Sometimes playing a Rhodes can be hard work! Compared to acoustic pianos with weighted wooden keys, and modern keyboards with springed keys; the Rhodes fits somewhere in the middle. But why is it sometimes so heavy? Great question, and it has to do with the design of the key and the action, which I’ll explain simply:
So what is the Miracle Mod?
Simple answer:
The Miracle Mod (manufactured by Vintage Vibe) creates a bump which allows the hammer mechanism to jump off the back of the key more effectively which leads to a lighter and much more responsive touch.
Complex answer;
When the key on your Rhodes is pressed down, the back of the key rises and pushes the hammer up to strike the tine. The shape of the hammer mechanism (the hammer cam) is rounded at the front, but on Mark I Rhodes pianos the key isn’t. This means that there is more work for the key to do before it pushes the hammer up, making it feel heavier. This is why a lot of people complain about old Rhodes pianos being ‘sluggish’ or ‘heavy.
The Miracle Mod adds a little bump underneath the sloping side of the hammer cam, so when the key is pressed the key engages the hammer much more quickly; leading to a greater responsiveness and lighter feel to the action which is much closer to the weighted feel of modern keyboards, whilst retaining the feel of a Rhodes. Installing the miracle mod is tricky, not unmanageable but requires several hours of work. If the bump is not precisely aligned then it can create issues with the touch, particularly in the pp register.
