If i took an old computer keyboard...

loren! · Post by **loren!** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 8:20 am

could I cut it open, rearrange the keys into a more practical arrangement, and put it back together, makeing my own controler? has anyone done this? does it work?

serotoninsteve · Post by **serotoninsteve** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 12:40 pm

Good idea, should work!

Greetings

Steve

arzuaga · Post by **arzuaga** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:15 pm

loren! wrote:could I cut it open, rearrange the keys into a more practical arrangement, and put it back together, makeing my own controler? has anyone done this? does it work?

and how would you write a simple email? or can you connect more to 1 keyboard to your PC and with both of them control Live?

maybe I am saying something stupid...

Sly One · Post by **Sly One** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:18 am

AFAIK, you can gonnect two keynoards and both will work. One will need to be USB though.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:14 am

one great thing about this is that lives qwerty assign is case sensitive.

i have a usb KB that i plug into my laptop and keep on caps for more keys to assign.

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:52 am

why not use something like a game controller, it may be simpler !

check out this thread from a long long time ago
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=19337

supster · Post by **supster** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:43 pm

Angstrom wrote:why not use something like a game controller, it may be simpler !

check out this thread from a long long time ago
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=19337

I just ordered the PS2 --> USB adaptor to hook my Playstation controller up to controll 2 XY axis and 16 functions

But the custom keyboard idea is a good one as well ... hmm ...

Front Line Assault · Post by **Front Line Assault** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 9:07 am

I tried this with my Apple Pro Keyboard. Here are my steps for making a practical setup for a keyboard controller.

1 - Get a keyboard that you can remove the keys from by poping them out.
2 - Get some spray paint, "black and green for this live 4 controller"
3 - Take out the keys
4 - Spray paint the keys Green and spray paint the keyboard board black.

5 -only put back the keys this tells you to ....put back the keys like this...

Live only accepts the letter areas for controlling, but we will keep a few other keys like the tab are and the caps lock for doubling our controller.

For a basic 6 row from right to left keyboard "Apple Pro is a good example"

KEY --- O = NO KEY ///// [ANYTHING] = KEY ///// - = key section divisions ///// X = no place for a key.

O-OOOO-OOOO-OOOO--OOO--OOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO--OOO--OOOO
[CONTROL][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]OOOO--OOO--OOOO
[CAPSLOCK][F1][F2][F3][F4][F5][F6][F7][F8][F9]--XXX--OOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOO--XOX--OOOX
OOO[SPACEBAR]OOO--OOO--OXOO

6- enjoy your new black and green keyboard controller. matching colors of ableton live will brighten your spirits!

nexus-6 · Post by **nexus-6** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 10:24 am

hi i am also thinking to hook another keyboard on to my lap-top,and use it to control live 4,but what can you control with that keyboard??

nexus-6 · Post by **nexus-6** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 10:37 am

front line

i was thinking if you could show us some pictures of your project??that would be cool??

another question is there a way too build some knobs in too the keyboard??

Front Line Assault · Post by **Front Line Assault** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:45 am

no, keyboards can only send midi messages that are ether 0 or 127, or on or off. they are just sensor pads.

and i can't post pictures but i can make a diagram in photoshop.. ill post it tomorrow.

Lo-Fi Massahkah · Post by **Lo-Fi Massahkah** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:01 am

Curious!

beamsville · Post by **beamsville** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:24 pm

I'd recommend you have a look at the Nostromo Speedpad (intended for gaming), made by Belkin.

It's a small USB keyboard for one hand... each key can be mapped to what ever key you desire, using the driver. In fact, I believe that even *sequences* of keys can be mapped to a single Speedpad key.

Anyway, it's cheap, and easily configurable using the driver.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP ... Id=157024#

Cheers

doki_pen · Post by **doki_pen** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:58 am

dude, i really like this idea.

what i like is

1) keyboards are friggin cheap

2) you don't have to load any driver or anything to work with the interface, one less things to worry about causing a conflict and possibly locking up your laptop playing live.

thanks for thinking outside the box

Jon

beamsville · Post by **beamsville** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:42 pm

readers of this thread might be interested in this hardware:

http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-16045-1608-x-x-x

looks pretty cool!

If i took an old computer keyboard...

If i took an old computer keyboard...

Re: If i took an old computer keyboard...

what can you control with that keyboard??

can we see pictures??

interesting hardware