Removing keyboard from synth

Electronicant · Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 81 Location: North

Hi, anyone who has experiences of removing the keyboard from a synth? if I find the keyboard bad but the synth good, would I be able to build a synth module (midi-controlled) of it? any special aspects to take into consideration?

kkissinger · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:31 pm Post subject:

For starters... what kind of synth is it?

Is it analog or digital?

Why is the keyboard bad? Perhaps the contacts can be cleaned and the keyboard would be ok.

Electronicant · Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 81 Location: North

Hi,

It´s no special synth. It´s a future project, and the reasons is in the first hand it´s a design project and I have both analog and digital synths in mind. When I say bad keyboard I mean bad feel when playing them, because some have a bad feel from the beginning. I would then definately play the synth from another keyboard. Would it be possibe to do this without distroying anything or does it mean permanent changes?

seraph · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:05 pm Post subject:

Electronicant · Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 81 Location: North

kkissinger · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:36 pm Post subject:

OK, sorry for misunderstanding your question.

Indeed, you can design a synth that can be controlled from external sequencers, keyboards, etc.

For instance, PAIA electronics doesn't supply a keyboard. Their analog synthesizers utilize a MIDI-to-CV converter.

Good luck on your design project.

Electronicant · Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 81 Location: North

Ok, I didn´t mean to build up a synthesizer from basic or using modulars, but just make that change of an existing synth.

Mikmo · Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject:

I think that many MIDI keyboards can have the keyboard removed and the electronics rehoused without destroying them.

I know this has been done, but i can't recommend a specific keyboard for your project.

jksuperstar · Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:40 pm Post subject:

I did this with my nord G2, worked fine (by accident of course). Many keyboards even make it easy for you: the Keyboard component is typically sourced from some other company, so they come with a 20 pin .1" connector (or similar, or even multiple). So all you have to do is unplug it. Most keyboards are made of two switches per key: the timing of how they close gives the velocity or release timing. So, it's likely that the electronics won't even know the keyboard has been removed, it'll just keep scanning for a keypress.

(since I don't really play keyboards, I thought my nord could use a more suitable interface for myself, like pads for drumming, knobs, sliders, sequencer, etc.)