[sdiy] Synth Keybards and Number of Keys

[Richard Wentk]

On 1 Mar 2007, at 18:53, Edward King wrote:

> For the record, the construction is as follows:
>
> Keys are all wooden
> Chassis is galvanised steel (2mm)
> There is one universal pivot point which is 6mm hardened steel rod,
> supported every octave and fed through the keys at the pivot point.
> The keys have brass bushes so the wood doesnt wear / drag against  
> the rod.
> The overall dimensions are: 1447mm x 680mm x 100mm (front) and  
> 160mm (rear)
> The displacement sensing is achieved through optical devices,  
> actuated by
> steel linkage mounted at the bottom of each key.
> Velocity sensing is through normal means (timed changover)
> Aftertouch is achieved using QTC pills, feeding multichannel ADC's
> MIDI protocol is NOT used at all internally, but a midi handler is  
> designed
> to take inputs and outputs and map them to the higher definition  
> signals of
> the keyboard internals.

Out of interest, what did this monster cost in the end?

If it wasn't for the weight I'd consider marketing it. Interest in  
poly AT and a good keyboard action is small, but not insignificant,  
and I can see a steady run of sales if you can get some decent basic  
marketing together.

At 80kg though it's more of a tough sell. Personally I think that  
weight and size are the real killer issues for large keyboards. I can  
just about squeeze my M-Audio KS88 Pro into the car, but if I had to  
gig with it regularly it would soon turn into a nightmare. 61-note  
keys are much less hassle in comparison, and this makes them much  
more attractive. Considering that most synth players aren't  
classically trained, and even if they are they're looking for more of  
a multi-board control surface than a piano substitute, the move to 61  
keys was probably inevitable.

But I think studio interest in 88- and 96-note models could be  
significant, even at a reasonable price premium. You might not sell  
many at $2k, but you could probably sell enough to the film composer  
and Hollywood crowd to keep a small business going for a while.

> I am also experimenting with recreating string vibrato effects through
> sensors on the key tops and would be interested in any work that  
> others are
> doing in this area too.

Again, this is something else that's of interest to a select few.

As you say, the generic black-and-white keyboard is fantastically  
limiting musically. Anything that extends the expressive  
possibilities can only be a good thing.

Richard