PianoDisc 228CFX User manual

PIANODISC SYSTEMS
Installation Guide for Grand Pianos
Version R - C
6/8/07

2 PianoDisc Installation Guide
PianoDisc®
PianoDisc Systems Installation Guide for Grand Pianos
Version R-C
4111 North Freeway Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.pianodisc.com
Copyright © 2006 - 2007
Revision Date: June 8, 2007
PianoDisc® and Burgett Inc.
All Rights Reserved
PianoDisc®is protected by copyright law and international treaties.
Reproduction or distribution of this guide may result in civil and criminal penalties plus
prosecution to the maximum extent possible under the law.
PianoDisc and Burgett, Inc. reserve the right to change product design and specifications at
any time without prior notice.

PianoDisc Installation Guide 3
. . . . .
Introduction
This installation manual will guide you through the process of fitting a PianoDisc
reproducing piano system to virtually any grand piano. Along with the knowledge
and experience gained from a PianoDisc installation Seminar, this guide should
be an invaluable resource.
This document is considered confidential by PianoDisc, and is for the sole use of
PianoDisc Certified Technicians. It may not be reproduced, distributed or quoted
in whole or in part without the express written permission of PianoDisc.
This guide is only to be used in the installation of the following PianoDisc
Reproducing Systems: 228CFX, PianoCD and iQ.
PianoDisc systems may ONLY be installed by technicians who have been certified
by PianoDisc to perform such installations. If you have come into possession of
this manual and/or a Retrofit Kit and you are NOT a PianoDisc Certified
Technician, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PERFORM THE INSTALLATION. Installations
not performed by a certified PianoDisc technician WILL NOT meet the
requirements for warranty protection, and such an installation will likely void the
piano manufacturer’s warranty for the instrument and the player system, and may
also be a violation of FCC rules.
Technicians may only be certified by attending the PianoDisc installation Seminar
at PianoDisc’s Factory and World Headquarters in Sacramento, CA, or by on site
training evaluation and certification by one of the PianoDisc Factory Installation
Technicians duly authorized to certify technicians. A candidate for PianoDisc
certification should be a Registered Piano Technician and a member of the Piano
Technicians Guild. A candidate who does not qualify under this rule will be
evaluated on an individual basis, with an emphasis on total experience as a piano
technician and possible previous experience in retrofitting pianos with other player
piano mechanisms.
PianoDisc encourages PianoDisc technicians to comment on this installation
manual by writing to: PianoDisc, 4111 North Freeway Boulevard, Sacramento, CA
95834, or by fax at
[phone]. Please restrict telephone calls to technical questions and
installation inquiries. Thank you.
Technical assistance for PianoDisc Certified Technicians is available Monday
through Friday, 8AM-Noon and 1PM-5PM Pacific Time. The telephone number is:
[phone]. Toll free number is: [phone].

4 PianoDisc Installation Guide
FCC INFORMATION
FCC INFORMATION
CAUTION: CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED BY
THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE COULD VOID THE USER’S
AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT.
NOTE: This system, when in operation, can develop radio frequency energy
which can cause harmful interference to radio communication unless the
equipment is installed and used in strict accordance with manual instructions. This
equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules, which provide reasonable
protection against such interference.
If the equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a separate circuit from that of the
receiver.
• Consult PianoDisc, or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications
Commission helpful:
How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems
This booklet is available from the US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402.

PianoDisc Installation Guide 5
. . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................... 3
FCC INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 4
Step 1: Disassemble the Piano ...................................................................... 8
Step 2: Measure the key groups .................................................................. 10
Step 2 Measure for the key groups (continued) ......................................................... 12
Step 3: Measure the keyframe cut ............................................................... 13
Step 4: Keyframe bedding ........................................................................... 14
Step 5: Cut the keyframe ............................................................................. 15
Step 6: Trace the keyframe .......................................................................... 16
Steps 6-11 – a convenient time saving tip ................................................................... 16
Step 7: Transfer your measurements .......................................................... 16
Step 8: Determine location for the solenoid rail slot ..................................... 17
Step 9: Drill the keybed ................................................................................ 20
Step 10: Prepare to cut the slot ................................................................... 20
Step 11: Cutting the slot ............................................................................... 21
Step 12: Reinforce the keybed ..................................................................... 22
Step 13: Making, mounting, and marking rail cover ..................................... 23
Step 14: Leg alterations for placement of rail cover ..................................... 24
Step 15: Preparing to install the Trapwork ................................................... 25
Step 16: Modifications for proper Trap-work fit ............................................ 26
Step 17: Prepare the pedal solenoid for mounting ....................................... 27
Step 18: Mount the sustain lever and pedal solenoid .................................. 28
Step 19: Prepare the sustain lever for operation ......................................... 30
Step 20: Sostenuto lever installation push type ........................................... 31
Step 21 Sostenuto lever installation pull type ............................................ 36
Steinway Sostenuto ..................................................................................................... 40
Step 22: Locating the access hole in the rail cover and mounting the CPU 44
Step 23: Prepare the rail cover .................................................................... 45
Step 24: Prepare the solenoids for installation ............................................ 46

