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[on:]

Hi All,

I am totally new, so if this is not the place for this, please feel free to send me elsewhere.  I am just looking for help/direction on setting up several buttons (5 to start?)  That trigger different keys on the keyboard.  This will be used to trigger clips in Ableton Live allowing many folks to be able to make and cease audio/music on the fly.

Thank you kindly for your attention, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Jester

[Reply #1 on:]

So, you want the Arduinot to control 5 servos that will each make a finger move up & down on a key?

[Reply #2 on:]

Hi Crossroads,

I think/hope its easier than that.  I would just like several buttons to actually just tell the computer various letters and/or numbers on the keyboard.  No servo's required.  I looked at hacking a regular keyboard, and it seems like quite a hassle for what I'm trying to do, and I'm trying to get into using Arduino's, so I think this might be a good starter project.  I looked through some tutorials and what not, but I'm just not sure where to start.

[Reply #3 on:]

So you want unplug the keyboard and have the Arduino send in commands instead?
USB? PS2? Something else?

Or, send over Serial data via comm port that the PC will treat as keystrokes?

[Reply #4 on:]

It would be great to keep the regular keyboard there as well for regular needs.  I don't know if that's a problem.  USB would be the easiest for me I think, although that is up for discussion.

[Reply #5 on:]

It would be great to keep the regular keyboard there as well for regular needs.  I don't know if that's a problem.  USB would be the easiest for me I think.

[Reply #6 on:]

In that case, you'd need to make a circuit that would accept your keyboard's USB signal, and pass that along, or pass on your arduino generated USB signal.  Do some browsing for keyboard emulator, see what you can find. I'll have to think about making a circuit disconnects the keyboard signal when the emulated signal goes active so the PC won't complain about the keyboard being disconnected.

[Reply #7 on:]

Just to outline my actual project (and thank you for your help and patience)  I am hoping to make a MUCH simpler version of this: 

I like his design, but I need mine to be kid friendly, and easier to modify for various locations.

Instead of MUSIC keyboards, I just want Large Buttons:

Say, 5 buttons to start, and add more later.  It would be great if the buttons lit up (not needed in this version), and I could place them as far as 15-20 feet away from the laptop.  This is negotiable as well, it could be one wall space with the buttons if need be.

I don't know if that helps with the concept.

Jester

[Reply #8 on:]

After seeing that, I think you'd be better off adding transistors to a regular keyboarand triggering them from your remoted buttons.

[Reply #9 on:]

if i should do it, i'll be using MIDI.
every kind of button self-made, will be triggered by arduino, converted into a MIDI signal with the MIDI Library, and output to a MIDI receiver on a PC.
then the PC software would do the sound.
just search for the lot of arduino drum..