I recently decided to build a simple DIY home organ, and picked up this AGO Allen pedalboard on Ebay. The pedalboard does not come with anything aside from what's pictured (no horizontal crosspiece for switches, etc) Please see photos on this website:
https://www.filament-studio.com/hauptwerk
I'm trying to decide how to configure the reed switches to MIDIfy. I'm curious about the solution mentioned on the site below: screws with magnets glued to each head.
https://stuartblanchard.com/midi-conversion-of-an-older-allen-pedalboard/
In this case, the reed switches are each set horizontally on a concave crosspiece (as if each switch is lying on its back). Then screws are drilled into the bottoms of pedals, allowing the magnets on their heads to descend vertically over the switches as pedals are depressed. I like this solution because it could avoid the issue of notes accidentally turning off at the deepest point in key travel. This is something I've heard can happen when magnets are mounted at the tips of the keys to swing in to—and then back out of—the reed switch's range.
With all this in mind, here are my major questions:
1) Instead of using this concave crosspiece to compensate for the AGO pedalboard's curved design, I'm wondering if a simpler solution could affix all the reed switches to a flat board underneath the pedals, then use varying screw lengths to achieve even spacing/travel between magnets and the switches. In this case, the screws would be shortest in the middle of the keyboard because the middle keys are closest to the ground.
2) For this screwhead-based design, what kinds of magnets might be best? I've read that people often struggle with magnets that are too strong and activate the switches prematurely.
3) If a concave crosspiece is necessary to build, roughly how much of a gap should I plan for between the pedals/screwheads and the reed switches? It seems this could be easily fine-tuned by loosening and tightening the screws one at a time, but I'll need to be reasonably close to begin with.
4) If I need to make this crosspiece, how would the curve in the wood be achieved? I'm not a woodworker but I assume the curve would need to be measured with a three-dimensional ruler, and some kind of heat bending would be required to shape the wood. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sure there could also be another entirely different way to get these pedals MIDIfied, so if there's a simpler, more obvious way to rig up this pedalboard, feel free to steer me in a more sensible direction!
Best,
—Michael
https://www.filament-studio.com/hauptwerk
I'm trying to decide how to configure the reed switches to MIDIfy. I'm curious about the solution mentioned on the site below: screws with magnets glued to each head.
https://stuartblanchard.com/midi-conversion-of-an-older-allen-pedalboard/
In this case, the reed switches are each set horizontally on a concave crosspiece (as if each switch is lying on its back). Then screws are drilled into the bottoms of pedals, allowing the magnets on their heads to descend vertically over the switches as pedals are depressed. I like this solution because it could avoid the issue of notes accidentally turning off at the deepest point in key travel. This is something I've heard can happen when magnets are mounted at the tips of the keys to swing in to—and then back out of—the reed switch's range.
With all this in mind, here are my major questions:
1) Instead of using this concave crosspiece to compensate for the AGO pedalboard's curved design, I'm wondering if a simpler solution could affix all the reed switches to a flat board underneath the pedals, then use varying screw lengths to achieve even spacing/travel between magnets and the switches. In this case, the screws would be shortest in the middle of the keyboard because the middle keys are closest to the ground.
2) For this screwhead-based design, what kinds of magnets might be best? I've read that people often struggle with magnets that are too strong and activate the switches prematurely.
3) If a concave crosspiece is necessary to build, roughly how much of a gap should I plan for between the pedals/screwheads and the reed switches? It seems this could be easily fine-tuned by loosening and tightening the screws one at a time, but I'll need to be reasonably close to begin with.
4) If I need to make this crosspiece, how would the curve in the wood be achieved? I'm not a woodworker but I assume the curve would need to be measured with a three-dimensional ruler, and some kind of heat bending would be required to shape the wood. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sure there could also be another entirely different way to get these pedals MIDIfied, so if there's a simpler, more obvious way to rig up this pedalboard, feel free to steer me in a more sensible direction!
Best,
—Michael