MIDIbox KB - Will it work?

[rjbudo]

Hello:

 

I am interested in the MIDIbox KB, but I need some help to convince me that it will work with my keybed.

 

Keybed Model: Fatar

Year: 1993

Keys: 88

Velocity sensing: Yes

Velocity sense contacts: one normally closed contact and one normally open contact at idle (so-called Type #3, alternating switch on the MIDIbox KB page).

 

Based on combining the "Fatar DF Type with 88 keys" example and the "Two 'Refurbished Organ' keyboards with 63 keys" example, I think that the configuration would be:

• set kb 1 note_offset 21
• set kb 1 rows 12                           (the commands descriptions would lead me to believe that this should/could be 11)
• set kb 1 velocity on
• set kb 1 optimized off
• set kb 1 dout_sr1 1
• set kb 1 dout_sr2 2
• set kb 1 din_sr1 1
• set kb 1 din_sr2 2
• set kb 1 din_key_offset 40
• set kb 1 din_inverted off
• set kb 1 break_inverted on
• set kb 1 delay_fastest 50
• set kb 1 delay_slowest 1000
• store

Will this work for my situation?

 

Thank you,

 

Rick

 

 

 

[TK.]

Hi Rick,

 

I believe that 12 rows is the correct value, because the number of selection lines must be dividable by 2 (one selection line for break, the other one for make)

Also the schematic shows 12 rows...

 

I adapted the command description accordingly, the calculation example was probably too confusing.

 

Let us know if the MBKB firmware is working at your side! :smile:

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[rjbudo]

Hello, again:

Following up on my previous post, I now have a questions about how to up hook my keybed.

My keybed was manufactured by Fatar around 1993 (it is out of an old Peavey DPM 488 synthesizer). It has 88 keys with normally-closed and normally-open contacts. The interface is a 40-pin cable with lines labeled (per Peavey schematics): RET0..RET7, SENDT0..SENDT10, SENDB0..SENDB10 and the rest of the 40 pins not connected. I have attached a schematic.

Because my keybed is not the more contemporary Fatar DR or DF style contacts, it is not separated into "left" and "right" portions, and because it has 88 keys, none of the examples I see on the www.ucapps.de web site seem to apply.

Questions:

1) Do I have enough I/O ports with only one MBHP_DIO_MATRIX module?

2) Given the right number of MBHP_DIO_MATRIX modules, how do these 30 "signal" lines from the keybed connect to the MBHP_DIO_MATRIX?

I am presently collecting all of the parts to build an MBHP_CORE_LPC17 and one MBHP_DIO_MATRIX module.

Thank you in advance for helping me.

Rick

[TK.]

Hi Rick,

 

I guess that the SEND* pins have to be connected to DOUTs, and the RET pins to DINs.

There are 12 SEND pins (0..11) for "break", and 12 SEND pins (0..11) for "make". But the MBHP_DIO_MATRIX module only provides 12 output pins.

 

The solution would be to chain two MBHP_DIO_MATRIX modules, and to configure two keyboards. Because each keyboard can only scan 16 rows (but you need 24 rows)

By increasing the note_offset value of the second keyboard, you will get a continuous note range.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.