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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT HALFMOONS??? [Click above to read the full story.] For a simple switch, there certainly seem to be a lot of ways to wire it!  But you can take your Gigger Halfmoon along when you change gear -- without rewiring, or buying another one.  Presenting the , a universal version of the Gigger Halfmoon.  Really universal??  Pretty much.  It has switches in the case to match most organs, synths, and workstations, even old ones. What doesn't work with the ?  1) Some gear can't accept any halfmoon, and won't function with the .  Details are explained here.  2) If a rig requires more than 24V or 100mA to change speeds, the can't help.  (Some vintage Leslies connect high voltages to the switch; generally, newer gear does not.) For past customers who are thinking, "Man, I wish you had the when I bought mine!" we have a great deal:  If you bought your Gigger Halfmoon here, we'll upgrade it to a for $15, plus return shipping.  (Any model, original purchasers only.)  You can upgrade now -- or even a couple of years down the road!   Can I use the with two different organs? Yes and no.  If you own a Nord C2D and a Hammond SK-1, or any other two keyboards/effects from Neo Instruments, Hammond, or Clavia (Nord), the Halfmoon works with all of your gear, all the time.  This is hand if say, you forget the power adapter for your Ventilator at a gig: the Halfmoon will plug into your XK-3 oe Electro 5D and run the internal sim. Otherwise, the case must be opened by removing the four screws; and the settings of the two DIP switches may need to be changed.  This will take a few minutes, and require simple tools:  a Phillips screwdriver, and some sort of pick or jeweler's screwdriver, if your fingers are large.  Also, DIP switches aren't meant to be changed too many times, and will eventually wear out. If you plan to trade off organs every couple of months; or if you want a spare for two different organs, then everything should be fine.  Changing the switch daily, or even weekly, though, is not recommended.

How come my Halfmoon still doesn't work? Surprisingly, most products that accept a halfmoon switch don't come pre-configured to use one!  Since a halfmoon switch is less common with modern keyboard setups, manufacturers tend to set their products up to use 'tap' switches like a sustain pedal out of the box.  In particular, keyboards from Clavia DMI (Nord) and Hammond-Suzuki ship this way, among others. Check your user manual:  There is usually a section in the 'setup' area that controls how the rotary pedal input is treated.  (A halfmoon switch is still a 'pedal' to the electronics in the keyboard.)  If the organ or synth can work with a Gigger Halfmoon or demi-Luna, there is probably a setting called "HM," "CU-1," "Halfmoon," or even "Half Moon Switch." Even keyboards that don't support a Halfmoon can often use our 2-way model.  If the rotary input can be configured to 'latching' or 'momentary' operation (vs. toggling), then set it that way; and if there is a choice of 'open' or 'closed' polarity, set it so that open selects Fast speed. If your keyboard can only accept a momentary/tap/sustain pedal, then the new Faux Moon can help.  Check the information at the bottom of this page, or you can contact Ashby Solutions to be sure. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   Connecting to Specific Keyboards and Modules   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   Nord Electro 5 and 6 (and Stage 3 Compact) Hammond-Suzuki SK1 / SK2 Neo Instruments Ventilator II

How Is It Mounted? Manufacturer-specific halfmoons often come with a mounting bracket to attach the halfmoon to their keyboard.  Our Halfmoons do not.  Here's why ... These brackets aren't universal.  A Hammond CU-1's bracket won't attach it to a Nord or a Mojo -- or even an XK-2 or XB-3!  We would have to offer 3-5 brackets with different designs; or, some kind of 'universal bracket,' with lots of holes and complicated assembly.  Either way, this would raise the cost of the Halfmoon + Bracket by $25-50, and it still wouldn't work for some customers.  The cost of the Gigger Halfmoon has actually gone down since it was released, and we intend it to remain as the lower-cost alternative option. The manufacturer's bracket can only be mounted in one location -- even if that's not a player's preferred spot. The two best reasons to provide a removable bracket are:  1) protect the fragile halfmoon between gigs; and 2) the cable doesn't come off, so it might damage something during transport.  Our Halfmoon design eliminates both of these problems. Any bracket adds size and weight to a halfmoon. ________ Mounting Ours We provide 3M VHB® tape to attach the Halfmoon to any flat surface on the edge of the keyboard.  VHB is very strong -- the strip can hold about 15-20 lbs., more than 10x the Halfmoon's weight! -- and it stays firmly in place.  Once mounted, the VHB + Halfmoon feels like it is bolted in place.  But guess what?  It can be removed, even years later, with the plastic prying tools sold for use on automotive dashboards.  The cable won't scratch anything when it's removed during transit.  If you have a permanent setup, or an extra 1 inch (26cm)of depth in your keyboard case, this is our recommended mounting method. We also provide standard Velcro® to attach to the case.  Velcro mounts and unmounts quickly, and holds solidly.  That said, the end result wiggles a little when the switch is used.  Some players find this a problem; others, think it works fine.  You decide. If neither of these solutions works for you, buy our new Parts/Mounting Kit #2.  It has strips of 3M Dual Lock tape:  kind of like Velcro, but with larger, symmetrical indentations on each side to hold together.  It definitely won't wiggle!  [This is the same product used to hold EZPass transponders to windshields.]  The only downside is that it's a little on the pricey side; that's why we don't just ship some with each Halfmoon -- it would raise the cost for all. For permanent installations like a church or school, where the Halfmoon isn't going anywhere, but there are concerns about cables breaking or going missing, the jack on the Halfmoon can be replaced with a permanent cable and a strain relief; and the Halfmoon can be mounted with screws to the organ cabinet.  You'll want our Parts/Mounting Kit #1.

