Building a Midicontroller KB

[SounDuke]

Is it possible to build a 61 keys midicontroller using MBHP? how to connect the keys? Thank you for your help ;)

[uclaros]

Hi!

Sure you can!

All you need is a Core and two DIN boards!

You will connect each key to an input of the DIN boards, 32x2=64 keys!

Check www.ucapps.de for info!

[moebius]

But still no velocity..

Bye, Moebius

[SounDuke]

Good! Tahnks :D   And where to buy keys?

[SounDuke]

I forgot an important question:  If I add an USB module, I can connect the midibox  to my computer for power supply right?

[moebius]

Hi.

Good! Tahnks :D   And where to buy keys?

Good question ;) I think that best answer is.. CASIO ;) or any other 80's home keyboard you can find cheap from eBay, newspaper classified ads, pawn shop..

Then again, those are probably matrix scanned keyboards, so I would advice you to wait for TK to finish coding matrix scanning routines, see: http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=midification;action=display;num=1084557362 It's also easier, as you don't need to wire switch per key..

You might be able to supply midibox with USB power, but be careful as USB is rated 500mA max..

Bye, Moebius

[TK.]

And where to buy keys?

thats the point - where to buy keys? Well, I guess that you won't be able to buy a single keyboard w/o the electronic parts, and especially you won't save money by doing so.

My suggestion: try to find an old keyboard at EBay and add a MIDIbox to the Out port. MIOS provides an integrated MIDI merger, so that notes of the keyboard as well as controllers (or any other MIDI events) from the MIDIbox are part of the MIDI Out data of the MIDIbox.

Behind the MIDIbox you can add a MBHP_USB module.

Here two keyboard mods - take it as inspiration:

Best Regards, Thorsten.

FAQMARKER

[SounDuke]

Thanks again.  One last thing:  sorry for my lack of knowledge, "MATRIX SCANNED" is how the PIC will recognize bits?  I don't know if I'm doing a good work  :o

My idea is to connect every key to an input on the DIN. The PIC in the core will receive only ON or OFF state (that's because Moebius said no velocity right?). So how do it recognizes I pressed a C3 or a D2? In other words, how the pic sends out noteON messages corresponding to the right key I pressed? Do I have to modify something in the hardware or her majesty MIOS provides?  Thanks!

Cheers,

- SounDuke

[TK.]

The way how the software has to handle a keyboard (note on/off and velocity) really depends on the hardware - there are different methods and all require different code. Currently there is no ready made solution for handling velocity, and there is no keyboard scan routine available yet (this is planned for the next weeks). Currently the only way is to use MIDIO128 to handle with up to 128 keys, each key connected to a dedicated signal line.

However, the reason why no code is available is just that a ready made keyboard is always less expensive...

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[SounDuke]

very quick answer ;). thanks

[TK.]

One last thing, just to clarify: you are re-using the electronic of an existing keyboard. Means: you don't need MIDIO128, you don't need shift register inputs for every key, you are just connecting the MIDI out of this electronic to the MIDI In of the MIDIbox. And if the keyboard electronic supports velocity, you will have velocity...

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[SounDuke]

Yes, but I'm not going to take the easy way out: My will is to have a VERY personalized Midi keyboard, so I will not reuse old midikeyboard as you  suggested: If I have to, I'll use coffee spoons as Keys :D