Latest and one of my favorite bends... another Hing Hon EK-001

Gleix · January 09, 2009, 03:27:15 AM

Since my last big post I've been doing a lot of bending, half for myself and half to sell (to keep from getting an actual job, I'm still in high school) and I hadn't made a post dedicated about any of them, but I feel like sharing this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl4b_WJIzMQ <- Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HyVwK6iP5U <- Part 2

I've been fooling with these Hing Hon's a lot and this is by far the best I've done. Hope you guys like it, I'd love some feedback.

It's got

3 Modulation knobs
Pitch down knob
Modulation/Distortion opto-theremin [with on/off]
Low pass filter switch
Blippy switch
Fuzzy switch
Crazy glitch switch
Acts as a distortion/modulation box [through the mic input]
1/4" Audio output jack
Sound pulsing blue and green LEDs lining the front of the keyboard (makes this keyboard what it is!!)

If anyone's interested all my other videos are located here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=frostedminipete&view=videos

PolyPhuckin · January 10, 2009, 02:06:20 AM

holy F***!!

That is an amazing set of mods. its inspired me to open my Hing Hon back up again.

PolyPhuckin · January 14, 2009, 11:36:28 PM

Do you have any hints and tips? As when i first opened up my Hing Hon i didn't find much.

Gleix · January 15, 2009, 06:41:51 AM

There's tons of different versions of these keyboards. I've had 5 or 6 different types in the past, the most common being one with 3 notches on the volume sliders (some have 5) and the innards being comprised of a ton of tiny wires and different segmented circuit boards, with one closest to the speaker being component side down (the rest are component side up). Then, that little board will be based on a chip or two transistors. Both of those keyboard versions contain the kinds of bends, IMO, but the one based on a chip will allow for LEDs. The transistor based version has two points that'll let LEDs react to the sound, but are very dim.

If you know which kind you have, or post a picture maybe I could help.

PolyPhuckin · January 15, 2009, 11:19:12 PM

Currently, my camera is attached to the phone that went swimming, so no pictures for me.

But, i do know i have the 3 notch version full of wires and and the small board full of components

Gleix · January 16, 2009, 05:52:42 AM

I'll shoot you my schematics if you have the chip based version, just unscrew that tiny little board and see if there's an IC on it.

PolyPhuckin · January 16, 2009, 11:38:07 AM

Right, i had a look and its the chip version i have.

The workmanship in side these keyboards is shoddy! Do they not teach whoever made them how to solder?

ne7 · January 16, 2009, 12:21:54 PM

bloody ell

thats def. the best bend i've seen of this KB.

love the hinghon - its just awesome - even if u dont bend it! lol

PolyPhuckin · January 24, 2009, 08:57:49 PM

Quick question man, could you shoot me those schematics ? i really wanna have a new look ant it.

jochenp · January 28, 2009, 02:28:47 PM

Hi, I'd love some help on this EK-001 too! I destroyed the speaker on mine while bending (only the external output works now) and now I got a little scared of breaking it. I searched long and hard to track one down, I don't want to kill it now by being stupid. I found a very nice bend that makes every second note you play scream (so one normal, one bend, one normal, one bend) and it screws the internal "green sleeves" melody up (but in a good way).

Gleix · January 28, 2009, 04:27:26 PM

Based on what I posted earlier, if you let me know what version you've got I might be able to provide you with schematics.

I'd also be curious about that bend you found... I hadn't found that one!

jochenp · January 30, 2009, 02:43:42 PM

The bend I found is on a resistor on the left-end side of the back of the board. It's marked "4149" in white printing. Connecting it to different points gave different results, but the best one for me was to connect it to either of the "microphone in" ends. Try it and play the organ. It becomes a very very phat synth.

My EK seems to be a "black blob" type, no bare chip.

mr ibrahiem · February 02, 2009, 07:48:22 PM

Conglaturations comrad I wish I could get my hands on 1 of those but for some reaon I have never got my hands on one I have been searching for upto 5 years and to no avail. The only things I have been able to get hold of in that time period is
A Steepletone Keyboard
A Byronic electronics co Solid state talking typewriter
and a wierd russian calculator/typewriter/talkindg aid for the deaf made by a company caled Soviet Microsystems inc.
If anyone has any info please tell me .I know it is from 1972 and hs over 8 linear predictive coding chips(like a neandethalic speak and spell only with over 2000 words stored instead of 200)
I once got so close to getting two of these extremely rare gems..well......extremely rare where I come from ...Darnall but this kid I was with at 6 form dragged me off just to show me this stupid thunderbirds talking alarm clock and when I got back it had gone.hte ek-01s and the sk-2,that goddam S.O.B!!!!!

Gleix · February 03, 2009, 06:20:44 AM

Quote from: PolyPhuckin on January 16, 2009, 11:38:07 AM
Right, i had a look and its the chip version i have.

The workmanship in side these keyboards is shoddy! Do they not teach whoever made them how to solder?

I know, I can't count how many times one of those tiny barely soldered on wires has come off and I've had to poke around trying to find where it went. Just now I finished mounting all of the controls and wired up a modulation... nothing? What's going on? I check on the underside of one of the boards and there's a 3.9k resistor making contact with another resistor. No problem right? I move it over a tad bit and it breaks off right at the end so there's no metal exposed. And who the hell has a 3.9k resistor with them... off the radioshack tomorrow.

PolyPhuckin · February 03, 2009, 12:12:43 PM

I wish i had my camera so i could show you the inside of mine. there are scratches all over the trace side of the chip board, nothing is soldered neatly PLUS there's a cap. soldered across two points on the trace side, and the legs are bare, nothing protecting them from shorting $:-\$

And who ever built it must have been having a whale of a time with the soldering iron because there's solder blobs all over the inside of the case. Shoddy work.

oh, and thanks for the diagrams man. trouble is my board must be a different version to yours as alot of it is different inside, but its still quite handy