Isomorphism FTW

[BJG145]

Not really a fan of the Joyst JV-1, but I'm a chronicler. We're meant to be impartial. So...



Kickstarter

The walnut edition isn't so bad.

[Martin Walker]

The walnut edition isn't so bad.

Now that's positively tasty!

Martin

[ManFromGlass]

Impartial? Me? Never! I am guided by what I perceive as inspiration potential and a bit of fun factor!

[BJG145]

Polyhedra have released a new isomorphic keyboard app called Formkey.

https://www.formkey.app/



(Other software options include Musix Pro by Shiverware, and the free sequencer Hexcel for Reaktor.)

PS

Since the image links in the original post are now broken, I wonder if a moderator might be kind enough to replace them with working ones such as these.

https://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/p ... 188192.jpg

https://www.woodbrass.com/images/SQUARE ... H+S+BK.JPG

[zenguitar]

Just worked through the thread and the links in the OP are working fine for me.

Andy

[BJG145]

...thanks Zen. When I look at this in Chrome, the first post looks like this...


...missing the image for the Rainboard and the small Dualo. In Firefox, the Rainboard shows but the small Dualo still doesn't.

Actually those two replacement URLs I posted above don't seem to work any better, but I've put them on Imgur and they work from there with img tags.

https://i.imgur.com/6rEdPjJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4pa998x.jpg

[zenguitar]

The second one wasn't working when looked again. So I've replaced both as requested and they appear to be working fine now for me.

Andy

[BJG145]

[BJG145]

Here's a video from yesterday with Mike Battaglia playing a bit of Herbie Hancock in 31-TET on the wonderful microtonal Lumatone.

https://youtu.be/gKT3W2aF4LA

This thing has 280 analogue keys which work with Hall effect sensors. I picked up a couple of these on eBay and have been trying to figure out the mechanism with Arduino...no luck yet, it's a work in progress...

[Drew Stephenson]

It's amazing how quickly my mind goes from 'equal temperament sounds weird' to 'that sounds really harmonious'.
Seems to take about 30 seconds to reset.

[BJG145]

This was today's project. The gadget du jour is an Axis 49; currently practising this on buses and trains.



They're out of production, but I thought I'd try and make a copy of one. So today I started by modelling one of the buttons.





It's only a small start, but I'm quite pleased with that so far.

[Martin Walker]

Wow - is there nothing you won't tackle Ben?

(answers on a postcard please to the usual address)

Martin

[Folderol]

That looks very nice

[BJG145]

I've been looking out for the rare/discontinued Axis 64 for years now. I thought I might be within reach when one turned up at Vemia a few weeks ago, but was outbid at £1100, plus fees and delivery. That's just too much.

There's another one for sale at the moment on Reverb, but it's even dearer at £126K...

...behold the original prototype for the Axis 64. Now, that's cool.



https://reverb.com/uk/item/47445296-the ... ru-axis-64

* * * * * *

There are currently only two hexagonal MIDI controllers commercially available; the Lumatone and the Microzone, both well over $3K. But I still think the Axis 64 had something special going for it, and I'm daydreaming about trying to build a clone. I think I found just the keys for it.

https://wooting.io/lekker

This is a new Hall-effect analogue key in the Cherry MX format. (The Lumatone uses Hall-effect keys. These produce a continuous range of values rather than on/off, thus velocity.)

To my surprise, I recently found these are already available to order, and comparatively cheap. I've ordered half a dozen to start with, though if this works out I'll need a few hundred more. (And a crash course in Arduino key-scanning libraries.)

[Folderol]

Looks very interesting. Where are they actually available from?

[BJG145]

Looks very interesting. Where are they actually available from?

I originally came across these optical ones...think they might be out of production and selling off old stock, though I'm not sure. (I'm also not certain if these are entirely self-contained, or if they're just part of the sensing mechanism.)

https://wooting.store/products/analog-f ... s-big-pack

I contacted them via the address on that page to ask, and they suggested the Hall-effect ones instead, although I don't see them advertised anywhere. But they let me order half a dozen which are apparently now on the way.

Here's a blog from a few years back where they describe the different technologies.

https://blog.wooting.nl/analog-input-te ... keyboards/

They produce "gaming keyboards" where individual keys provide a range of analogue values for use with compatible software, but potential applications seem much wider, and I think they're hoping they'll catch on.

It's very difficult to find light, comfortable buttons which can be used to deliver velocity information, so they could be onto something.

* * * *

Assuming they work...what's the best way to sample the state of a couple of hundred of them with a Teensy to get note-on velocity values?

(The original Axis used a custom silicon-rubber overlay with concentric carbon contacts. Velocity was calculated from the timing between the two consecutive connections.)



*edit*

...oh, looking at those keys again, I don't reckon they include the Hall-effect sensor, just the magnet that activates it. In the same way, I think those Flaretech optical keys only have half the equation.

Never mind; still interesting. If this is the case, you can pick up bundles of Hall-effect sensors fairly cheap if you know what type you want. Hopefully they can advise.

[BJG145]

It's been a long wait, but I logged into Reverb this morning for my routine check for interesting new MIDI controllers, and this flashed up, listed a few hours previously.



I didn't hesitate for long; I knew it would be gone in a day or two. They rarely appear, could be another year until another one turns up, and I've waited long enough for one of these.

First thing I'll do is peel off those dumb note stickers, then get to work on the Harmonic Table.

[resistorman]

Nice!

[Martin Walker]

Well done Ben - all things come to those that wait eh?

[Guest]

Nice one.

I have one of the 49 ones somewhere, I wonder where it is...