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Credit: From https://washiyamagiken.hatenablog.com
In recent years, a variety of new technologies have emerged that aim to provide a more expressive synth playing experience than traditional keyboards. From poly aftertouch and MPE to devices like the multi-touch Morphé controller found in Expressive-E’s Osmose and Artura’s PolyBrutes, it’s no exaggeration to say that expressiveness is hot right now.
One method that most designers haven’t explored is the idea of ”bowing” a synth engine, much like a stringed instrument like a violin or cello. DIY-minded Japanese musician Washiyama Giken decided to address this problem with his homemade “keybow” instrument.
In the instructional video (watch above, please turn on captions for translation), the creator explains how to create Key-bowed. At the heart of this equipment is an Arduino UNO A4 Minima board running a physical modeling synth engine. It’s built into one of the Roland K-25m keyboards, a mini key controller designed to house the Roland Boutique synth. The top panel structure and Boeing sensor are self-made.
“The basic mechanism is to input the drive waveform picked up by a piezo sensor attached to an acrylic plate to a string vibration model implemented in Arduino Uno R4 Minima to produce sound,” Washyama Giken wrote in a blog post. (from the translation).
key bow
As a design, it’s actually not as outlandish as it first appears. Physical modeling synths such as AAS Chromaphone and Baby Audio’s recent Atom are effectively built on the same principles as traditional stringed instruments, using inputs such as picks and bows to create resonances in the instrument’s acoustic body. “Excite” the element. . In fact, it’s surprising that no synth designer has ever seen this idea of using a traditional “exciter” to trigger virtual resonance before.
Naturally, given its DIY nature, don’t expect Key-bowed to be in your local music store anytime soon. I hope synth designers take note, though.
