Elka 707
These are a few photos of my good old Elka 707. Took them in here for sentimental reasons, although the quality is poor due to the Philips Vesta PCV680 webcam that I had to use for shooting.
Update (August 30, 2016):
And here are the schematics that came with my Elka 707. I scanned them years ago by the sweat of my brows. :-) Cherish your old ladies and keep them running!
Elka Artist 707 schematic diagrams (~71 MB)
Greetings
fellow Elka 707 owner
I have a 707 in my studio too (s/n 1339) which I´ve had for about 6 months now. It is very beautiful thing and it sounds absolutely gorgeous but there´s one slight problem with it.. the power switch is broken (totally off its socket) and I have to press the button down Really Hard so that the contacts let electricity throught.. This is quite worksome for a pleasure of playing&hearing the organ.
I didn´t get any schematics with the organ (not even inside of it), thought as I´ve opened the back wall the wires show pretty clearly where & what wires goes to the power switch but it seems to locate in quite hard place to be replaced.
Do you have any instructions on fixing the problem?
My other 2 organs work nicely; the Eminent 310 Unique and Yamaha CSY2 (btw the Eminent came with schematic files inside it..)
Best regards :
Jukka Mikael Järvinen
musician
Tampere , Suomi/Finland
Hi Jukka Mikael,
glad to hear from you as another 707 owner. Good news: the power switch is commonly available at electronic stores. But I would recommend to examine the original part first and then buy an exact replacement. The best would be to put the 707 on a trolley for a few days. To get to the power switch you have to remove the back cover, top shelf and roll cover and then fold up the front panel and upper manual. Things will not be that complicated as it looks at first, and a lucky 707 will be worth the effort.
I got the original schematics with my 707, so if you should get into any trouble, I may help you out with an electronic copy (which I have not prepared yet).
All the best to Finland,
Hajo
Hello Hajo
Thanks for advice, I will try that. (Although I always tend to have a slight fear when opening my instruments / electonic devices that I might accidently broke them..)
The schematics would be superb! if you just can find enough time to make a pdf-copy of it I´d appreciate very much !
Hello Hajo,
I’m now since 3 days the lucky owner of an ELKA707 (13,50€ via ebay).
Unfortunatley there is something starnge with the Solo-synth and the preamp for non Leslie-mode.
Would you be so kind to help me out with the schematics, too?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Ole
Hi Hajo,
I have had my Elka Artist 707 for approx. 35 years. Now it needs a little love and care. I must replace a number of the electrolytic capacitors and also the leslie fast/slow-switch (a black button).
The capacitors are easy to find but how to source the leslie switch? Do you have any idea?
Best regards
Torbjörn Gustavsen
Hi Torbjörn,
glad to hear from another happy 707 owner. Sorry for the long delay, the next time I will be faster. Well, I do not have an answer on where to source the leslie switch. My 707 has been located at a friend’s house in the recent months and I was not yet able to get my hands on it. I tried to find some info in the schematics but was not successful. Please do not hesitate to post your findings later on.
All the best,
Hajo
Hi Hajo,
Sorry for my late respons!
I like to share my story about the broken leslie switch. I searched „all over the world“ for Elka spare parts without any success. Therefore, I took out the complete unit to see if the switch could be reparied. I found that all the 8 switches (leslie & vibrato) were mounted on the same pivot axis (metal thread) fixed in a plastic console. Each switch has a plastic spring (integrated in the console), like a tongue that holds the switch in its selected position. This tongue was broken and therefore unable to hold the switch in its position for electric contact.
I repaired it by gluing a thin metal film (made from a 0.3 mm feeler gauge) on the back of the plastic tounge, this restored the spring characteristics of the tounge. It is worth mentioning that the plastic material in the console was very hard to glue, it required LOCTITE products; 770 Primer and 3090 Glue.
Best regards
Torbjörn Gustavsen
Hi Torbjörn,
great job and great report — thank you for sharing your experiences. Both thumbs up!
