How To Get One Keyboard To Play The Sounds Of Another ?

[worldwalker]

I need to find out how to get one keyboard to play ..


Well.. my problem is already desribed in the topic, so no need to do that again.

i know that the procedure is different for all the different kind of keyboards, what i really need is some hints as to where i should make some sort of general connection between the two, if such a thing is possible.

So if you are reading this and has some input on the matter. please write.

Thanks

Maartin

[BobTheDog]

How about a midi lead:

http://www.leadsdirect.co.uk/productinfo/midileads.html

[Sam_Zen]

Welcome.
I'll skip software solutions like MIDI for the moment. The hardware situation :

When coupling two keyboards together, it's necessary to have the circuit design of both.
And check out how the actual keys are doing their job. Every key is a switch.
Switches can be bridged by another switch.
This could be complicated, needing a galvanic separation, or simple.

If a key means a connection to ground in the circuit, a bridging could be done by connecting one key via a diode to the other key-point.
Of course the ground of power should be common.

[Lofi Ninja]

You can do it without circuit bending anything aswell..
You need a Ringmod.. Here's a vid I made with 2 keyboards and a DIY passive ringmod. You can control the pitch aswell..
One keyboard should output something, say a drum pattern
and then you use the other keyboard to control that.. Anyways have a look..

[worldwalker]

Thanks for the suggetions and help people.

Now im off to get a ring mod.

But first: to learn what it is called in Danish

[Lofi Ninja]

Build your own instead!

The one I built is this one:
http://www.cgs.synth.net/modules/cgsrr.html

If you want a comercial one your probably only going to find the Moog Moogerfooger102 at 300 USD.. Crazy expensive..
http://www.moogmusic.com/moogerfooger/?section=product&product_id=6

I think the only difference of the moogerfooger and the DIY one is that it has a built in LFO on the carrier... You can build that yourself aswell..

[worldwalker]

i will try that out.. i also heard that some old radios has a ring modulator inside them .. Though i have yet to see what they are all about

[Lofi Ninja]

I'm not sure about them having an actual ringmod inside them, but many older boomboxes and radios have audio transformers inside. Just the other day I took apart an old ghettoblaster/boombox from the 80's and it had 2 pairs of audio transformers inside.. Score.. You don't need the specifications to be super close to the ones used on the site.. The pair I used for my ringmod was not close to those specs. But keep the pairs identical and it should work just fine. Also germanium diodes are not a must-have, but they will make a much better sound. I used silicon becase I didn't have germanium..

[stolenfat]

im glad some one finally confirms that you dont need geranium diodes. never tried the passive ring mod cause i never could find no geranium diodes.

thanks lofi!

[badstatic]

You can quite often 'cross modulate' digital gear with other digital gear such as casio sk's / roland tr-505's / alesis and kawai drum machines, etc..

You just need to connect the machine's sound roms to each other (with something metal like a wire), and play about until you find something that sounds cool. .

I can use my casio sk to 'play' my various drum machines on an electronic level. The sound which comes out is totally unlike either the drum machine or the SK !

Search youtube for - 'alien cross-modulation casio sk-5' for a rather extreme example of some of the sounds you can get.........

This is where you'll see the advantage of a 'bolt-bay' or one of those ugly looking (is it an audio cable or isn't it?) RCA patchbays. Just remember to connect the GROUND of both machines together, or it won't work.