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Why not use pc keyboards as input devices?


mikee
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I actually do that. I have a POS keyboard with loads of big, colored, custom labeled buttons to control my DAW. If you ripped out the internals and replaced them with a core module and some DINs/DOUTs you could turn it into a nice MIDI controller. A lot of the POS keyboards come with cherry switches that would allow you to add LEDs as well. So yeh, it's doable, but you'll end up with only buttons. And having some faders/pots/encoders is a really handy thing to have :-)

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Thanks for the input everyone.

 

Thorsten you are correct for PC keyboards, althought I seem to remember a long time ago that some keyboards actually had a lamp fitted to each keycap - admittadly the keyboard was probably designed for a special purpose .

 

Nasruden I agree, although I'm not sure if more than one button is ever detected in MB.  A small delay I could live with.

 

nILS you mentioned a name I have not heard for a long time: Cherry keyboards: I would love to find an old one to plug in my PC. Excellent action, and dpdt (double pole double throw) to boot! I have lots of analogue controls, but I am experimenting with the minumum possible panel space: use switches increment up down, depending on a 'shift' button.  Convert button presses into CC data. That sort of thing.

 

Regards all.

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