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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Musical Interfaces
Portable folding Keyboard project
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tomomac33



Joined: Apr 05, 2010
Posts: 1
Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:08 am    Post subject: Portable folding Keyboard project
Subject description: A keyboard that can be taken away in your suitcase to practice
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Hi,

Firstly I would like to say hello to everyone on the forum, thanks for running such a site and hopefully someone may be able to help me with my specific questions – so thanks again in advance for the info. I apologise if this is the wrong type of forum for the questions i have, but after trawling the internet, and a recommendation from another forum, you guys seem to be very knowledgable.

As the title says, I am currently designing/modifying a MIDI Keyboard into a “folding” slim line 4 octave travel keyboard that I can take away with me in a suitcase to practice learning the piano/sight reading.

The IMPORTANT thing for me when I am away with work is to have the “feel” of a piano (i.e. full size keys, weighted touch/ portable) and I have the perfect midi keyboard as a donor, however it’s OLD and doesn’t produce any sound.

My question to you guys is, is there a simple solution to connecting this midi keyboard to my laptop and generating a sound from it through my laptop speakers in real time? The ports available are 1x MIDI Out, 1x Joystick and 1x MPC port (I haven’t a clue what an MPC port is).

The quality of sound isn’t important, I also understand electronics fairly well, so making my own leads incorporating MIDI/USB with a midi interface (eg Edirol UM1SX) isn’t really a problem – I just don’t know how to connect this keyboard to a laptop/ software/ and leads to do it.

If this isn’t possible, then I have a plan B! Which I know I can execute! But it involves putting my own electronics into this Midi Keyboard with a speaker etc and then it gets a little messy and complicated, and I start to lose the portable element.

Many thanks for your help and advice

Hope you find this an interesting thread; I will keep you updated on the progress

Tom
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magman



Joined: Feb 04, 2009
Posts: 363
Location: Liverpool, UK

PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tom,

Welcome to Electro Music Very Happy

It's easy enough to get a USB to MIDI adaptor to connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer. There are loads of them available, I picked up one of these via eBay:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/UM-2/

If you get a simple one like this, it is even powered by the USB port, so no extra wall-warts to deal with. Build it into your keyboard and you just have a USB lead to carry around.

You didn't state whether your laptop is Apple or Windows based. Basic MIDI software is very easy to get for both of these, but my experience is mainly with Windows based PC's, so I'll stick to comments on these.

Virtually all Music software for PC's will work with MIDI. You can go for simple free Piano Simulators (Just do a Google search on MIDI Piano Simulator) to complex virtual piano's like Modartt Pianoteq - an excellent Piano Simulator that I recently tried a demo of (It's on my want list at the moment). You've also got a lot of the Music recording software like Cubase and Live that work with MIDI and quite often include a set of virtual instruments to pick from and play with.

There are also loads of Piano Tutor programs to choose from. Again, a Goggle search should provide you some good hints. Try the demo's before you buy of course.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any further questions.

Regards

Magman
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Skellz



Joined: Dec 31, 2008
Posts: 18
Location: Ireland

PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Here are some links for diy midi keyboard parts

http://www.midi-hardware.com/products.html

http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm go to products click diy oem

http://www.ucapps.de/ check midio128
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