All the best,
Hajo
Hi Hajo,
I have another issue that I like to discuss with you:
The symptom is bad sound in one octave in the lower manual when using 4′ drawbar. I have localized the problem to a certain PCB, the filter F000445 (FL3). I am quite convinced about this, since there are other identical filters in the organ, which I used in the analysis. Simply swapped places of PCB:s (FL3 & FU3) and thereby moved the failure to the upper manual.
But what is wrong with the FL3 filter? So far, I have made a simple comparison between the bad PCB and a healthy one, just by measuring the capasitors and resistors and also made a basic check of the 3 transistors. I found no significant difference between the PCB:s!
My next step will probably be to follow the signal paths, respectively, with the oscilloscope, to find out where a significant difference starts. This will not be an easy task, since the PCB:s are packed so tight in the instrument, giving me no access for the probes. I probably have to bring the PCB:s outside their slots and have them electrically bridged to slots by wires.
Have you experienced any similar problem, I mean with these filters? In that case, how did you find the root cause?
(I hope the problem is NOT the green dotted transistor that was probably sorted out by Elka production by some criteria!?)
Best regards
Torbjörn Gustavsen
Hi Torbjörn,
I have not yet experienced any similar problems on my 707 and had no defective parts on printed circuit boards yet. Knock on wood. I still can follow your situation and the steps you made for troubleshooting.
The filter board is being described on pages 15 and 16 of the service manual; the three transistors T1…T3 are of type BC415C but with T2 being a selected („dotted“) version as to certain criteria (not described). Page 6 lists equivalents for the BC415C and other types of transistors used in the 707.
The three transistors are the same for all filter boards. You may try measuring (with provisorily wiring). Or you may desolder a few transistors from working boards and apply a semiconductor tester (like the Atlas DCA55) to approach the selection criteria. Or you may just replace the alleged bad T2 by an equivalent type and listen to what will happen then. I would start with the DCA55 just for fun (and because I own one). If the results were little meaningful or useless to me, then I would just go on replacing T2 with the next best part and hope for the best. What would the average organ technician do? I would also expect the latter.
This is my 2 cents. Do not hesitate to post your ideas and findings.
All the best,
Hajo
Hello,
I have recently purchased an Elka X-705 which I have read is the same as the 707 but a portable model ( you still need two people to lift it though). It is truly a wonderful organ but mine is acting a bit quirky at times. I will be opening it up soon to clean contacts and change any bad caps etc. To this respect I need a copy of the schematics! If you could help me out I would be very grateful. Jukka, I trust you have solved your problem by now, if you still need help, let us know.
Many thanks,
Lucas
to Lucas
hello man,
it´s nice to notice that the „underrated“ Elka X705/707 organs have suddenly become popular and collectables..mainly because Equinoxe 8 and Magnetic Fields 5 . Well, I just happen to have both; the X705 and the 707 (the X- is currently at my parent´s house, in 99% working condition -the lowered octave solo-presets; some of them, sound „gurgly“ when the octave button is pressed down).
I am going to dig the picture of my both Elkas shown simultaneously (X below 707 – the graphical quality of this pic is unfortunate blurry; didn´t have better cam-handy few months back..) I am also planning to do two video demostrations of the Elkas, of course playing slightly-variated versions of Equinoxe 8 and Magnetic Fields 5 ..
-J M Järvinen
Finland
I have just acquired an Elka Artist 707. It powers up, but there is an intermittent hum in the speakers and the keys make sound for a split second and then nothing. It’s almost as if there is an interruption in the power/speaker supply. Any ideas? Thank you
Hi Franklin,
congratulations on your new acquisition. The best will be to start with the power supply (voltages, capacitors) and a visual inspection on the numerous electrical contacts of boards, sockets and switches. The 707 is a fairly robust beast and mainly suffers from corrosion and dirt.
