[sdiy] Do these things exist ? FSRs !!!!!!!

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/13/04 6:45:41 PM, peng3002 at yahoo.com writes:

<< - I've never seen or played the above instruments, but did ARP use a 
similar device for the pressure buttons on some (why not all?) Oddyseys ?  >>

No, the ARP "PPC" pressure buttons used some other method (variable 
capacitance, I think...??).  FSR's had not yet been invented.

Those ARP PPC things were absolutely infuriating for those of us who learned 
how to pitch bend on Minimoogs (or on guitars, even).  They were completely 
unpredictable as to how much pressure it would take to bend to a specific 
interval, and you couldn't easily hold the interval once you found it.  They were 
fun for effects and noisemaking, though (ring mod sweeps, etc.).  

George Duke was the Zen Master of Pitch Bending on the ARP Oddysey.  In the 
mid-1970's, he just used the regular original Oddysey rotary pitch knob, but he 
could bend so friggin' fast and accurately.  It was a marvel to hear and see. 
 Examples:  Duke's "The Aura Will Prevail" and "Reach For It" albums, and 
Frank Zappa's "Live at the Roxy and Elsewhere" (he was Zappa's keyboardist at the 
time).  He also used a Minimoog, but most of his soloing and pitch bending 
was done on the ARP, for some strange reason.

Michael Bacich