[sdiy] Reed Switch and Magnet Keyboard

[ChristianH]

(I already sent this yesterday, but apparently due to the attached image
it didn't make it to the list)

Hi all,

I did it. Last year I finally was tired of my OB-8's crappy rubber
keyboard. Now it's got a set of magnets/reed contacts, not yet 100%
perfectly adjusted, but at least it works way better than before.

I took some pictures during the operation, but still haven't made a
report about how I did it (and how not to do it...). Maybe this should
be the trigger to start a shabby little web site, but that definitely
won't happen before xmas.

As a first impression, here's an image, taken during this year's German
Synth DIY meeting:
  ftp://ftp.scp.de/pub/user/chris/IMAGE0021.jpg
Late at night we had some kind of a strip show, when everybody's synths
dropped their pants... (um, I swear, just the synths...)

And no, from the start this mod wasn't designed to _look_ pretty ;-)

regards
Christian



On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 07:07:30 -0800 (PST) Scott Stites wrote:

> Hi Ray, Jim, List,
> 
> The reed switch idea actually hasn't gotten implemented.  IIRC, it was at the
> time Harry gave the excellent tip about the 800 mA Power One's at MPJA, I saw
> they had little round button magnets and reed switches, and I was mulling it
> over.  I got sidetracked and never ordered any.  The reed switches are there,
> but
> the little round magnets don't seem to be there any more (though there are
> some
> smaller rectangular 'catch' type magnets for 30 cents apiece there that might
> work):
> 
> http://www.mpja.com/
> 
> I'm sure I've seen the little round magnets at surplus houses as well.  
> 
> I recall having a bit of concern that adjacent magnets might trigger adjacent
> switches, also.  In the time since, though, I either dreamed I read or
> actually
> read of at least one commercial design that used reed switches for a musical
> keyboard.  
> 
> Anyone on the list having more information on this subject, please let us
> know!
> 
> Cheers,
> Scott