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Buchla touch keyboards
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crashlander42



Joined: Oct 21, 2006
Posts: 292
Location: Orlando, FL (US)

PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:11 pm    Post subject: Buchla touch keyboards Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I watched the video on Matrixsynth of Suzanne Ciani on 3-2-1 contact and was fascinated by the Buchla touch keyboard. Looked ideal for a portable synth for shows. I like the portability of a stylus keyboard, but the stylus annoys me. How do these capacitive keyboards work? I searched around and couldn't find a whole lot of info on them. Any DIY projects like this out there? Maybe a schematic? Maybe a kick in the right direction?
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andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
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PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2007 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

this one is good, from Synapse (thanks to Cyndustries)

http://www.cyndustries.com/synapse/synapse.cfm?pc=39&folder=jan1977&pic=26
note - Arpad Benares = Serge Tcherepnin
if the link doesn't work
its Synapse jan/Feb 1977

it's touch sensitive in that the more your squash your finger onto the key the greater the output voltage, plus trigger outs.

edit - you can find the Buchla schematics here but you would have to be keen to clone the keyboard (all the schem links appear to be dead - for me at least??)
http://home.swipnet.se/cfmd/synths/companies/buchla/
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fonik



Joined: Jun 07, 2006
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PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2007 1:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
this one is good, from Synapse (thanks to Cyndustries)
http://www.cyndustries.com/synapse/synapse.cfm?pc=39&folder=jan1977&pic=26

i once read this article and thought about trying it. i never started it because could not figure out if this circuit allows tonal pitch control? the article states that it provides velocity and trigger - what about pitch (1/12V per key)?

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andrewF



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PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2007 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I get about 0-5V from the outputs of the touchpads (7V with my thumb thumb up ).
its not really set up for regular tuning, tho i guess with you could mod it easily enough to do so (wire in a pot as a voltage divider?).
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Fernando



Joined: Dec 30, 2006
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Location: Barcelona & Emporda, Spain

PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2007 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
andrewF wrote:
this one is good, from Synapse (thanks to Cyndustries)
http://www.cyndustries.com/synapse/synapse.cfm?pc=39&folder=jan1977&pic=26

i once read this article and thought about trying it. i never started it because could not figure out if this circuit allows tonal pitch control? the article states that it provides velocity and trigger - what about pitch (1/12V per key)?


It outputs pressure voltage and triggers (per key and a "all keys" trigger, IIRC)
You are suposed to trigger "programmer" steps. Each step is a column with, say, 4 rows of pots. If you use one row for pitch, you set the tuning as you like, like in a sequencer (you could use a quantizer if you want tempered tuning)
Serge programmer can be triggered by a key controller like this or by a sequencer, or both.
For a programmer, see Ken Stone programmer, with same -well, better really- functionality:
http://www.cgs.synth.net/modules/cgs59_prog.html
As many other Serge concepts, this is based on Buchla, so I guess the Buchla touch keyboard/programmer will work this way too.

Last edited by Fernando on Mon May 14, 2007 2:35 am; edited 2 times in total
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ian-s



Joined: Apr 01, 2004
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PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2007 2:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:

tonal pitch control? the article states that it provides velocity and trigger - what about pitch (1/12V per key)?


You would need some extra circuit connected to the trigger outputs. Maybe a counter/latch and a 4067 (16-1 multiplexer). This would allow you to get a V/Oct and gate output, for 16 keys anyway.
Alternatively, each gate could be connected so that it selected one step in a sequencer.
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