PC Keyboard Hack Project (On A Budget)
PC Keyboard Hack Project (On A Budget) Posted on: 15.01.2011 by Joan Kollmorgen Greetings people here is my latest venture into modding things.What I wanted to build was a button matrix controller that I could change the layout of whenever I felt like it. Because I'm on a tight budget I decided to hack a pc keyboard for the brains and because arcade buttons are out of the question at the moment I have used tactile switches instead. The whole idea of this project was to have a controller that was cheap to build and have multiple uses. This is 1 of 2 controllers that will be interlinked together totaling 80 buttons. Here are a few pics to show you where I'm going with this bearing in mind I have still got to build an outer case (the pictures shown are the insides) More to come soon | |
| Jonelle Pahulu 05.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by derschaich
i was just about to give up on the keyboard controller project and instead stick to the gamepads controllers really got down dirty with glovepie and messed up with other midi devices and whatever i could find on the internet but with no luck if it works for you then i will def. follow the steps and hopefully will work for me cant wait till i get back home and test it out ! |
| Allene Manitta 03.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by Saoudi
midi.DeviceOut = 2 midi.channel3.b1 = Joystick1.button2 midi.channel3.b2 = Joystick1.button3 midi.channel3.b3 = Joystick1.button1 midi.channel3.b4 = Joystick1.button4 midi.channel3.b5 = Joystick1.button5 midi.channel3.b6 = Joystick1.pov1up midi.channel3.b7 = Joystick1.pov1down midi.channel3.HoldPedal = MapEnsureRange(Joystick1.z, -1,1, 0,127)/127 i believe the midi.deviceout=2 is your sticking point, as i had no outs till i added this. in my case loopbe is midi device 2 (number shown in glove-pie dropdown behind the oputputs menu covering the outputs) |
| Jonelle Pahulu 02.02.2011 | Yo Extra my eyes are burning for new pics pls wow us
Originally Posted by MiL0
i might have missed something but anyways the idea of this tiny software was to select your midi playback and set it to default in windows 7 in my case wanted to set midiyoke as default but did not find it in the drop down list so instead i selected loopbe which did not work to be honest am not even sure what is not working i was half high half exhausted (that's like high x 2) but anyways i will give it another try today because this tiny software has lots power if it delivers its promises and i might find other uses of it other than DIY controller projects, btw this is the software description and link if anyone is interested: Midi Port Config P.s: there is another solution that requires editing your registry long boring one, i might give it a try |
| Jonelle Pahulu 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by MiL0
but so far i believe it wont work on win 7 ... atleast the multi keyboard thing didnt for me due to no being able to change/set the default midi playback to midiyoke but after a long search today i believe i have found the right walk around for this issue just let me try it out at home later and i will be posting results tomorrow
Originally Posted by derschaich
|
| Allene Manitta 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by MiL0
so up to 7 mice huddling over your screen! (midi output possible, too) |
| Jonelle Pahulu 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by extraclassic
apparently it did not work because of this am running windows 7 and i managed to learn the keystrokes just like you did but then the same keyboard still types "w" when i hit the letter "w" on keyboard 2 am gonna look for a way to go around this |
| Joan Kollmorgen 25.01.2011 |
Originally Posted by Saoudi
