pwhodges wrote:I am about to MIDIfy an old pedalboard. I have the pedals and the electronics, but now need to get switches. What I can't get a handle on from descriptions of other people's work is the following:
(1) Where in the pedal movement should the switch operate, and
I went for half way between the top and bottom of the travel. I think this is pretty conventional
pwhodges wrote:(2) If using reed switches, what spec is appropriate - there seem to be an almost infinite number of sizes, information to help choose the matching magnet and suitable spacing is also hard to find.
I've used the type 60-0515 reeds here:
http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Sensors/Proximity-Magnetic/Reed-switches/30247/kw/reedThe magnets come from ebay, can't remember what size but I'll check this evening. They're surprisingly small and cheap anyway.
I'm inclined to agree with the previous post that reeds and magnets aren't ideal for keyboard use, but I've had no trouble using them for the pedals provided that there is space to play around with
In the picture below, the magnets are stuck to the ends of the pedals with hot melt glue, and the reed switches are on the back of the strips where you can't see them.
The component you can see is a diode, necessary if you're using the 'scanmatrix' approach. The strips are slotted so the position of the reed can be tweaked relatively
easily.
I used PCBs (homemade) for this, but it would work just as well with the various bits glued to lolly sticks or coffee stirrers. In this case I
wouldn't even bother with the slots, just move them around until the position was right and tack them to the frame with a couple of
panel pins.
Nick