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Hands-On-Physics
WAVES
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Core
Project
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- A Keyboard -
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A keyboard may be added to the tone Generator to make it into a musical (?) instrument.
A synthesizer keyboard is a series of switches that connect capacitors or resistors.
A Simple Keyboard
Figure C3a
Clipboard
This keyboard is constructed with paperclips and masking tape.
- Take four (or more) paper clips and bend up the center part just a bit.
- Lay out a strip of masking tape (about 6" long) sticky side up.
- Stick the clips onto the tape, large side down, 1 tape-width apart, perpendicular to the tape.
- Cover the base of the clips with a second piece of tape.
- lay a bare wire along the center of the (doubled) tape, so the tops of the
clips will touch it when they are pressed down.
- Hold the bare wire in place by rapping tape at the ends and between the keys (clips).
Keyboard Construction
Figure C3b
Construction details
Now the keyboard is ready to be wired for sound. The keyboard shown here has an
interesting variety of capacitors. All these capacitors will attach to the
Tone Generator in place of the single (0.1 microfarad) capacitor attached
between pin 2 and ground.
If you make a keyboard
using resistors, it will replace the 10 K Ohm resistor attached between pins 2 & 7.
- Attach a different resistor to each clip (key).
- Attach all the dangling resistor ends to one wire.
- Attach this wire (connecting all the resistors) to the tone generator.
- Attach the bare wire in the center of the keyboard to the tone generator.
Resistors are less expensive than capacitors, but a keyboard using capacitors can be
made the same way.
- Attach a different capacitor to each clip (key).
- Attach all the dangling capacitor ends to one wire.
- Attach this wire (connecting all the capacitors) to the tone generator.
- Attach the bare wire in the center of the keyboard to the tone generator.
You now have a "music" synthesizer!
These keyboards use resistors or capacitors connected in parallel. The effect will be quite
different if you build a "series" keyboard.
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