First thing you should know is that I'm using Windows XP with Traktor. As for this working on any other version of Windows I'm not sure. Second thing to note is you must have Midi Yoke or the equivalent installed. Install Midi Yoke then go to Control Panel, Sounds and Devices Properies and set Midi Music Playback device to Out To Midi Yoke: 1 (This applies to Windows XP) Glovepie has the option to allow up to 15 keyboards at the same time although I've only tested it with 2 so far. Glovepie see's your master keyboard (The one you use for typing) as keyboard 1. If you plug in another keyboard that will become keyboard 2 and so on. Because I didn't want the 2 keyboards to conflict with each other i converted all keystrokes to midi notes on keyboard 2. Here's what to do. Plug in your second keyboard and open up Glovpie. click on the GUI tab and then click choose manually That will bring you to this screen. Select your output device, midi channel, category then select a midi note and click on Detect Input. Glovepie is now waiting for you to press a key so press any Key on your second keyboard and you will see this next screen. Make sure you select keyboard 2 from the drop down list then click apply. Now It's time to test it out so click on Run and then open up Traktor and click on Preferences then Controller Manager. Add a new General Midi Device and make sure to select Midi Yoke 1 as the In Port. That's it Basically now all you gotta do now is map that key to something in Traktor. Here's the script too if it helps? This is for 40 keys on my keyboard. http://www.mediafire.com/?6a8b4o5xpcalvzc |
| Jonelle Pahulu 06.02.2011 | it finally worked and thanks goes to you derschaich but because of you i spent all evening playing with keyboards gamepads and guitars till it was time to go work ! ... now am so sleepy that i keep miss spelling and edited this reply 4 times ! thanks again derschaich you are O-some ! |
| Jonelle Pahulu 05.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by derschaich
i was just about to give up on the keyboard controller project and instead stick to the gamepads controllers really got down dirty with glovepie and messed up with other midi devices and whatever i could find on the internet but with no luck if it works for you then i will def. follow the steps and hopefully will work for me cant wait till i get back home and test it out ! |
| Allene Manitta 03.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by Saoudi
midi.DeviceOut = 2 midi.channel3.b1 = Joystick1.button2 midi.channel3.b2 = Joystick1.button3 midi.channel3.b3 = Joystick1.button1 midi.channel3.b4 = Joystick1.button4 midi.channel3.b5 = Joystick1.button5 midi.channel3.b6 = Joystick1.pov1up midi.channel3.b7 = Joystick1.pov1down midi.channel3.HoldPedal = MapEnsureRange(Joystick1.z, -1,1, 0,127)/127 i believe the midi.deviceout=2 is your sticking point, as i had no outs till i added this. in my case loopbe is midi device 2 (number shown in glove-pie dropdown behind the oputputs menu covering the outputs) |
| Kimi Umer 02.02.2011 | hehe, I want to do this too, but I'm stuck... I opened the keyboard, but I also don't know how the hell you did all the wiring... I have 28 soldering points, but how can make more buttons on one point? thanks and good luck! ;D |
| Jonelle Pahulu 02.02.2011 | Yo Extra my eyes are burning for new pics pls wow us
Originally Posted by MiL0
i might have missed something but anyways the idea of this tiny software was to select your midi playback and set it to default in windows 7 in my case wanted to set midiyoke as default but did not find it in the drop down list so instead i selected loopbe which did not work to be honest am not even sure what is not working i was half high half exhausted (that's like high x 2) but anyways i will give it another try today because this tiny software has lots power if it delivers its promises and i might find other uses of it other than DIY controller projects, btw this is the software description and link if anyone is interested: Midi Port Config P.s: there is another solution that requires editing your registry long boring one, i might give it a try |
| Arcelia Siebeneck 01.02.2011 | seems like XP is still the best choice for a lot of diy controllers at the moment (particularly if you want to use intermediary software like glovepie, etc) |
| Jonelle Pahulu 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by MiL0
but so far i believe it wont work on win 7 ... atleast the multi keyboard thing didnt for me due to no being able to change/set the default midi playback to midiyoke but after a long search today i believe i have found the right walk around for this issue just let me try it out at home later and i will be posting results tomorrow
Originally Posted by derschaich
|
| Allene Manitta 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by MiL0
so up to 7 mice huddling over your screen! (midi output possible, too) |
