I know nothing about music from the technical side, like what are minor keys and time signatures and measures and the like.
But I bought an off-brand digital keyboard on impulse yesterday at a thrift store. Was looking around for something else.
The only brand indication was "Musical Fun." It has 54 full-sized keys. I brought in the "back room" of the store and the guy back there and I tested it out. Nice action on the keys, they all worked, demo keys worked, etc. I have no idea what some of the other buttons and functions are.
With my Senior discount, it cost me $16 out the door. I realized it was more toylike than professional, but it all worked.
Get home, start playing with it, discovered that it was tuned a 12-tone note off by one note, if that makes sense. In other words, 440Hz (A4) is actually produced by the Bb (B-flat?) key.
I checked this with my frequency-meter, a microphone, and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFOl-9SNxLYThat link actually produces exactly 440Hz, according to my frequency-meter, at least on my laptop.
Since the rest of the keys are "relatively" correct (to my ear) to the 440Hz B-flat key, this means the actual A4 Key must really produce ~415Hz, G#.
I can't find either a manual or much of anything on that brand of keyboard, except for this image:
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/K6G3F8_cUGA/maxresdefault.jpgQuestion 1:
Are these things tunable? If so, where might you do this internally? Or does it mean somebody goofed on the wiring and wired everything one key off? (I understand, now, that somewhere in there some kind of MIDI matrix probably decodes the key presses.
)
Question 2:
There seems to be two sets of screws in the back. Two of them are in the centerline of the case, the rest are around the periphery. If I were to open it up, should I undo the two center ones first, or the outside periheral ones first? I have visions of all the keys and other parts falling out on the table if I do the wrong sequence. (I also want to put a headphone/output jack on it, which it doesn't have.) (See attachment.)
Question 3.
It came with the wall wart, and will work on the internal batteries. But the battery compartment has a screw in it and what looks like a thumb latch for opening. Removing the screw and pressing the latch in either direction does not release the cover. Any experience in this sort of thing? There's a label on the back that says "AA" cells, but the remainder of the label has been removed. Is it possible that they are actually NiCad rechargeables in there that they didn't want you to muck with, so they made this cover unremoveable? (See attachment.)
It has a serial number, but no other identifiers except the "Musical Fun" logo on the top.
I doubt that any one has
direct experience with this particular keyboard, but I figured that maybe someone had enough general experience with this type or style of keyboard that you might be able to help out.
Terry, 230RN