6 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 25: Install the solenoid rail ................................................................. 48
Step 26: Mounting & connecting key driver boards ..................................... 49
Step 27: Connect the power and data cables .............................................. 51
Step 28: Mount the power supply ................................................................ 53
Step 29: Lyre support rods ........................................................................... 54
Step 30: Set the piano on its legs ................................................................ 54
Step 31: Checking key height ...................................................................... 55
Step 32: Action regulation procedure ........................................................... 55
Step 33: Action installation ........................................................................... 56
Step 34: Key solenoid rail adjustment .......................................................... 56
Step 35: Select the location for the controller .............................................. 58
Step 36: System start up .............................................................................. 59
Step 37: Sustain pedal Trapwork set-up and solenoid adjustment .............. 60
Step 38: Final check list ............................................................................... 63
Appendix A: Installing the iQ system ........................................................... 65
A - Mounting iQ ........................................................................................................... 66
B - Connecting iQ........................................................................................................ 66
C - Securing cables .................................................................................... 67
Appendix B: iQ Configuration Procedures ................................................... 69
Power Up ................................................................................................. 70
Learn Adjust Mode ..................................................................................... 71
Pedal Adjust Mode ..................................................................................... 73
Level Adjust Mode....................................................................................................... 75
Sync Adjust Mode ...................................................................................... 77
Reset System Settings ................................................................................ 78
Auto Music Format Detection ....................................................................... 81
iQ Software Release Version Number ............................................................ 82
Wireless Connections ................................................................................................. 83

PianoDisc Installation Guide 7
. . . . .

8 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 1: Disassemble the Piano
A. Remove the music desk and the fallboard. On many pianos, the
fallboard can be easily removed by lifting it upward and outward. On others,
it is attached to cheek blocks at the ends of the keyboard. These blocks
must be removed first, usually by loosening the long screws beneath the
keybed.
B. Measure the key height. An important measurement must be taken here –
that of the key height for the particular piano on which you are working.
Carefully measure the distance from the top of the keybed to the top of the
(white) key covering. Record this measurement for later use. (Note: the
height of a black key is measured from the top of an adjacent white key.
This height is about ½” (13 mm). These measurements are also available
from piano manufactures and the Piano Technicians Guild.
Mark the location of the Keyframe on the keybed.
C. Remove the action. Be especially careful that your fingers do not push the
keys down while pulling out the action. The slightest pressure on a key will
lift its hammer, thereby causing the hammer to catch on the pinblock and
may cause damage when the action is pulled out of the piano. Place the
action on a table. If the piano arrives at your workshop already on its side,
you will need to tilt it in order to remove the action. New pianos shipped in a
crate, usually have the hammers tied down. If this is the case, the action
can be pulled out with the piano on its side.
D. Removal of the lid is optional. If left in place, secure it with a rubber inner
tube. If it is removed, put it in a safe location. To guard against losing the
hinge pins, tape each pin to its hinge.
E. Place the piano on its bass side on a carpeted piano board. With a soft
lead pencil, draw the outline of the right and left legs on the bottom of the
keybed. Remove the legs. With a permanent marker, number each leg and
the keybed point from which it came. These marks will be indispensable
later when some portions of the legs may need to be cut away.
F. Remove the pedal lyre and all trapwork. Remove the lyre and secure it in
a safe place. Remove all trapwork saving only the shift lever.

