Discussion about the Korg PolySix synthesizer

Okay guys,

Anyone help me out here... I have a bank of mixed keyboards and synths -
Korg X3, Roland D50, Yamaha AN1x, Roland SH-09 and Korg poly6 which I have
on a three-tier and a two-tier stand.

I want to be able to control the sustain from each of these (or at least
some of them) - preferably without having to buy five different sustain
pedals.

It is possible to buy a multi-synth sustain pedal (can't imagine how it
would work!) - or more likely, does anyone know whether (or how) I can put
together a unit containing a bank of pedals which I can use to control the
sustain for the synths - possibly two; one for each tier of synths.

Also has anyone got any links to an 'electronics projects for musicans' type
of website?

Apologies if I am asking damned-fool questions here!!!

Frank

That would be an involved project --
the Polysix, for one, doesn't have an existing Sustain jack, so the most 
difficult part would be devising such a thing (it could be done, but would 
involve modifying the synth).  Will check out the schematics tonight, & see 
what ideas I can come up with.

Don't know about the other devices you listed  -- do they have sustain jacks?
If not, they would also require modification.

As far as a single switch to control multiple synths, that could be easily 
done by using a standard footswitch to control a circuit using a 4066 type 
CMOS electronic switch, which could send the on/off control signals to four 
destinations.  You could also work something similar with an off-the-shelf 
relay.  Depending on how elaborate you want to get, you could also add 
on-off toggles to the individual outputs to control the routing.

~GMM


At 06:24 PM 9/11/03 +0100, you wrote:
>Okay guys,
>
>Anyone help me out here... I have a bank of mixed keyboards and synths -
>Korg X3, Roland D50, Yamaha AN1x, Roland SH-09 and Korg poly6 which I have
>on a three-tier and a two-tier stand.
>
>I want to be able to control the sustain from each of these (or at least
>some of them) - preferably without having to buy five different sustain
>pedals.
>
>It is possible to buy a multi-synth sustain pedal (can't imagine how it
>would work!) - or more likely, does anyone know whether (or how) I can put
>together a unit containing a bank of pedals which I can use to control the
>sustain for the synths - possibly two; one for each tier of synths.
>
>Also has anyone got any links to an 'electronics projects for musicans' type
>of website?
>
>Apologies if I am asking damned-fool questions here!!!
>
>Frank
>
>
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----

From: greg montalbano <greg.montalbano@ucop.edu>


> As far as a single switch to control multiple synths, that could be easily 
> done by using a standard footswitch to control a circuit using a 4066 type 
> CMOS electronic switch, which could send the on/off control signals to four 
> destinations.  You could also work something similar with an off-the-shelf 
> relay.  Depending on how elaborate you want to get, you could also add 
> on-off toggles to the individual outputs to control the routing.


I was thinking of the same thing.. toggle switches for individual synths and all, except I wasn't going to use any IC's.. just get 4 pedals and nail a board across the top of them all.  :)

Adding a "HOLD" footswitch was the first mod I did
when I got my Polysix back in '87 (or was it '86?).
Along with other mods I made later I posted this
to the original Polysix Mailing list (..acc.umu..)
and to Analog Heaven. I uploaded the zipped archive
(35kB) to the file section of this list:
http://f5.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/YPBgP2B1jVEtYis1sHlBP-lQKuQe6CTI4Fa4UseUWHmKF9OyEPGizJ_mFX76g-spdHvMuyvq04k5iUwMFC47AzoqouI/Mods/P6_MODS.ZIP
(this link is VERY long, but it works..)

Johannes



--- greg montalbano <greg.montalbano@ucop.edu> wrote:
> That would be an involved project --
> the Polysix, for one, doesn't have an existing
> Sustain jack, so the most 
> difficult part would be devising such a thing (it
> could be done, but would 
> involve modifying the synth).  Will check out the
> schematics tonight, & see 
> what ideas I can come up with.
> 
> 
> ~GMM
> 
> 
> At 06:24 PM 9/11/03 +0100, you wrote:
> >Okay guys,
> >
> >Anyone help me out here... I have a bank of mixed
> >keyboards and synths - Korg X3, Roland D50, Yamaha
> >AN1x, Roland SH-09 and Korg poly6 which I have on
> >a three-tier and a two-tier stand.
> >
> >I want to be able to control the sustain from each
> >of these (or at least some of them) - preferably
> >without having to buy five different sustain
> >pedals.
> >
> >It is possible to buy a multi-synth sustain pedal
> >(can't imagine how it would work!) - or more
> >likely, does anyone know whether (or how) I can
> >put together a unit containing a bank of pedals
> >which I can use to control the sustain for the
> >synths - possibly two; one for each tier of synths.
> >
> >Also has anyone got any links to an 'electronics
> >projects for musicans' type of website?
> >
> >Apologies if I am asking damned-fool questions
> >here!!!
> >
> >Frank
> >
> >
> >


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Some pedals makers.. (bespeco, roland) offer pedals that simply slide the sides together.  I know that the bespeco pedals actually offer:
                 a) sustain pedal with switch to adjust polarity (+ or -)
                 b) latching pedals (on/off)
        These Bespeco pedals are inexpensive and fairly well built for the price ($18-24 canadian), and can slide together the same way the roland pedals do...
Thus you have a simple pedal board (well, physically that is).. still have the cables to each synth to deal with + the poly6 sustain issue.


Cheers.
Jay

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chromatest Pantsmaker 
  To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 2:36 PM
  Subject: Re: [PolySix] Any ideas?



  ----- Original Message -----
  From: greg montalbano <greg.montalbano@ucop.edu>


  > As far as a single switch to control multiple synths, that could be easily 
  > done by using a standard footswitch to control a circuit using a 4066 type 
  > CMOS electronic switch, which could send the on/off control signals to four 
  > destinations.  You could also work something similar with an off-the-shelf 
  > relay.  Depending on how elaborate you want to get, you could also add 
  > on-off toggles to the individual outputs to control the routing.


  I was thinking of the same thing.. toggle switches for individual synths and all, except I wasn't going to use any IC's.. just get 4 pedals and nail a board across the top of them all.  :)

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sustain on the Polysix is best achieved with a MIDI retrofit.  Do add a 
local sustain function some circuit modifications would have to be done to 
either latch the gate signals or perhaps enable/disable the hold mode in 
such a way as to suggest pedal sustain.

Crow
/**/