Circuitbenders Forum

Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Synths & Samplers => Topic started by: goldenbaby on April 17, 2009, 06:07:23 AM

Title: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: goldenbaby on April 17, 2009, 06:07:23 AM
Hey, it was cheap, and this thing was so miniature and cute.  Doesn't have a real name, or manufacturer, except China.  Pretty hard to identify.  The casing is so incredibly cheap.  Either this Chinese artifact is gonna be a great CBO, or not able to be bent at all....I guess we'll see.

(http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs019.snc1/3022_76593187266_572677266_2190767_2257249_n.jpg)

-25 keys
-Monophonic, single tone
-Function (Play | Store), Volume and Power switches.

Very basic, but I particularly like the low-bit sound it has.  A very piercing tone.  The keyboard is about a 12"x3"x1," so possibly great for stuffing in a back pack while you travel. ;c)
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: the_zombiest on April 17, 2009, 01:57:13 PM
I've got one of these.
I wouldn't get too excited.
It smells toxic and those sweatshop kids have done a lousy job with the wiring.

It's resistor-based for the keys, so it could possibly make a good addition to another, better toy.
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: Matt the Modulator on April 20, 2009, 09:57:05 PM
If it has a resistor strip for the keys then iam sure it will be a voltage controlled oscillator and so an analog circuit NO glitchy digital sounds  :(. Replace the strip of resistors with a pot try a 2m2 for some deep low Frequency action! 
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: goldenbaby on April 27, 2009, 06:28:21 AM
If it has a resistor strip for the keys then iam sure it will be a voltage controlled oscillator and so an analog circuit NO glitchy digital sounds  :(. Replace the strip of resistors with a pot try a 2m2 for some deep low Frequency action! 

Instead of replacing the strip, can't I just add a pot before, and have control-ability over the pitch of the set of keys?
That would seem more versatile to me than replacing the strip, and having a keyboard in which only the pot does anything.
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: noystoise on April 27, 2009, 07:27:25 AM
i haven't had this particular model, but i've had others like it. the thing about those resistor notes is that the values are all relative to the voltage going into them. if you change the pitch, the notes wont likely work like a standard keyboard anymore. i could be wrong about yours though. does it actually record and play back tunes, or is that an empty switch there? if it does, that could be verrry interesting. i could think of a few things you could do with a function like that.
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: goldenbaby on April 27, 2009, 07:42:34 PM
The Play and Store functions is just to switch between regular mode and the demo.  The demo plays at very high notes, which are not on the keyboard.  It'd be nice if I could get those notes out of this guy.
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: Circuitbenders on April 27, 2009, 08:06:55 PM
Buy as many of them as you can afford, stack up the oscillators and wire up an external CV input in place of the keyboards. Detune each one slightly with a trimmer pot and voila!

A monster analogue kind of supersaw module with CV control.
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: noystoise on April 28, 2009, 02:41:05 AM
The Play and Store functions is just to switch between regular mode and the demo.  The demo plays at very high notes, which are not on the keyboard.  It'd be nice if I could get those notes out of this guy.
oh. that's too bad. i dont know what kind of demo chip is on yours but if it is one of those t092 transistor looking things, you can starve the voltage to it and get some interesting versions of "its a small world". :'(
Title: Re: "25 Keys Electronic Keyboard"
Post by: mr ibrahiem on April 29, 2009, 05:19:14 PM
I dont think they are that good myself and i know as where i live is notorious for these turning up every where