MIDI keyboard to DIY controller?

[Klopfenpop]

So I'm wanting to make an interface that turns push button signals from a couple video game controllers into MIDI.

As far as I understand, every MIDI capable keyboard, at the very least, has this system built in (push buttons [read:keys] with MIDI signal outputing from the MIDI out port). Is there any way to use the guts of a MIDI capable keyboard, remove whatever I don't need (in my case, all but around 20 keys) and replace one by one the contacts going to the leads of each piano key (push button) and connect them to leads of a button on a videogame controller?

One problem that I don't know enough to predict may be the key sending velocity info while the video game controller button does not. Perhaps the keys are not analog push buttons, but actually sending digital information?

[MusicMan11712]

I am not a DYIer, so I cannot answer your questions, but I am wondering if you have to destroy a keyboard to do what you want.

Is your primary objective here to make use of videogame controllers you already have?

I believe that with PC controllers you can use software to generate midi data. I don't know if video game controllers can be converted for use on a PC.

--Steve

[Klopfenpop]

I'm looking just finding a cheap keyboard at goodwill.

Yeah, I either need to convert to USB or to MIDI. MIDI seems more doable.

[bod]

bit late in one this one, but some friends of mine did something similar to this a good few years ago. they use it for controlling the arkaos vj software mostly, but will work with anything midi based, and basically replaced the keys from a midi keboard with toggle switches and rehoused the whole thing.

check out http://www.thesoundsurgery.co.uk/videoswitchboard/ for details on the build, and their own site http://www.pointlesscreations.co.uk for some quality video nonsense!

happy hacking!

[MusicScienceGuy]

Look at the back issues of my blog, www.musicscienceguy.com
about 3-4 years ago I took apart a couple of keyboards and reassembled them into matirx keyboards. I "cheated" by re-using the PCBs the keyboards used, but could have wired into an array of switches. I used the existing PCB because I wanted velocity.
I could not find switches with the right properties to do velocity - one needs a precise time delay for that.
Ken.

About 18 months ago, the Axis-49 keyboards came out. They do a much better job for my purposes.

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