[sdiy] Where to buy keybeds?

[Glen]

At 02:02 PM 7/16/2005, Jay wrote:

>on 7/16/05 1:30 PM, Jeff Farr at moogah at gmail.com wrote:
>
> > I'm looking into making a MIDIBox midi controller/sequencer.  Where
> > would I buy a keybed?  can you get them direct from fatar?  is there a
> > better choice out there?
>
>http://www.analoguehaven.com/doepfer/uke/
>
>Although, nobody can seem to tell me if they include aftertouch.

I noticed something odd on that page. They refer to their "waterfall" 
keyboard as an "organ keyboard", but that is misleading. The American Guild 
of Organists sets standards for such things, and waterfall keys are 
definitely NOT part of the standard. Waterfall keys are to be avoided on an 
AGO-spec keyboard. The very expensive Allen organs and Rodgers organs do 
not use waterfall keyboards largely for this reason, neither do full pipe 
organs use a waterfall keyboard.

The waterfall keyboard has its heritage in piano keyboards. The old Hammond 
organs used waterfall keyboards, because the original prototype was built 
with keys taken from an actual piano keyboard. They just never bothered to 
change anything about the key shape, to suit the needs of organists. With 
an organ, you usually have multiple keyboards on the same instrument. 
Waterfall keys are to be avoided, and the keyboards should have keys which 
slightly "overhang" the keys of the keyboard below. One of the reasons for 
this, is to allow an organist to actually reach two keyboards with one 
hand. This is too difficult to do with waterfall keyboards.

Also, this Doepfer keyboard has weighted keys. Once again, this has nothing 
to do with an organ, but everything to do with a simulated piano action. 
Organs do not use weighted keys.

The only time I would expect waterfall keys and weighted keys, is if the 
keyboard were trying to simulate a piano action. Oddly enough, that web 
page mentions nothing about that keyboard emulating a piano action.

I just thought this was strange.

As for where to buy a raw keyboard, what about buying a broken synth on 
eBay, and using the parts from that? Another possible source, would be old 
home organs. Sometimes, these are literally given away to whoever is 
willing to haul them away. If you only need one, that might be worth 
considering.


take care,
Glen