Regards,
Hajo
Bonjour , j’ai acquis un elka 707 mais voila plusieurs fonctions ne marchent pas, je n’ai pas de percutions pas de flûtes donc plusieurs fonctions qui ne marchent pas vont avec et je ne sais pas d’ou cela provient j’ai bien désoxydé les ressorts de contacts (d’ailleurs j’aimerais bien les changer mais je ne sais pas ou en trouver) Pourriez vous m’en dire plus sur cette panne au-quelle cette orgue n’a pas d’intérêt complésent
Bien cordialement et merci.
Dear Serge,
could you please ask your question in english? Thank you.
Regards,
Hajo
Hello, yes on my elka707 upper textbook(manual worker) flute, to upper percution organ presets, solo variation do not walk(work), the support(accompaniment) limps has rhythms sizzle, it is has to say that it has quue very few functions(offices) which walk(work), Thank you if you have the solution, cordially.
Hi Serge,
it is typically the same kind of problems with these old „ladies“ like the 707: Power supply unit (PSU) and electrical contacts are not in the best shape after so many years of use or — even worse — disuse. Start with the fuses, measure the supply voltages, check (and replace) the electrolytic caps on the PSU. Reseat the tons of printed circuit boards and thoroughly clean their contacts on this occasion (do not just blindly spray contact cleaner over it). This should do most of the job and will lead you to the presumably few real failures.
All the best,
Hajo
hi ive just purchased an elka 707 from a local charity shop, hoping to teach my kids music. But theres a few things not working, monosynth seemed ok volume control was crackerly and it was out of tune. But i couldnt get the strings synth to work, so im wondering if there is a service manual i could download, ive found the german version of the user manaul. It gets delivered this friday :) cant wait
Regards Chris
Hi Chris,
my congratulations on your new purchase. The 707 is really a great organ — you and your kids will enjoy it and have a lot of fun. I will send you an e-mail later on.
All the best,
Hajo
Hi Hajo
Thanks for the quick response in sending the schematics, plenty of boards inside it. How heavy is the organ ? can 2 men shift it? Im thinking of leaving it in the garage so i can work on it before i move it into the house. Is there an english version of the user manual available, my germans not too good.
Im hoping the strings might be ok as i could not reach the swell pedal when i was in the shop testing it , as it was blocked with junk i think it was in the off position and i could faintly hear the strings, inbetween my son banging on the keys in the shop.
Thanks chris
Hi Chris,
the 707 is a heavy weight champion. Two strong men can shift it, but three men and a trolley board would be better. Leave it in the garage for repair, this is a good idea, and maybe see my other comments on how or where I would start to check for problems. Sorry, I do not have an english version of the user manual.
All the best and good luck!
Hajo
Hi elka arrived this afternoon and after hoovering out all the mice droppings I found out the volume edge connectors were all broke so that’s why no strings. All seems to be working now only thing I can’t work out is how to change to rhythm A under the downbeat and upbeat l.e.d .the B variation led is always lit. Is it possible to play solo Synth as bass accomp
Just had a look on your pictures and where you have the bass selector switches I have 4 led instead the rhythm A and variation B. So there must have been changes to the drum machine, mines from 1982.
There are two switches on the swell pedal one that does a drum roll the other changes the rhythm variation from a to be, also there’s an extra slider called rhythm balance which fades in and out cymbals and hi hats. Still learning!
:-) Carry on, it’s worth the effort.
Have the Artist 707.
Plugged in bass guitar to socket below keyboard and was so impressed I am considering dismaning organ to make a separate „portable“ keyboard (in flight case) and amplifier (multi purpose). Maybe sell the original case as a writing/computer desk.
How many speakers does it have apart from the polystyrene Leslie ?
Any suggestions ?
Hi Fred,
dismantling the 707 would be a shame. No suggestions.
All the best,
Hajo
Elka Artist 707
Didn’t have the heart to dismantle such a lovely instrument so it’s still in my dining room.
The onboard 200 watt stereo amp is superb !
