iPad deuce

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

On 08/03/11 14:11, Chris Strellis wrote:
>> I think ribbon, Ondes Martenot- or Trautonium-type controllers are
>> where it's at, musically. Maybe sort of like a lap steel, a fretless
>> bass or a violin. Challenging, but allows you to play glissandi,
>> vibrato, just intonation and much much more.
>
> The French Connection is expensive and uses the ring on a wire driving a
> pulley system.
>
> http://www.analoguesystems.co.uk/Reviews/fconnection_review.htm
>
>> But good solutions are extremely expensive, je croix.
>
> I don't see why. You could rig up some resistance wire, it's usually
> around 1 Ohm per cm so 1 meter length gives you 100 Ohms.  Putting 5V at
> one end and 0V at the other passes 50mA, a fair but low current which
> won't heat it (only 0.25W). Using an iron nail or metal stylus between
> the two ends gives you a variable voltage.  Run a connection wire from
> the stylus to an op-amp unity buffer and you can then drive an
> oscillator.  Even with buying a 5V PSU would only cost around 10GBP.

Years ago I was in touch with an ex-nuclear scientist who'd created an 
instrument with multiple "strings" of resistance wire. Back then, IIRC it was 
just connected up to directly control ocsillators. There've also been resistance 
ribbon-based instruments along the same lines - if you can get your hands on the 
stuff, the resistance is higher, so the electronics is a bit easier.

I think a lot of this stuff was hampered by the fact that it was built by 
engineers who weren't really tuned in to sound in the way a modern-day analogue 
afficionado might be - who is aware of the modes and possibilities within a 
musical context, and who is capable of producing good music - regardless of how 
experimental that "music" might be.

The electronics is a bit too challenging for a non-engineer, but, I'd say this 
is an excellent case where a bit of collaboration would go a long way.

Tony (HB)