Hello,
My tech for my piano has given me an orphaned action for a Yamaha concert grand, which he named the Orphan Annie action. I'd like to use it for a practice MIDI piano (I do much of my practice early in the morning when I can't play my grand). I can buy expensive optical actions for full pianos, but I have an idea for a better and cheaper approach, which is to install FSR's that the hammers will hit, and a switch sensor for when the dampers let down. He is finding a salvaged damper rail set for me - that will send the 'note off', the FSR's will send Note ON and measured velocity to the sampled piano (Ivory vII). I can build a nice simple case for it.
So the idea is the the hammers then bounce off a sensor instead of a string, for near perfect emulation of touch and response.
Here is an earlier thread on the subject, and of course here is the general documentation.
OK then, so here's my idea. I'll use the following
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/interlink-electronics/30-81794/1027-1001-ND/2476468
Sensors are the expensive part, I can cut up a cheaper one and mess with that but I'm fine with buying individual ones, as long as it works.
Questions
Thanks for help -
My tech for my piano has given me an orphaned action for a Yamaha concert grand, which he named the Orphan Annie action. I'd like to use it for a practice MIDI piano (I do much of my practice early in the morning when I can't play my grand). I can buy expensive optical actions for full pianos, but I have an idea for a better and cheaper approach, which is to install FSR's that the hammers will hit, and a switch sensor for when the dampers let down. He is finding a salvaged damper rail set for me - that will send the 'note off', the FSR's will send Note ON and measured velocity to the sampled piano (Ivory vII). I can build a nice simple case for it.
So the idea is the the hammers then bounce off a sensor instead of a string, for near perfect emulation of touch and response.
Here is an earlier thread on the subject, and of course here is the general documentation.
OK then, so here's my idea. I'll use the following
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/interlink-electronics/30-81794/1027-1001-ND/2476468
- $120 4 Teensy 3.6's (24 analog + digital on/off) for 88 keys
- $485 100 (bulk order) FSR 400 Series sensors (data sheet)
Sensors are the expensive part, I can cut up a cheaper one and mess with that but I'm fine with buying individual ones, as long as it works.
Questions
- There was an earlier discussion of the scan rate but it seems like the 3.6 might be OK. I'll interleave the controllers (123412341234...) because fast notes are typically near each other (trills), so different controllers watch those notes. Any issues with this?
- Any way to gang the outputs together for one USB connection?
- Thoughts on the digital switch for detecting the damper down/note off?
Thanks for help -
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