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Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Effects Units => Topic started by: NewBender on September 08, 2008, 07:21:27 PM

Title: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: NewBender on September 08, 2008, 07:21:27 PM
Does anyone know how i can make a homemade ribbon controller?

I bought a sound generator kit from quasar electronics and all it is is an oscillator controlled by a frequency pot. In an attempt to make it a bit more of an instrument i have circuit bent it with some okay bends but nothing special, but to really make it different i want to replace the pot with a homemade ribbon.

I tried this with just putting a big piece of metal in but the metal had to low resistance to make any change in the frequency so im wondering if anybody has done it before or knows a good thing to use? 
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: Circuitbenders on September 08, 2008, 07:47:26 PM
I'm sure i read somewhere that video tape sometimes does the job if you somehow connect a contact to one end move another contact up and down the tape
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: egr on September 08, 2008, 08:49:20 PM
I'm sure i read somewhere that video tape sometimes does the job if you somehow connect a contact to one end move another contact up and down the tape

Alright, now I definately am going to have to try THAT!  ;D
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: bent sam on April 18, 2009, 11:10:39 AM
I think you can do this with a strips of metal on top of ,but not touching, some kind of conducting resistance material (like graphite or some kind of carbon)

then if you put some non conducting plastic on top of the both of them this should work like a variable resistor/ ribbon controller

i did try this before and it does work
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: Gordonjcp on April 18, 2009, 04:34:33 PM
Maybe resistance wire and some sort of Wheatstone bridge.
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: peter on May 26, 2009, 11:23:28 PM
check this:

http://www.angelfire.com/music2/theanalogcottage/ribcont.htm

http://asmidius.googlepages.com/

Hope this will help you out!
Title: Re: Homemade ribbon controllers
Post by: jamiewoody on April 25, 2010, 01:29:56 AM
this is SO IRONIC!!!

there was once a progressive rock band in western north carolina called WHEATSTONE BRIDGE!

the bass player of that band, whom i am close friends with, told me of the korg triton keyboard, which sports a ribbon controller!  ::) ;D :D