DSI keyboard

[agoostus]

when I first was finding out about circuit bending, i went to a thift store and the first thing I bought was a  white DSI keyboard. I expiremented with it countless times (even to this day) and the only thing that I could do is play a random note or something when connecting two nodes.  So imagine my glee when I went to www.circuitbenders.co.uk and saw the exact same keyboard in the "soundz" section  making glitched out sounds.  Anyway I was just wondering if anyone knew some good bending points or something....I have renewed hope in this thing now....

thanks
agoostus

[Circuitbenders]

That was one of our first bends so i can't actually remember 100% but i think it had a voltage drop crash pot and a pitch control found with the licking your finger and poking the circuit to find the clock resistor technique.

If i recall correctly there was also a connection via a switch from the spare tag of the pitch pot that might have controlled some kind of pitch modulation effect, but on the other hand i might have just made that up...........

I do remember that i once got it to crash and start playing Blue Monday, which isn't even on that chipset, spooky

[andy_wheels]

i think the pitch bend is the thing with the dsi keyboard. it goes so low that it starts producing wonderful high aliasing noise. those animal noises become monster sounds. 

i think i picked up a copy of it the other day. it's a 'kidsway' keyboard, a bit bigger than the dsi but it has exactly the same key config so i imagine it's exactly the same inside. not checked it out yet.

[Many_boomers]

I just got one, called a Star-mate, that is red but other than that looks exactly the same, it's my first bend so.... Yeah basicaly... I've gotten it to glitch way out and crash, and Ive made some clicks and... crash, and I found the pitch resistor, but that slows the drum patterns way down, and that makes me mad. one thing I think is absoulutly great is the fact that thw power switch is directly between the battery box and the actual circut, a factory designed crash reset. me likey.

[Many_boomers]

Okay I'm asking my first official stupid question: Should I replace the pitch resistor with a pot, or augment it with a pot in parallel? I like the sounds of the one on the circuit benders site, but I don't want to be a straight up rip off.


God I'm even less decisive than my ex.

[Circuitbenders]

Replace it with a pot, i think 470K will do the trick unless you live in the US and for some reason can only get 500K ones.

If you want to have the option on using the original value use a SPDT switch to switch between going via the new pot or the old resistor.

If you just bridge it with a pot the voltage will always take the path of least resistance so the pot will only work up to the value of the pitch resistor. At any pot settings with a higher value than that of the pitch resistor the voltage will just go via the lower resistance path i.e. the pitch resistor.

And before anyone replies saying thats not exactly how it works, yes i know, but its the easiest way to explain it.

[mawpaw]

sorry to dig up an old thread, but i found one of these (DSI Keyboard) at goodwill and its nuts.  i never opened it or anything and it is completely out of control.  you might be the only other people  who care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn-SO-__1Yg

heres a link to it.  enjoy.

[Circuitbenders]

sounds like a classic bit of dying battery action to me.

either that or its fucked 

[mawpaw]

i think its fucked cuz ive had it on for the last three days and it just plays and plays and plays i love it

[computer at sea]

Replace it with a pot, i think 470K will do the trick unless you live in the US and for some reason can only get 500K ones.

I bought a bunch of 500k pots from a US distributor recently and measured them with my multimeter.  They were all 470.