Only slight fault is spring on Leslie upper/lower and fast/slow switches not clicking in place.
May sell or swap for something interesting, eg bass amp, Chapman Stick, motorcycle. Am on Facebook as Jubal Ben Lamech
Living in Glossop UK
Fred
hello Hayo
I’m helping a friend of mine in rehabilitating a 707 elka artist.
The 707 comes on but no sound.
We took a look at the wiring back but without a wiring diagram or service manual, the situation is very difficult.
Would you be so kind to help us? we are in Rome, Italy.
Thank you very much
Antonio
Answered via e-mail.
I’ve got a X-705 but without pedals.
a. I cannot do the rhythms to work
b. how can I unlock the spring Reverb from locked status ?
Hi Mimiko,
I am sorry, can’t help, don’t have the answer.
All the best,
Hajo
Hajo, do you just press the button and you listen to the rythm or you need to have the pedal or any other button combination ?
Hi Mimiko,
no pedals required. Select a rythm, press the „Start“ button, adjust the volume. That should be it.
All the best,
Hajo
Thank you Hajo
Hello.
I recently was given an Artist 707 from a guy at work. It is in great condition but has a few problems. A couple of notes are mute on some sounds and the drum machine button won’t stay on by itself. The draw bars do not do anything on the top keyboard. I have the manuals and schematics with it so I am hoping I can get all the sounds restored. The manual claims it is easy to service and should last a lifetime. I also own a Elka OMB 5, which has lost all it’s sounds except the drum machine- it can be used as a midi controller. The Elka Artist 707 is an absolute dream and has everything I need for my songs. The sensound Tremolo unit (added 1980) is beautiful. I have spent a lot of money on different keyboards and synths chasing sounds but this has got it all in one box. If I had to have one electro keyboard /synth – this would be it. I felt when playing it that a genius has designed this instrument with love and care. It is very intuitive …loads of potential ideas….a joy to play. Yay! :)
My advise is to buy a sampler and sample the notes that work. Then you will have your instrument into the sampler and you can sell it cheap to earn space from your home. These tragic Italian instruments are for rubbish.
Hi, would it be possible to get schematics off you please ?
Am on Facebook as Jubal Ben Lamech
Thanks
Fred
Hi Fred,
please give me an e-mail address. I am not on Facebook.
All the best,
Hajo
Hi Hajo!
Are you able to send the schematics to me too please?
My ELKA that I just bought (used) makes NO sound!
I am hoping that it is just fuses or…..maybe the swell pedal that so many have mentioned! There are no clicks nor hum though so I suspect the power supply or power amplifier.
Sincerely,
Bob
Answered via e-mail.
Hi!
Do you know the difference between the 606 and the 707?
And what is the difference between the 606 and the 606 Super?
Hi Randy,
sorry for the delay. I cannot tell you about the differences of the 606 & 707 organs. From what I see on auction photos the 606 may be a cut-down/less sophisticated and/or earlier version of the 707.
All the best,
Hajo
Hello, my grandfather bought an elka 707 waaaay back, and it has been broken for some years now, it still powers on, but there is no sound at all, just some crackle when moving faders, sliders, drawbars, but nothing when keys/pedals are played. it is a fuse that keeps blowing so i would like to find the short in the circuit :)
Is this a common thing to occur or should i prepare for a full on re-cap?
I also require the schematics and service manual to troubleshoot and repair properly, if anyone could help, me, my grandmother and the rest of the family will be ever grateful ;)
greetz from belgium,
AnalogueJean
Answered via e-mail.
The problem seems to be a broken rectifier on the amplifier psu board, the one I pulled out is a FAGOR FB 602 which seems to be malfunctioning as the 5A fuse „F8“ keeps failing on startup. Which rectifiers are equivalent in this and can i use? Grtz and thnks for the help
Yantho
Hi Yantho,
you may replace it with any other rectifier that has the appropriate dimensions and current rating. It is not a switched-mode psu.
