job. Other than that, it has been flawless. My only complaint, is that mine has no internal speaker.

 

[Jdburringto]

Had this problem with my Music Tech digital 50 shortly after I bought it. I contacted Music tech, and Claudio told me to remove the back cover of the accordion exposing the midi contacts, then adjust them for space. If you do a search you will find Jerry Nicolato started a group for these accordions… in there is explained how to do this. If you don’t find it, check back here tomorrow. I will see if I still have the instructions.

Do you have those instructions? The contacts for the chords seem to fire when at some distance apart, unlike the bass contacts. I moved the chird contacts closer together, but even when they are touching, the chords are still firing randomly. When I depress a chord button, a random chord sounds but it is not what it is supposed to be, major, minor, etc, but it does stop the other random sounds from sounding. Here is what it looks like now. Are the contacts supposed to be touching when no buttons are depressed?

Take the bass panel off the accordion. You will immediately see the contacts. If they are too close together, the notes will not stop playing after you let the button go. If too far apart, the note will not sound. . I found one that worked perfectly, and noted the space. Made a little plastic shim to gauge the distance, . If your eye is decent, you can judge the space. If the chords are not releasing, then one or more of the three little sensors are too close together.. IMPORTANT. DO NOT use a metal screwdriver to move the little sensors. If need be use a wooden tooth pick, or a plastic stick. NO METAL allowed.
If you are having issue on the treble side, remove the grille carefully. You will see all the little sensors , move as necessary.
The issue I have found, is that usually the accordion has been dropped, or jolted. Perhaps while it was in the case, and the case was dropped, or tipped over. OR, it received a heavy jolt. Last time I adjusted mine was about six or seven years ago, and it was after a small jolt on the way home from a job. Other than that, it has been flawless. My only complaint, is that mine has no internal speaker.

Thanks. I’ll try this.

 

[John]

It has been some time since I fixed my chord problem, but if I remember, I used one of those coctail straws to add a little distance between the verticle and horizontal post. Cut the straw to the proper length and slide it over the verticle post (the one that moves front to back). You might need to adjust the thickness of the straw (use two straws or add some scotch tape). I got away withing using one straw.

You can see how much you have to adjust the thickness by moving that verticle post back until the chord sound stops. Hope it works for you.

 

[Ventura]

it could be that there are more than one out of alignment/too close pairs of "contacts"
on several different keys, so you are adjusting one and you think it should make an immediate
difference but you are actually hearing several set of contacts firing intermittently at random

that one may momentarily stop another from sounding could just be the normal
priority of note presses in the computer matrix system

you may need to move/separate ALL contact pairs that look "too close" so that
absolutely none of them can be firing and THEN carefully re-adjust them back
into correct position for normal keypress action one by one

there are fibre non-metallic tools of various types shapes at the electronic supply,
you can also use a very thick guitar pick like a dunlop purple

 

[Jdburringto]

This has all been very helpful. Thanks for all the suggestions. I never would have figured this out on my own I used a leather swatch that was exactly 2 mm thick as a spacer and started there with all 12 contacts. That got me two major chords that were ok and from there by process of elimination figured out which ones needed adjustment. It seemed like a really tiny adjustment made a huge difference and I’m still not convinced I have the optimal distance for all 12 contacts. But the random sounds have stopped and all the chords seem to sound ok for now. With such small a tolerance in what works and what is total chaos I can’t believe I won’t be opening up the back and making readjustments soon.

 

[John]

I know the feeling of accomplishment. Close up the back and enjoy your work.

 

[Squeezeplay]

Right on ! I only had to do mine once. Years ago.