Circuitbenders Forum

Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Synths & Samplers => Topic started by: Gleix on August 14, 2009, 11:14:46 AM

Title: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: Gleix on August 14, 2009, 11:14:46 AM
This isn't circuit bending, but I really wanted to share it! Paul, feel free to move this topic if you feel it's in the wrong spot.

Today I found this guy at the thrift store for $3.

(http://cheezer999.googlepages.com/toykeyboard1.jpg)

Ugly as all get out, not sturdy at all but has a very interesting sound.  It's a little actual mechanical "toy" piano. Some of the keys would stick or didn't work at all soooo...

(http://cheezer999.googlepages.com/toykeyboard2.PNG)

Took the entire thing apart, gave all the keys a nice bath, and replaced every piece of foam with a cut-to-size piece of a cut up sponge.

But it's missing something... it's still ugly as hell! So I took it all outside with my favorite paints :]

(http://cheezer999.googlepages.com/toykeyboard3.PNG)

(http://cheezer999.googlepages.com/toykeyboard4.jpg)

It's my badass little dark fluorescent watermelon flavoured piano now!

Here's a little video of what it sounds like: http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=168brwz&s=3 (http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=168brwz&s=3)


Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: noystoise on August 14, 2009, 11:51:13 AM
nice! all it needs now is an output
Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: Gleix on August 14, 2009, 12:07:31 PM
Considering sticking a little contact mic in there...
Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: phantompowers on August 14, 2009, 12:20:22 PM
Nice! I like that a lot.
Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: Gordonjcp on August 20, 2009, 07:23:11 PM
That sounds awesome.  It reminds me a bit of the "toy piano" sound in The Chemical Brothers - "My Elastic Eye"...
Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: LoFi-Ninja on August 20, 2009, 09:18:16 PM
Nice.. I love the sound of chimes.. getlofi had an entry about toy piano a little while ago.. http://www.getlofi.com/?p=1879 (http://www.getlofi.com/?p=1879)
Title: Re: A neat little mechanical "toy piano"
Post by: ne7 on August 21, 2009, 10:22:02 PM
hehe brill - i've got a little toy piano that works in a kinda bizzarro way (keys hit very large metal rods via cardboard strips, some of which have disintegrated over time that connect to other smaller rods - if that makes sense) that i'm sorting out atm too :D will pop up a pic or two soon...
groovy paint job :D