DIY Microtonal MIDI Controller... keyboard suggestions?

Hello folks,

I've been throwing this idea around for quite some time now, but I'd
like to come up with a design for a DIY MIDI controller. It seems like
it would be incredibly easy using something like the Arduino
Duemilanove, which is programmable in C/C++ and uses an AVR
microcontroller (http://www.arduino.cc). If you don't know about the
Arduino, and you know even a little bit of C or C++, you should
definitely check it out. It makes microcontroller programming
incredibly easy. And, it's fun! (tm)

The only thing holding me back from this is that I'm not sure what we
could use as a keyboard to do it. I'm only acquainted with the
Bosanquet and Fokker keyboard layouts, and so far I haven't found any
commonly available, cheap panel of buttons to cannibalize for this
project to match either layout. Does anyone have any ideas? I've
thrown around the idea of perhaps destroying a computer keyboard and
setting it up in some kind of pseudo-Bosanquet fashion but it seems
like a pretty lame option. Does anyone know of any products -
children's toys, perhaps - that have a large bunch of buttons laid out
in an array that would be suitable for such a purpose?

-Mike

In my opinion best setting is to use hexagonal buttons (like honeycomb). If there's nothing like this, you can try to DIY, which will be a pretty challenge. But exactly this is what DIY is about, not?

Other possibility would be to get somewhere old not working button accordeon, or Russian bayan, or at least that keyboard, and use some microswitches. If you need an electronic guts for it (convertor switch matrix to MIDI), try this:

http://www.chd-el.cz/index.php?id=2

I can recommend them, their products are reliable, I use some, and I have cooperated with them as MIDI expert, tester and reviewer.

I would prefer some kind of sensor contacts if velocity and aftertouch data are not necessary.

Daniel Forro

On 23 Apr 2009, at 3:02 PM, Mike Battaglia wrote:

>
>
> Hello folks,
>
> I've been throwing this idea around for quite some time now, but I'd
> like to come up with a design for a DIY MIDI controller. It seems like
> it would be incredibly easy using something like the Arduino
> Duemilanove, which is programmable in C/C++ and uses an AVR
> microcontroller (http://www.arduino.cc). If you don't know about the
> Arduino, and you know even a little bit of C or C++, you should
> definitely check it out. It makes microcontroller programming
> incredibly easy. And, it's fun! (tm)
>
> The only thing holding me back from this is that I'm not sure what we
> could use as a keyboard to do it. I'm only acquainted with the
> Bosanquet and Fokker keyboard layouts, and so far I haven't found any
> commonly available, cheap panel of buttons to cannibalize for this
> project to match either layout. Does anyone have any ideas? I've
> thrown around the idea of perhaps destroying a computer keyboard and
> setting it up in some kind of pseudo-Bosanquet fashion but it seems
> like a pretty lame option. Does anyone know of any products -
> children's toys, perhaps - that have a large bunch of buttons laid out
> in an array that would be suitable for such a purpose?
>
> -Mike

Hi Daniel,

Allow me to clarify. The MIDI side of it will be pretty easy to do on
the Arduino. What I need is simply a bunch of buttons on a plank :)

But I do like the idea of getting an old accordion. That might be
something to look into. Is there no children's toy out there that has
a bunch of hexagonal buttons or something?

-Mike

On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 3:01 AM, Daniel Forro <dan.for@...> wrote:
>
>
> In my opinion best setting is to use hexagonal buttons (like
> honeycomb). If there's nothing like this, you can try to DIY, which
> will be a pretty challenge. But exactly this is what DIY is about, not?
>
> Other possibility would be to get somewhere old not working button
> accordeon, or Russian bayan, or at least that keyboard, and use some
> microswitches. If you need an electronic guts for it (convertor
> switch matrix to MIDI), try this:
>
> http://www.chd-el.cz/index.php?id=2
>
> I can recommend them, their products are reliable, I use some, and I
> have cooperated with them as MIDI expert, tester and reviewer.
>
> I would prefer some kind of sensor contacts if velocity and
> aftertouch data are not necessary.
>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 23 Apr 2009, at 3:02 PM, Mike Battaglia wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Hello folks,
>>
>> I've been throwing this idea around for quite some time now, but I'd
>> like to come up with a design for a DIY MIDI controller. It seems like
>> it would be incredibly easy using something like the Arduino
>> Duemilanove, which is programmable in C/C++ and uses an AVR
>> microcontroller (http://www.arduino.cc). If you don't know about the
>> Arduino, and you know even a little bit of C or C++, you should
>> definitely check it out. It makes microcontroller programming
>> incredibly easy. And, it's fun! (tm)
>>
>> The only thing holding me back from this is that I'm not sure what we
>> could use as a keyboard to do it. I'm only acquainted with the
>> Bosanquet and Fokker keyboard layouts, and so far I haven't found any
>> commonly available, cheap panel of buttons to cannibalize for this
>> project to match either layout. Does anyone have any ideas? I've
>> thrown around the idea of perhaps destroying a computer keyboard and
>> setting it up in some kind of pseudo-Bosanquet fashion but it seems
>> like a pretty lame option. Does anyone know of any products -
>> children's toys, perhaps - that have a large bunch of buttons laid out
>> in an array that would be suitable for such a purpose?
>>
>> -Mike
>

Edit- I was wondering why you didn't just use the available button hardware but it seems that you want a honeycomb type of pattern, not rank and file.