touch sensetive buttons compatable?

[tgp]

http://www.qprox.com/products/qtouch.php

http://www.qprox.com/products/qslide_qt401.php

been checking out those guys. any idea if you can get any midi data out of them and usable for our means?

doesnt look to complex, but, im not to deep into this sort of thing.

t

[smashtv]

wow great find!

The chips for the touch slider are $4.25 at Digikey.

The important questions:

1. Could many of these work without error side by side? (from the datasheet it looks like they could be tuned for this).

2. By nature they are much lower resolution than a typical fader with only 128 steps, is that enough resolution to be useable/would it be difficult to make small accurate changes in "fader" position?

This technology paired with an led strip to show position could be the motorfader replacement, make the LED strip bi-color and you could show fader position and VU meter levels at the same time on the fader.........

Would be cool to build a box with no fader slots in the panel, the ultimate road use waterproof controller!

I'll make board layouts for anyone ready to develop this into something we can test for proof-of-concept.

Some MIOS coding to read the SPI is needed (anyone interested?)

I won't pursue this further until -anyone- steps up to code for it.....I don't have those skills (yet).......

Best!

Smash

[tgp]

;D

thanks tim!

i knew the sliders werent up to par to a huge fader, espeically now with motorized ones being used in midibox applications. but it would be pretty fun to use it in a novelty type situation. where alot of steps werent needed and it was more visually interesting than precise.

but you think the touch buttons wouldnt cause a problem just by sending an on/off message?

thanks!

taylor

[rodneon]

i knew the sliders werent up to par to a huge fader, espeically now with motorized ones being used in midibox applications.

Don't discard that idea yet! I kinda like it. Does this slider use the same technology as the ribbon controllers found, for example, on the Kurzweil K2600, Roland AX-1 or Korg Triton?

I have posted questions/suggestions about a motorized organ drawbar controller, but a slider-based organ controller would be much more interesting both visually and functionally. In an application such as this, the resolution doesn't need to be any higher than 8 or 9 steps, so 128 would be more than enough.

I only wish the touch slider was transparent, so you could put 8 LEDs underneath it for an even fancier look! Any ideas on this?

By the way, speaking of Kurzweil, the ribbon controller on the Kurzweil is a really long one. Is there a way to make a ribbon controller from scratch? Better yet, a transparent one?  :)

[rodneon]

Wait! I just answered my own question. According to the Quantum Research Group website...

The QT401 can even be used with clear Indium-Tin-Oxide ('ITO') sensing elements to create LED-backlit touch zones for a very dramatic effect, or to show position after the touch is released.

I just gotta find out how to do it. Then I'll make millions and take over the world!!!  ;D  Sorry.

[sheepslinky]

Devil's advocate here (sorry),

The QT401 seems only to be available as a SOIC (a surface mounted chip). It is a real pain to solder them. However, there are SOIC to DIP IC sockets to solder them to if you do breadboarding. Aries brand makes some (seen them in the mouser catolog).

According to the datasheet, the QT401 has 1.37mm spacing (middle of pin to middle of the next one) -- that means about 1mm between the pins (a dip has .1" {about 2.5mm I think}). Be prepared to use a fine tip iron and magnifying glasses.

You might check out http://www.anatekcorp.com/smtdsldr.htm -- I've done similar with SMD chips.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I just wanted to warn people.

Most of the other Qprox chips have DIP versions. I'm fond of the idea of using the 5 button discrete type with the AIN module. No SPI to code, no microsoldering.

Lorin

[Screaming_Rabbit]

Is there a way to make a ribbon controller from scratch? Better yet, a transparent one?

... for the drawbar: Why not building your own belt controller? Should be pretty easy driving an encoder by a transparent silicone belt.

http://www.pennyandgiles.com/docGallery/85.PDF

Greets, Roger

[rodneon]

for the drawbar: Why not building your own belt controller?

I like that idea. It may be way more work than I'd be willing to put into this, but it's definitely a possibility.

[DrBunsen]

2. By nature they are much lower resolution than a typical fader with only 128 steps,

Don't MIDI CCs only have 128 values anyway?

Is there a way to make a ribbon controller from scratch?

Yep!

DIY Ribbon Controller

And the transparency story gets even better...

This also allows the device to be used as ... 'touch screen' strip over an LCD display panel

Hooray!  Touch-screen MIDIboxes!!