PianoDisc Installation Guide 9
. . . . .
G. Remove the hammer stack. The hammers are mounted on a small metal
frame attached by four brackets to the wooden keyframe. Remove the
screws – 2 per bracket, for a total of 8 or 10. The screws may vary in size;
consequently, mark each one in such a manner as to insure its return to the
original position in the keyframe. Lift the action “stack” from the keyframe
and place it some where safe.
Pianos with leg bolts sometimes present a problem when attempting access to
all 88 keys. It may be necessary to omit some key solenoids on both ends of
the keyboard due to the interference of the leg bolt plate in the keybed.
To determine this key access –
A. Remove the action from the piano
B. Measure from the keyframe rest block (on the bass side) to the first leg bolt
plate. Transfer the measurement to the keyframe. (see figure 1A and 1B -
Measurement X)
C. Now measure from the keyframe rest block to the leg bolt plate in high
treble. Transfer this measurement to the keyframe. See figure 1A and 1B –
Measurement Y.
Figure 1A

10 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Figure 1B
Step 2: Measure the key groups
A. Establish the key groups. The front of the keys are evenly spaced in one
continuous line: left to right, numbered 1 through 88. The stack is typically
divided into four groups. The group at the left, the bass, has the largest
hammers. This is Group 1. The mid-range group in the center of the
keyboard is Group 2. Moving to the right is the low treble area, Group 3.
Group 4 is the high treble area at the right end of the keyboard with the
smallest hammers. The small open spaces between these groups are
called “breaks”. (Figure 2A)
B. Place and mark the rail blanks. Position solenoid rail blank on damper lift
felt centering rail bracket locations for best support (Figure 2C)
C. Mark the starting and ending point on the rail (first and last keys of that
section) (Figure 2B)
D. Always start with short stem solenoid for the first key and only mark the
long stem solenoid locations.

PianoDisc Installation Guide 11
. . . . .
E. Do the same for the tenor and treble sections.
F. Label each rail (Bass, Tenor, Treble)
Figure 2A

12 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 2 Measure for the key groups (continued)
Figure 2B
Figure 2C

PianoDisc Installation Guide 13
. . . . .
Step 3: Measure the keyframe cut
A. Remove all keys from the keyframe, except end keys of each section.
•Be careful to keep them in the correct order, 1 through 88.
•If the numbers are not readily discernible on the key tops, re-number them with a
ballpoint pen.
•Keys are not interchangeable.
B. Measure from the back end of the first and last key in each section (i.e. 1
and 28). Measure 3/4” (19 mm) toward the front of the key and mark the
point on the keyframe felt.
•With a straight edge, draw a line in each section, connecting the points marked
on the key felt in the above paragraph.
•Cut away the back rail felt with a felt knife or razor blade, using pieces of wood to
hold the felt while cutting.
•If a straight edge of appropriate length is not available, span the marks with
masking tape, tacky side towards the felt. This will cause the tape to adhere to
the felt, thereby providing a straight edge for cutting.
Figure 3

14 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 4: Keyframe bedding
A. Before cutting the keyframe, determine if the material removed will
change the keyframe bedding. In some pianos the keyframe has a raised
edge on the material to be removed.
There may also be keybed recessed areas. The material removed from the
keyframe and keybed could change the keyframe bedding and cause many
adjustments to be affected. A simple procedure of adding wood shim to the
key frame will eliminate time consuming adjustments.
Determine if additional support is necessary. Measure from the back
edge of keyframe to the keyframe cut line. Tilt the keyframe vertically,
looking at the bottom side and now transfer measurement to the bottom
side plus 1/4” (6 mm). (See Fig.3) If there is still 1/8” (3 mm) or more
support left on the keyframe, then no additional support is necessary.
(Continue to Step 5)
B. Shimming the keyframe. If shimming is necessary, you must locate where
to place the shim and how thick the shim must be. Looking at Figure 4, you
will see a view of the bottom of the keyframe. The dotted line represents the
keyframe cut line that was transferred from the top. Notice the 5 shims are
placed 1/4” (6 mm) from the dotted line. This is because the 1/4” (6 mm)
portion is in the slot location.
•Place a straight edge across the bottom of the keyframe. (front rail to rest rail)
•Choose the appropriate thickness of shim stock to fill the void at the selected
location. If the shim stock is thicker, that is ok; it can be sanded to the correct
height.
•Cut 5 pieces of shim stock 1” x 2” (26 mm x 51mm).
•Evenly space the shim on the bottom of the keyframe and glue the shims into
place. (see Figure 4)
•After the shims are dry, place the straight edge across the bottom of the
keyframe and check the shim height. Sand the shims, if necessary, to the correct
height.
Figure 4

PianoDisc Installation Guide 15
. . . . .
Step 5: Cut the keyframe
With a jig saw, cut away the keyframe in the marked area, conforming to the
line drawn in the previous step. Remove the sawdust with a vacuum or a
blower.
CAUTION: Do not cut away the supports for the action brackets. That is, the
small strips at the breaks on the keyframe.
Figure 5

