[sdiy] Buy (bare) keyboard?

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 24 Jun 2007, at 01:23, Fred Weed wrote:

> Is it still possible to buy a bare keyboard (ie Pratt-Reed) with  
> simple wire
> contacts for do-it-yourselfers?  Are any surplus ones around?

It's quite difficult. In the old days, Maplin Electronics in the UK  
used to stock them, along with the SSM2045 and other great chips.  
Unfortunately all that good stuff has gone.

I recommend stealing one from a mass-produced keyboard. You can pick  
up crummy electronic organs on eBay for around £10-£20, and you get  
two 44 note keyboards. I'm currently involved in building a monosynth  
using a keyboard from a nasty 1970's Hammond organ - great keyboard  
though, dead solid. I also bought a Yamaha YPR-9 electronic piano for  
£25. This is a basic FM synthesis electronic piano with a velocity  
sensitive 61 note keyboard. It even has MIDI. I was thinking of using  
the keyboard to replace the really crummy one in my Korg Polysix, but  
it seems a waste of the potential for velocity sensitivity, and I  
can't find a simple way to retrofit velocity sensitivity to the Polysix.

Alternatively, if you want a new keyboard, Doepfer in Germany (http:// 
www.doepfer.de) sell the Fatar keyboards they use in their products  
separately. They'll order any of the Fatar keyboards for you as a  
special order if you ask them.

Hope this helps,
Regards,
Tom