| Arcelia Siebeneck 01.02.2011 | does this mean that glovepie can recognise more than one mouse? and convert the 2nd mouse movements to midi? could be a good way to get a cheap platter going... nice project btw |
| Jonelle Pahulu 01.02.2011 |
Originally Posted by extraclassic
apparently it did not work because of this am running windows 7 and i managed to learn the keystrokes just like you did but then the same keyboard still types "w" when i hit the letter "w" on keyboard 2 am gonna look for a way to go around this |
| Jonelle Pahulu 29.01.2011 | thanks alot mate i knew there was something wrong with my scripting skills :P i will follow your instructions and let you know what i end up with btw i have found some great keyboards with mouse scrolls and usb ports (which is my project brain atm) if everything works fine that can open even more possibilities and endless mappings :> lets just hope i dont screw up again on the scripting thing xD thanks again extraclassic ! ... |
| Joan Kollmorgen 25.01.2011 |
I'd get a few extra sheets of vinyl , I used to be a Lighting Jock way way back, and my controller had same kinda sheeting and buttons, the holes
however on that were only around 15mm, In fairness I used to run that thing reasonably hard 4 evening s a week but would end up needing to change the membrane on it every 6 months. Although I see your controller is set up for Radio so maybe i'm pre-empting the worst :P Looks like the dogs nuts though ! Slick job so far It works out at less than 10p to print and laminate each sheet so I believe a few spares wouldn't be out of the question. Cant wait to get some color Ink too. I've been having great fun playing with these 2 layouts This ones for Torq 2 And this one for Traktor I love the fact that i can change things so easily. |
| Rolanda Clodfelder 25.01.2011 |
The empty space helps the button action because if you press right on the edge it will still activate the switch if you know what I mean?
There's no danger of warping, stretching or ripping the sheets once laminated don't forget each one of them holes is only 20mm. however on that were only around 15mm, In fairness I used to run that thing reasonably hard 4 evening s a week but would end up needing to change the membrane on it every 6 months. Although I see your controller is set up for Radio so maybe i'm pre-empting the worst :P Looks like the dogs nuts though ! Slick job so far |
| Joan Kollmorgen 25.01.2011 |
kickass mod extraclassic
love it! absolutely!
i love it but i don't understand
how will you get that many buttons out of only 26 solder points? Anyway just so you know where I'm at with this controller. At the moment I can't decide whether or not to put 2 of these units and a mixer section (made from game pads) into 1 case or keep them as separate units? |
| Joan Kollmorgen 25.01.2011 |
Originally Posted by Saoudi
First thing you should know is that I'm using Windows XP with Traktor. As for this working on any other version of Windows I'm not sure. Second thing to note is you must have Midi Yoke or the equivalent installed. Install Midi Yoke then go to Control Panel, Sounds and Devices Properies and set Midi Music Playback device to Out To Midi Yoke: 1 (This applies to Windows XP) Glovepie has the option to allow up to 15 keyboards at the same time although I've only tested it with 2 so far. Glovepie see's your master keyboard (The one you use for typing) as keyboard 1. If you plug in another keyboard that will become keyboard 2 and so on. Because I didn't want the 2 keyboards to conflict with each other i converted all keystrokes to midi notes on keyboard 2. Here's what to do. Plug in your second keyboard and open up Glovpie. click on the GUI tab and then click choose manually That will bring you to this screen. Select your output device, midi channel, category then select a midi note and click on Detect Input. Glovepie is now waiting for you to press a key so press any Key on your second keyboard and you will see this next screen. Make sure you select keyboard 2 from the drop down list then click apply. Now It's time to test it out so click on Run and then open up Traktor and click on Preferences then Controller Manager. Add a new General Midi Device and make sure to select Midi Yoke 1 as the In Port. That's it Basically now all you gotta do now is map that key to something in Traktor. Here's the script too if it helps? This is for 40 keys on my keyboard. http://www.mediafire.com/?6a8b4o5xpcalvzc |