The Gigger Halfmoon vs. The Competition

Feature Gigger Halfmoon FAUX MOON The 'Chicago'   The 'Scandinavia'   L'italiano Chorale/Off/Tremolo [1] Available 2-way halfmoon      [2]         Can mimic 2-way halfmoon         Permanent cable   [3] [3]   Detachable cable     Spare knob FREE FREE FREE       Spare case screws FREE           USA Switch   Labeled   Survive sitting/stepping on it    ??? Neo Ventilator compatible     Hammond XK/SK compatible   Nord C1/C2 compatible   Electro 5/6, Stage 3 compatible   Electro 2 compatible           Electro 3/4, Stage compatible         Numa Organ compatible           Motion Sound compatible    [4]         Leslie 2101, 3300 compatible           GSi Burn compatible            [7] Crumar Mojo 61 compatible            [7] Crumar Mojo compatible            [7] HX3 compatible           Booker Labs compatible     Dr. Fishsticks compatible           Spare parts       Mounting 4 ways  [5]   4 ways  [5]   4 ways  [5]   H-S only Nord only Crumar only Looks  [6]   8/10 8/10 8/10 10/10 7/10 8/10 Cost  1.1x 1x 1.1x 2x 3x 0.9x

Notes:   1. If the keyboard or speaker has software to support Stop -- ex: hold the switch down for > 2 sec. -- then this feature will also be supported by the Faux Moon.   2. Limited production run.   3. Requires optional $5.00 spares kit.   4. Requires TS cable.  Please notify Ashby Solutions of this when ordering.   5. Velcro® and VHB™ mounting strips included; screws are part of the spares kit.   6. OK, well give the Chicago the edge in the looks department -- at least, with a classic B-3/C-3/etc.  With a Nord Stage 2 or an SK1? Not so much. Beauty is subjective.  In some ways, the Scandinavia looks better than our Halfmoon.  If only the sides didn't have open seams, and those big mounting screws on the switch ...   7. Crumar has different models for each product or product family.  Some are compatible with more than one model; others are not.

Please note:  Although the demi-Luna and Gigger Halfmoon™ can be added to many keyboards, there are limitations with the internal rotary sim of a few well-known (and used) models. ________ INCOMPATIBILITY Nord Electro (original), Electo 2 Nord Stage (original) Hammond XK-2 Leslie 3300  (It may be indirectly used with an organ that supports the 8- or 11-pin interfaces.) Leslie 2101 and 2101 MK2  (It may be indirectly used with an organ that supports the 8- or 11-pin interfaces.) Numa Organ 1 or 2 In particular, if an organ/speaker uses a sustain pedal -- and only a sustain pedal -- to change speeds, it probably cannot use a halfmoon -- ours or any one else's product. THIS LIMITATION DOES NOT APPLY TO THE FAUX MOON™, WHICH WORKS WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE MODELS. ________ STOP/OFF FUNCTION A Leslie that is designed to work with a 3-way halfmoon supports three speeds:  Chorale, Off, and Tremolo.  Not all keyboards support the Stop/Off 'speed'; some of them can only support Chorale and Tremolo. Nord Electro 3 and 4 Nord Stage 2, EX, and 2 EX Most synths and workstations Leslie 122A and 147A These are limitations of the keyboard/speaker's design, and an external switch isn't going to compensate.  Some of them (ex: Nord) can substitute Off for Chorale using a control on the keyboard itself. Of course, all of these keyboards can be plugged into a Ventilator, Burn, etc. and the Halfmoon can be used to control that sim with all three speeds. Please contact Ashby Solutions before ordering if you are unsure about the compatibility.

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Prices are shown in US Dollars (USD) excluding shipping, unless otherwise noted.  Massachusetts residents and on-site sales will be charged 6.25% state sales tax. Items returned for any reason other than defective merchandise will be subject to a restocking fee of up to 15%.  Returns should include original packing materials and accessories, (cables, manuals, and software, as appropriate); faillure to do so with result in a restocking fee of at least 15%, to be determined by Ashby Solutions. Ashby Solutions, Gigger Halfmoon, demi-Luna, Faux Moon, and the Ashby Solutions logo are trademarks of Ashby Solutions.  All other trademarks are the property of their owners. This website uses popups to improve viewing, which are visible while the mouse is hovered over the item.  (If using a phone or tablet, click on the item to see the popup; click anywhere else to clear the popup.)  Please enable popups in your browser to show information noted with the icon. This website has been tested for compatibility with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Opera. Copyright © 2019-2021 by Bruce Wahler.  If you have suggestions, please send them to webmaster@halfmoon-switch.com.

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