[sdiy] The things one sees..

[Cornutt, David K]

From: Kevin Lightner [mailto:synthfool at synthfool.com]
> But here's a thing that I've always wanted to do and is (somewhat) 
> synth related.
> Why not touch sensetive flippers? None of the makers ever did this 
> and even the leaf switches they used have enough contacts. Would make 
> the machine more controllable than a simple on and off solenoid 
> control.

I've seen something like that (and it's sort of related
to the Wurlitzer organ thread from last week).  Around 1978,
Williams made a wide-body machine named "Contact" with
double flippers (a set of two on each side, with the point
of the upper one pointed at the shaft end of the lower one).
They used second-touch leaf switches on them.  If you pressed
the button part way, only the lower flipper of the pair raised.
This allowed for catching the ball at the "crotch" between
the lower flipper's shaft end and the upper flipper's tip.
Pressing the button all the way engaged the second touch,
which raised the upper flipper.  With a little practice,
it was quite possible to bounce the ball from the lower
flipper to the upper one; there were several shots that
more makeable from the upper flipper since it was at a
slightly different angle.

It was implemented with stacked leaf switches.  Press the
button part way and the first two contacts engage.  The middle
one is double-sided; press the button all the way and the
middle one engages the third one.

I haven't seen a Contact machine in decades.  I don't think
Williams made many of them.