555 Toy Organ Octave (13-keys) build question?

[auden100]

Great little project to be on. I have a notion to one day build a couple of these hooked up to a homemade ribbon controller, then box it up like a guitar with a bunch of knobs. Still have a lot of planning yet, but you've given me some solid information.

[fuzzo]

I'd opt for little momentary norm-off spst pushbuttons. One of the few things I'd buy from the RatShack.

You can hack an old keyboard that doesn't work and use 1 or 2 octaves off of it, or you can use Arcade buttons, micro switches, any momentary Normally Open SPST push button that doesn't require too much push force basically...If you can't get the keys from a keyboard, arcade buttons might be a good option...I also found these mini squared momentary SPST buttons in white and black that I may give a try, though I think the push force on them is about .3kg...An arcade button only requires about 50 - 75 grams of push force....Hope this helps

Have you tried more about those mini switches ? I had a similar idea for a synth keyboard made of a dead midi keyboard . I was planing using micros switches as well . The mechanical aspect was good (the key presses the switch) but I had some doubts if they'll be solid enough to keep working .

[Jasonmatthew911]

Great little project to be on. I have a notion to one day build a couple of these hooked up to a homemade ribbon controller, then box it up like a guitar with a bunch of knobs. Still have a lot of planning yet, but you've given me some solid information.

I can tell you that each 555, with the part values I'm using can be tuned for a  19 Note range (from C - to next F#), about a 1 and a half octave range...The frequency or octaves can be tailored with the values of R1, C1, & C2...I will tune mine from C - C and then have an Octave up or back down switch.....

[Jasonmatthew911]

I'd opt for little momentary norm-off spst pushbuttons. One of the few things I'd buy from the RatShack.

You can hack an old keyboard that doesn't work and use 1 or 2 octaves off of it, or you can use Arcade buttons, micro switches, any momentary Normally Open SPST push button that doesn't require too much push force basically...If you can't get the keys from a keyboard, arcade buttons might be a good option...I also found these mini squared momentary SPST buttons in white and black that I may give a try, though I think the push force on them is about .3kg...An arcade button only requires about 50 - 75 grams of push force....Hope this helps

Have you tried more about those mini switches ? I had a similar idea for a synth keyboard made of a dead midi keyboard . I was planing using micros switches as well . The mechanical aspect was good (the key presses the switch) but I had some doubts if they'll be solid enough to keep working .

Piano keys with rubber contacts are probably the best solution, if you want that soft sensitive touch kind of feel...Plus keys are way easier to play and the rubber contact option is probably an even better option than micro switches, so that you don't get any kind of pop or click sounds when you push on them....I noticed that even arcade buttons have a little light pop sound, and they use micro switches, but this is kind of a Lo-Fi electronic toy piano project, which I could use as an external instrument to feed into another ring mod/APC Oscillator/LoFi Delay noise making device I'm making as well, or use it on it's own, maybe even add a PT2399 Lo-Fi Delay to it for giggles...

For a moment I was considering the use of (12) 555 chips, I could do chords and tuning would be very easy since you could tailor each chip separately...haha....For sure you can't run it on batteries...Seems like too many chips though, maybe a waste, and not sure if it would have stability issues if that many 555's are sharing the same supply rail...

[joelindsey]

For a moment I was considering the use of (12) 555 chips, I could do chords and tuning would be very easy since you could tailor each chip separately...haha....For sure you can't run it on batteries...Seems like too many chips though, maybe a waste, and not sure if it would have stability issues if that many 555's are sharing the same supply rail...

If you go that far, you might as well get yourself a few extra octaves with a 4024 or 4040 divider for each oscillator. Mix a couple octaves together before the key switch to get a nice full sound, add a switchable filter or two and you'll have yourself a genuine home made combo organ! Don't forget an LFO going into pin 5 of the 555's for vibrato!