[sdiy] Project Thomas Orgasynth

[harry bissell]

I recall an evening when my PAiA 2720 had "lights" under the keyboard. I 
was jamming in the dark
with a roommate in college.  My synth on top of a stack of Shakespeare 
volumes on either side...
as a stand...

As we played in the total darkness... some key would begin to glow... 
outlined in the deepest of blue
stars at the edges... once I chose it and pressed it would slowly flare 
into incandescence as the PWM
waves expanded and blossomed in the midst of the triangle fundamental... 
and decay as the pulse
subsided...

(OK it was 1974 dudes :^)

Minutes later... I moved the synth, slightly.. and shorted out some 
wiring. I saw the core of the transformer
FLARE into incandescence as well.  It looked like I was seeing right 
into the half-melted core of the
transformer (and this was like a Signal Transformer dual secondary 12 
/12 V @ 4A... so it REALLY
glowed brightly. 

Wondering if I should
1) toss the synth off my lap. screw the complete works of the Bard...and 
save my @ss....
or
2) wimper "turn on lights turn on the lights TURN ON THE LIGHTS !!!"

I chose #2 above

<lights on>

The melted core was just the 22ga "center tap" jumper wire. The actual 
damage was minimal... although
the evening's jam was obviously over.  It was sad... but from that day I 
find that the right keys to play really
~do~ light up in your mind ,and you just have to pay attention to see 
them.  That IS where the muse lives....

(all you young punks may now say.... "I'll have what the old man with 
the beard is having...")

[moral... light-up keys rule !]

H^) harry

R. D. Davis wrote:
> Quothe Michael Bacich, from writings of Fri, May 12, 2006 at 07:25:39PM -0700:
>   
>> You should cross the wires up, though, so the wrong keys light up  
>> when you play.  You know, C = F, G = C, etc.   That would be  
>> unsettling to play, don't you think?  Or better yet, route the  
>> keyboard lighting signals through a multiplexing circuit that  
>> randomly shuffles the lighted key destinations around, with a new  
>> destination every time you play another key.
>>     
>
> Great ideas. I also like the idea of the Color Glo keys being randomly
> lit whether or not any notes are being played, or certain keys
> flashing if the telephone rings... or have them light up at random,
> but in rhythm with the player's pulse.
>
>   
>> Do the black keys also have lights?
>>     
>
> No idea... haven't disassembled the keyboards yet, just removed them.
>
>