PianoDisc Error

[Regi Hedahl]

My customer has a D.H. Baldwin grand with a PianoDisc player. When the player unit is turned on and a 3.5" disc is inserted, the following error is displayed.
...Disc Error....
Data Error

Has the disc drive gone bad, and can it be replaced with a generic drive from an older PC?

Also, can this unit be upgraded to one that uses CD's.

Regi

[Regi Hedahl]

The model # of this unit is PDS 128.

Regi

[lim hock seng]

Regi,

I had the same issue with a D with a PDS 128 many years back. We managed to get the same part from a dealer who kept some original spares. Another bet is to ebay search.

Best,

Lim

[Douglas Gregg]

Regi, 

3.5 inch disk drives have a tendency to clog the head with the magnetic coating from the disk. They can be cleaned with a cleaner disk. I used to use these on a regular basis back in the day. Cleaner disks are still available on e-bay and usually come with a small bottle of alcohol to put on the microfiber disk and then insert it in the slot and start the computer. The disk spins and cleans the head with the fiber disk. It is a cheap fix and frequently is the only problem. 

Doug Gregg

[Regi Hedahl]

Doug,
Thanks for the disc cleaner tip. Just bought one off of eBay and hope that it fixes the problem.

Anyone know if this unit can be upgraded so that it can use a CD?

Regi

[William Miller]

If it is a plus version of the PDS-128 then it should have RCA inputs for audio in the back. Any CD player (with RCA outputs) can be plugged into it them and play PianoDisc CD's. You can even plug in a Bluetooth receiver that has RCA outputs and control and old PDS-128 plus from an iPad/tablet/smartphone. I do not believe the non-plus version has these inputs though and a dealer would recommend an expensive upgrade to an iQ that they will say isn't that expensive.

-William

[Larry Fisher RPT]

Hi Regi,
First, slide the spring loaded door off to the side on the offending disk.  Look at the shiny surface, the media, and look for scratches.  If you see concentric rings you have a bad disk drive and don't insert any other disks in the drive or they'll be ruined as well. Last I checked, TEAC was the last company to make the replacement drives.  They stopped making them many years ago.  Perhaps you'll find one on Ebay.  A disk drive for a computer I'm told won't work.

The upgrade information that the others have posted matches what I've learned over the years.

Bear in mind, there's a 128 and a 128 plus.  The 128 is best off being totally replaced with a new system.  The 128 plus can be upgraded with a few new parts.  Once again, it's best to totally replace the entire system with new parts since the existing parts are getting close to twenty years old. 

[Regi Hedahl]

[Regi Hedahl]

Doug,

Thanks for recommending the disk cleaner. Today, I tried it on my customers non working PianoDisc and after running the cleaner about 10 times, it came to life again. I then gave the piano a tune and customer is extremely happy.

Regi

[Joseph Garrett]

Hmmm? That's sorta like putting lipstick on a pig.<G>
Talk them into learning to play.
Best,
Joe


Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[Larry Fisher RPT]

Pigs come with high heels inherently.  With the right color of lipstick and some dance music .............   

It's Friday .... do you have a date for tonight?

[Larry Fisher RPT]

Thanks for taking the time to share this little tidbit Doug and Regi.  I totally forgot this option.  So many things to retain, so much time between usage.  To soon we get olde, too late we get smart.  Having a brain to retain such things is getting to be a thing of the past  ......  kinda like lipstick and high heels.

[Joseph Garrett]

Yup.

[Aart Markenstein]

Hi - do you know when & where the unit was purchased, or could it still be under warranty?

I would reach out to the piano sales or distributor first.
Thanks
Aart
Aart in America Piano Vompany
Hoboken NJ

Sent from my iPhone

[Regi Hedahl]

Aart,
Piano was purchased back in 1992 so it's probably long past warranty.
Regi

[Regi Hedahl]

>>Talk them into learning to play.
Best,
Joe

Or hire me to play.

Regi

[Joseph Garrett]

There you GO!<G> Works for me.

Best,
Joe

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: Regi Hedahl <piano...@gmail.com>
>Sent: Nov 3, 2017 10:06 AM
>To: pianotech <pian...@googlegroups.com>
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Re: PianoDisc Error
>
>