16 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 6: Trace the keyframe
Steps 6-11 – a convenient time saving tip
On some pianos it is possible to remove the keybed, giving you easier access
to the inside of the piano. Removal of the keybed often makes steps 6 through
11 much easier, since you would be able to perform these steps from the
INSIDE of the keybed.
DO NOT attempt to remove the keybed until you have referred to Appendix A,
since some keybeds are not removable. A list of piano makes with easily
removable keybeds will be found in Appendix A.
A. Replace the keyframe in the piano.
Note: Do not re-attach the keys or the stack when replacing the keyframe.
Secure the key blocks.
B. With a pencil, outline on the keybed the cut just made in the back edge of
the keyframe.
Step 7: Transfer your measurements
A. Remove the keyframe from the piano.
B. Transfer the keyframe cut outline from the top
(inside) to the bottom (outside) of the keybed,
where you will have access to it with a saw. Do
this by measuring from each end of the line
drawn in the previous step to the front top edge
of the keybed, down the thickness of the keybed
and then back the same distance on the bottom
of the keybed.
CAUTION: On some pianos, the front edge of
the keybed does not form a 90° angle. MAKE
SURE you account for this when you transfer
your measurements from the inside of the
keybed to the outside. (See Fig. 6)
C. Check the accuracy of the transfer by drilling a
1/8” (3 mm) hole at each end of the line, being
sure to drill at a 90 ° angle with the keybed. Look
inside to see if the holes hit the original line.
Make adjustments if necessary.
Note: It is necessary at this time to determine if the keybed needs
reinforcement. If so, an additional 1/8” (3mm) of keybed needs to be removed

PianoDisc Installation Guide 17
. . . . .
on lyre side of slot. This will accommodate the angle iron support. If the
keybed is sectioned (as in some Steinways) or if the keybed is less than 1 ½”
(38mm) thick, we strongly recommend reinforcing the keybed.
Step 8: Determine location for the solenoid
rail slot
A. Using the 1/8” (3 mm) hole locations, see Fig. 7 line “A”.
•From step 7 measure 1/4” (6 mm) to the left of each hole and connect points with
a 4’ steel ruler.
•This establishes the front edge of the slot. – line “B”
B. Now measure 2” (51 mm) to the right of line “B” which establishes the back
of the slot, - line “C”.
C. Using the 1/8” (3mm) holes drilled in step 7C, (looking inside the piano),
measure from 1/8” (3 mm) hole to end of slot inside point. Transfer this
measurement to the keybed bottom side (outside of piano). Do this at both
ends, to establish ends of the solenoid slot.
Note: It is necessary at this time to determine if the keybed needs
reinforcement. If so an additional 1/8" (3 mm) of keybed needs to be removed
on the lyre side of the slot. This will accommodate the angle iron support. If the
keybed is sectional (as in some Steinways) or if the keybed is less then 1 1/2"
(38 mm) thick, we strongly recommend reinforcing the keybed.

18 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Figure 7A

PianoDisc Installation Guide 19
. . . . .
Figure 7B

20 PianoDisc Installation Guide
228CFX - PianoCD - iQ
Step 9: Drill the keybed
A. Measure the thickness of the keybed.
B. Mark the drill bit.
•Take a 3/8” (9.5 mm) bit and wrap masking tape
around the bit at the depth of the keybed.
•This will indicate the point at which the bit will
break through on the other side. This precaution
will minimize the chance of suddenly bursting
through the keybed and damaging the damper
assembly.
C. Drill through the keybed.
•Drill out the holes at the corners of the slot outline
to accommodate the jig saw blade. If a circular
saw is used, the blade depth must be properly set.
Figure 8
Step 10: Prepare to cut the slot
A. Wedge the damper tray in the “up” position to make sure that the saw blade
has enough clearance.
B. Check the depth of the saw blade. Make sure not to cut accidentally into the
damper tray.
C. Remove the “dags”.
•It is very likely that the piano you are retrofitting is equipped with action stops (or
“dags”). Because of their location, cutting the keybed will cut through them as
well, unless they are removed before making the cut.
•Use of the dags is important for the PianoDisc system because they keep the
action of the piano from impacting against the solenoid stems and possibly
damaging them. Therefore, they should be removed and re-installed after the
slot is cut. Due to the amount of frame material removed, the dags can only be
placed at the far bass and treble ends of the slot.
•You should be able to knock the “dags” out fairly easily since the screws that
attach them to the keybed are not in very deep. This will remove the screws as
well.