This is a project that I have been improving for several years.
I have always loved hacking, building, soldering, assembling electronics.
My musical inspirations have always been nourished by rock and guitars on one side, and synthesizers on the other side …
My biggest frustration was not being able to play both guitar and synthesizer at the same time.
For a little over 10 years, I have been working on a controller system, placed behind the neck of a guitar, which allows with a simple touch from the thumb, behind the neck, to control and send notes to a synthesizer.
After more than ten versions, I finally have a working prototype. Here is what it looks like:
Prototype for a double controller (one at octave 0 and the other at -3 octave for big bass)
I don`t know anything like this, so I think this could be interesting.
But you should offer maybe a version which is more of a solid kind of hardware - the hipsters @kickstarter want a version which just clips on to the guitar I think but take it to the next steps, and maybe one day your device will become a thing. Good luck.
I love this. I have also been searching and experimenting with guitar input. there are many midi-guitar solutions out there. not not one has it just right. because mechanically guitar has much higher level of expression than a forte piano. string bending, vibratio, slides, and other techniques that have to modulate synth perimeters.
how ever I see you go slightly different direction, and I like it ! your controller doesn’t seem to fully imitate guitar but rather gives and additional control witch is quite handy !
from what I can see in your videos it’s a guitar neck attachment that modulates a synth perimeter. I do think it could be on kickstarter, but I think it needs to be developed a little bit more further.
i think you can improve it by placing flex pcb top of the guitar neck for better force distribution. and make that flex pcb pressure sensitive.
just like pitch band on the op-z, its a supper thin component.
… give your device a rechargeable battery, bluetooth midi and in a nice designed enclosure, and your concept may totally work, and easy to manufacture.
awesome work so far man, i would support you on kickstarter
its a piezo crystal layer. when you apply pressure to the crystal, it emits small voltage, and that voltage is than encoded into useful data, like midi cc. you can order your custom flex pcb here.
use this processing unit as a low power controller for your project. it low cost and has already everything on board (bluetooth, wifi, voltage encoder), if you haven’t already.
this video explains piezo sensors:
if you decide to use pressure sensors it would also be useful for synth pitch bend or vibrato effect, while paying guitar.
more study in this journal.
before you order a custom flex pcb, try this for prototyping.
also if you need some one to engineer pcb or code the processor, you can find low cost skillful people here.
if you need 3d concept model or something like that, let me know, i will help you
but take it to the next steps, and maybe one day your device will become a thing. Good luck.