Thumbs up and all the best!
Hajo
Hi hajo i am happy to say that just changing the boken rectifier has made the organ operational again, although 30+ years of dust has really left its mark, there are still some crackling problems and some bad contacts around the leslie circuit maybe, but there is sound :)
I have many pcbs from a diffrent elka organ that i dissasembled, and have no use for, mainly they are voice cards for a „portable“ elka organ with accordion keys instead of piano keys, for this instrument i have evertying from frame to pcbs to case, if interested pm and i will send you the parts list :) thx for the help and cheers :D
ps it’s an elka concorde that i have parts for, but i think many pcbs match the 707.. grtz :)
Hi Yantho,
sorry for the delay. Thumbs up for your successful repair. :-) Please send me the parts list.
All the best,
Hajo
Sell it cheap as soon as possible !!!
It seems you are an expert.
Hi There.. Im glad I stumbled onto yor blog. I jjust bought an Elka 707 that has been sitting in a garage for a while. I was hoping you may be able to send me the service manual so I know where I can get started to get it in tip[ top condition…
Thanking you
Phil
Answered via e-mail.
Hi
My elka 606 worked fine till last week now I can’t hear the sound even with an headphone and an external amp. I think there is a problem with the volume pedal, I’ll appreciate any advise.
Hi John,
it is the stationary version you are talking of, right? Check the fuses on the power supply unit and replace them if necessary. If they blow again, it’ll show you the direction.
All the best,
Hajo
Hello Hajo,
I have the Artist 707 from a couple of years ago.
I need the user manual in French, English or Italian.
Do you know where I can find one ?
Thanks in advance
Regards
Hi Philippe,
my congrats for owning a 707. My manual is in german language. I have no idea where to look for other versions.
Happy new year & all the best,
Hajo
Hi Hajo and everyone else reading here.
I just picked up an Elka 705 that needs some love. I understand that it is very similar to the 707 model and that if I am lucky, I might be able to receive a copy of the manual and/or schematics? Thanks a lot – John
Answered via e-mail.
Hi
Does anyone have the manual for the Elka X-705 in English?
Steven
Hi guys,
I have a X705 that is dead as disco. I heard the schematics of the 705 are comparable to the 707 – I already compared the sliders/drawbars etc. and this seems to confirm this.
It would be a great help to revive this beauty if somebody could post/mail schematics for the 705/707 super artist or point to a link for downloading! Any help is very welcome! Thx1
Bernardo
Hi Bernardo,
I have added a link below the article where you can download the schematic diagrams.
Hope this helps!
Hajo
Thanks for the link. The schematics of the 705 and the 707 are indeed the same. I was able to revive my 705 to a certain extent. Since everything is very modular there is a good chance to pinpoint errors to a certain pcb board… if there is anybody out there slaughtering her/his 707 I would be interested in certain parts….
Bernhard
Hello Hajo,
unfortunatly the link to download the 707 shematics doesn’t work.
Perhaps you could send me your scanned copy in order to bring my X 707 in a good working condition.
Many thanks ahead,
Berend
Hi Berend,
sorry for my very late answer. The download link works as it should and always did. Maybe try downloading the file with another browser or computer.
All the best,
Hajo
Hi I have the X705, wonderful instrument. It is working most of the time although lately there have been some issues with the upper drawbars that I need to attend to soon.
I am sharing the link to your site with our fellow Elka 707, 705X owners on Organforum.com.
Best regards from Denmark,
Gunnar K
Hello,excuse me for my english,my artist 707 in“ preset mode“ play only C in C,D,E in every octave keyboard
Hi Stefano,
please excuse the delay. The 707 uses a so-called Top Octave Synthesizer (TOS) IC of the type Mostek MK 50242. Please see the sheet „Master oscillator and dividers“ (Sheet No. 3-62) of the 707 schematics for reference. Start there with tracking the top 12 notes und derived octaves.
All the best,
Hajo