Hacking an old cheap keyboard

Chrometuna

Hi
I have thos old CASIO keyboard. Its a WK-1350 or something like that. Its your typical 1-step-above-a-toy kinda thing with 99 voices or something.

I put it away months ago, and when I dug it back out last month, it didnt work (No power...tried diferent things...took it apart and checked the obvious connections...no dice)

Anyway. I am wondering if there is a good way to hack the keyboard part? Is that all digital? Or is something like that able to do the VCO dance very well?

Its broke, and not worth fixing anyway. So it will be fine to experiment on.

I am just jumping right in here....I dont have a whole lot of experience with electronics building (Although I did make a pirate radio station from directions....and got the FCC to come over and read me the riot act....they didnt buy my excuse that "I didnt know that 100 watts was illegal" heh heh)

I have yet to build a synth, and I am liking the idea of the Sound Lab Mini-Synth.

So I am learning, again.

Anyone know about these kinds of cheap key boards and their usefulness for interfacing with the mini-synth?

v-un-v · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject:

hiya meester chrometuna!

welcome

to electro-music.com!

Have you tried the DIY and circuit bending forums?

You very well may be able to use your old casio as a keyboard controller. OTOH, how about sticking some wires in the back to cofuse its logic signals? Shocked

yes its true. Our intrepid members will show you jusy how to do that! Very Happy

go ask and you will find.....

edit- damn brick dust! Shocked

Scott Stites · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:17 am Post subject:

Topeka, eh? Another KS guy here Very Happy

I hacked up a cheap keyboard into a matrix - literally had to cut the traces and re-wire it. I used Thomas Henry's keyboard circuit from "Build A Better Music Synthesizer", a scanner type using a DAC08. Produces gate, trigger and CV. I absolutely love it. It's been working now for four years.

The project was no trivial thing, though - the circuit is fairly complicated, and just physically chopping things up and re-wiring it was a huge chore. Moreover, Thomas hasn't released the design for distribution (unless in his books or EN).

Could be you could do the same thing with Ray Wilson's keyboard circuit.

Take care,
Scott

Chrometuna · Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:42 am Post subject:

v-un-v · Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 3:37 am Post subject:

flowersniffer7 · Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Allentown PA

Chrometuna

If I give up on this old keyboard, how can I utilize the keyboard itself? Or is there hope of bending and tickling and using other stuff thats here?

Any ideas?

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This is the top of the keyboard

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brainguts.jpg

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Is this the BRAIN of the thing? The actual synth?

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powerandamp.jpg

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This is where the power, midi, outputs plug in to. I cant find a problem that would prevent it from turning on.

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Chrometuna

Heres the keyboard part with ribbon cables. Theres also the pitch wheel in there.

At the very least I think there are some cool parts for me to salvage off of this (Mainly the keyboard and pitch wheel)

It looks to me like the keyboard itself is made up of 6 sections of 7 keys (not counting the little black ones...sorry Dubya) And with TWO ribbon cables going to the keyboard parts, does this mean that I can potentially get TWO smaller (two octave?) keyboards out of it? And it so, How do I introduce this to the soundlab minisynth and make them play well together?

Cheers
bob c

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flowersniffer7 · Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Allentown PA

I am not seeing much, but its also alot different when you can get in there and work with it... However it doesn't look like there are any 555s, but you could still use the keyboard matrix to control a 555 oscillator or two that you could easily build http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/555/555.html
I use a schematic based loosely off the one at the bottom of this page called practice oscillator. in stead on having the pitch pot on there you could assign the keyboard matrix to control the pitch with different value resistors... It will be alot of trial and error and tunning, I recoment getting ahold of the resistors you can set and forget, that way you can tune them up to the right note pretty easily... Then you could even throw an ad633 analog multiplier i.c. and ring modulate the aforementioned oscillators with another... Time Consuming Yes, but never-the-less, quite rewarding i would think.
http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/RingModulator/RingModulator.html
For your reading pleasure as well.

Scott Stites · Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:30 am Post subject:

Something else to consider:

http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-14723.html

Cheers,
Scott

richardc64 · Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:08 am Post subject:

Chrome',

That looks like it used to be a nice instrument -- 5 octave keyboard and a roomy case once the guts are removed. One problem with Casio's keyboards is they can't decide on what type of matrix to use. Early ones like the M-10 and MT-30 used a 7x9 with some assigned to function switches. Other models use a straight 8x8 for the keyboard only, with a separate matrix for any controls. You'll have to get at the board(s) under the keys (Don't lose any of the little screws or the rubber actuators!) and trace out the pattern to figure out just how the matrix is arranged and, if necessary, rearrange it into something sensible, by cutting and jumpering. Another concern will be which direction any diodes point.

A good single-note keyboard design is at Music from Outerspace. There used to be a simple but incomplete design (it lacked a D/A) at paia.com, but I can't find it anymore. My post that Scott recommended (above) is still in the preliminary design phase.

flowersniffer7 · Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Allentown PA

Chrometuna · Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject:

WOW...thanks guys!
Lots of good info and stuff your'e providing me with.

But sadly for my little brain, I think that the advice I should take is the advice you *didnt* offer: KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid!

For the time being, its way over my head to go hacking matrixes and messing with some of that deep tech stuff.

But I think it IS correct that there is a LOT of room inside this case! LOTS of extra toys and things could be stuffed into this toy-box. (I still might run it over to the A/V repair shop and see if the guy can trouble shoot it without running up a bill for more then I could buy a new one? It just didnt power up one day after not being used for months, and I cant find a cause)

I was hoping that someone could point to a little point on the board and say "Ya see that there? Ya just need to jumper that to PIN X on the soundlab and thats your control" things are never so simple.

I'll keep reading all of the links and info.....maybe some of it will stick to my brain eventually.

flowersniffer7 · Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Allentown PA

Scott Stites · Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject:

If you only plan to generate pulse waves with the 555, you can use an EXOR (CD4070) as a ring modulator. Much, much cheaper/easier than an AD633.

Cheers,
Scott

flowersniffer7 · Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Allentown PA