| Shonda Soulier 25.01.2011 | i love it but i don't understand how will you get that many buttons out of only 26 solder points? |
| Allene Manitta 25.01.2011 | love it! absolutely! |
| Franklin Momany 25.01.2011 | kickass mod extraclassic |
| Jonelle Pahulu 25.01.2011 | extraclassic mate would you mind telling us more about using glovepie with 2+ keyboards (thats where am stuck at) or mind sharing the script? that would help us alot |
| Alice Kanning 16.01.2011 | I am also tryinh to do something like this, but how did u wire it up? When i opened it up, is saw 9+18 connections on the pcb, but there are much more buttons!? EDIT: sorry, missed your second post! |
| Joan Kollmorgen 16.01.2011 |
Originally Posted by MiL0
There's no danger of warping, stretching or ripping the sheets once laminated don't forget each one of them holes is only 20mm. I've already made my script in Glovepie and I mapped one of the layouts in Traktor earlier and it works great. I bought some black cast acrylic perspex a couple of weeks, just got to go and get some glue / cement? tomorrow. I've never cut this stuff before so I'm hoping all goes well. I'm going to be using my beast of a router and make a couple of jigs to make the process easier. Because I wanted the tactile switches to be evenly spaced I ended up mounting them onto stripboard for that pro finish. I'm believeing about having a go at making my own pcb's for future projects and to cut down on time. Wish me luck... More pics coming tomorrow (gotta sort some tracks out for my radio show toevening ) |
| Arcelia Siebeneck 17.01.2011 | I like the way you've created 'buttons' on top of the microswitches. One thing though - isn't there too much empty space around each microswitch? seems like if you press one of the laminated buttons on the side (rather than in the middle) you might tear/stretch the laminate since there's empty vertical space around the edges (where you've cut the circles in the wood). Sorry if I haven't explained it well! Perhaps some foam, cut to shame, would solve this? Can you show some pictures of how you've wired it all up? edit - ignore, didn't see the subsequent posts! |
| Brunilda Kora 16.01.2011 | This is great - and the photos and step-by-steps are awesome. The overlays look very cool. Look forward to reading more about this. |
| Jonelle Pahulu 16.01.2011 | great project man i was believeing of doing the same but guess am aint rushing instead i will be following you carefully ! thumbs up \o/ |
| Leeanna Ayla 16.01.2011 | Good stuff going on here. Now I'm off to find what S4 mod Archie's doing. |
| Joan Kollmorgen 16.01.2011 | Here's a few more pictures taken during the build. My first look at the insides of the keyboard. This is the part I'm after. Working it all out. All done Time to start soldering First i gave the circuit board a rub with some wire wool. Then i tinned some wires and the connections on the circuit board Next up the soldering Thank god for that Hot glue is your friend For testing purposes i connected the wires to a terminal block As you can see in the last picture I have only used half the wires. The ones taped up are for when i build the second controller. More to come soon.... |
| Lewis Stumpf 16.01.2011 | That looks wicked, following this up for sure |
| Shay Wyche 15.01.2011 |
Originally Posted by extraclassic
I don't know if I'm looking forward to it or not. |
| Random X 15.01.2011 | Nice project man! |
| Maisie Marras 15.01.2011 | i believe a black and white checker board patter on the sides would be cool. to keep in theme with the B&W pattern |
| Joan Kollmorgen 15.01.2011 | Maybe I should have stated before It works 100% and now the only thing to make is the outer case which will be black cast acrylic. |
| Maisie Marras 15.01.2011 | that looks sick! but if it doesnt work out, the novation dicers are a good alternative. for ~$100 you have 2 controllers. each with 5 buttons and 6 layers. totaling 60 buttons. map in a modifier (shift key) on each controller (to keep them independent) and now you have 120 buttons. and its responsive as hell. (LED feedback is a nice bonus too) mad props for what you did though! my suggestion is just for if you want a shit ton more buttons and the keyboards crap out on you |
| Joan Kollmorgen 15.01.2011 | Yes too true. Anyway Big ups Archie for your latest diy s4 project. |
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