TOT stands for "Terribly Off Topic"! :)
The reason I'm asking in here, is that I can't help but notice a lot of
smart people in here. I've tried asking in other forms, but have not
received any sort of an answer.
I've been working on building an electronic musical isntrument for quite
some time, and I want to make the controller for it such that you can use
your finger to simply touch it and slide it left and right for notes.
However, I need something to make it and that's what I can't find:
Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity.
Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is
such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, and I
don't know much about it. But, I just need anything that would do the
resistance I need in the right distance.
I remember in gradeschool doing a litte trick out of a book with a pencil.
You'd shave off all the wood, leaving just the graphite center. Attach a
light to it, with one contact at the end of the graphite and if you touched
the other contact onto the graphite the light would turn on. Depending on
where you slid the other contact, you could make the light go dimmer or get
brighter. I need something like that...
So if anyone has any strange suggestions that I should try, I can get out
the multimeter :)
Back to the regularly scheduled GTR2002 gushing :)
Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com
In article <wSvI9.33694$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
>
>Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity.
>Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is
>such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, and I
>don't know much about it.
Resistance wire seems to be what you want. I have a
catalogue from Dick Smith Electronics here in Australia
and they sell wire of 6.08 and 13.4 ohms per metre... so I
figure that if you do a bit of hunting then you should be
able to find something where you live.
Then again, its not exactly 10-20k across one or two feet. ;)
Maybe instead just get yourself a Theremin.
"Mike Beauchamp" wrote...
Mike,
I've been having a modicum of success (i.e. sometimes it doesn't work) by
using the ESD safe plastic from bags in which tubes of ICs are shipped for
repairing "pitch bend" pads on synthesizers. It works better with the matt
black kind than with the vaguely translucent silvery stuff. Electronics
stores or people who use a lot of components chuck throw them outby the
dozens, so ask them to keep some for you. Can't hurt to try, can it?
Resistive wire might be an option too if you can get it in like a megohm per
meter. Your return address doesn't betray your location, so I don't know how
usefull this is to you but places like Conrad stock it (www.conrad.de).
Jan.
=---
Quoted text (17 lines)
> <snip> > I've been working on building an electronic musical > isntrument for quite some time, and I want to make > the controller for it such that you can use your > finger to simply touch it and slide it left and > right for notes. > > However, I need something to make it and that's what > I can't find: > > Something that has a bit of resistance, but still > conducts electricity. Like, maybe 10-20K of > resistance across one or two feet. I know there is > such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never > gotten my hands on it, and I don't know much about > it. But, I just need anything that would do the > resistance I need in the right distance.
Mike Beauchamp wrote:
>
> TOT stands for "Terribly Off Topic"! :)
>
> The reason I'm asking in here, is that I can't help but notice a lot of
> smart people in here.......
Huh......news to me
Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy
http://www.theuspits.com
"A man is only as old as the woman he feels........"
--Groucho Marx--
On Sat, 7 Dec 2002, Mike Beauchamp wrote:
> Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity.
> Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is
> such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, and I
> don't know much about it. But, I just need anything that would do the
> resistance I need in the right distance.
Carbon arc rod? (used with arc welders for heating, buy at welding supply)
I have no idea if this will be suitable resistance or not, just a wag.
Resistive Wire I think is what I want too :)
I'm considering, since the resistance is a bit too low, I was thinking of a
solution. Take some strong string and coil the resistive wire around it.
Sort of like a guitar string, only the inside of it would be non-conducting
and the outside would be the resisting wire. By modifying the diameter of
the inside wire/string, I could maybe get it to the proper resistance/length
that I'd need.
Maybe..
I'll check into the resistive wire. I just don't think I'll be able to find
a few meters of it :)
Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com
"GD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:NJwI9.11$[email hidden]...
> In article <wSvI9.33694$[email hidden]>,[email hidden] says...
> >
> >Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity.
> >Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is
> >such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, andI
Quoted text (12 lines)
> >don't know much about it. > > > Resistance wire seems to be what you want. I have a > catalogue from Dick Smith Electronics here in Australia > and they sell wire of 6.08 and 13.4 ohms per metre... so I > figure that if you do a bit of hunting then you should be > able to find something where you live. > Then again, its not exactly 10-20k across one or two feet. ;) > > Maybe instead just get yourself a Theremin. >Ohh.. the static bags? I can get a lot of motherboard ones from a friend
that builds computers all the time. I realllly should look into that eh?
But yeah, what I want to build would be really similar to what you are
working with actually. I want to make a "Ribbon Controller" basically..
I also saw a website using old VHS tape! But the resistance was way too much
for what I need.. I tried audio tape and stuff too, but none of it really
worked good.
Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com
"Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:dWwI9.40867$[email hidden]...
per
> meter. Your return address doesn't betray your location, so I don't knowhow
> usefull this is to you but places like Conrad stock it (www.conrad.de).
>
> Jan.
> =---
>
>
Quoted text (29 lines)
> "Mike Beauchamp" wrote... > > <snip> > > I've been working on building an electronic musical > > isntrument for quite some time, and I want to make > > the controller for it such that you can use your > > finger to simply touch it and slide it left and > > right for notes. > > > > However, I need something to make it and that's what > > I can't find: > > > > Something that has a bit of resistance, but still > > conducts electricity. Like, maybe 10-20K of > > resistance across one or two feet. I know there is > > such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never > > gotten my hands on it, and I don't know much about > > it. But, I just need anything that would do the > > resistance I need in the right distance. > > Mike, > > I've been having a modicum of success (i.e. sometimes it doesn't work) by > using the ESD safe plastic from bags in which tubes of ICs are shipped for > repairing "pitch bend" pads on synthesizers. It works better with the matt > black kind than with the vaguely translucent silvery stuff. Electronics > stores or people who use a lot of components chuck throw them outby the > dozens, so ask them to keep some for you. Can't hurt to try, can it? > > Resistive wire might be an option too if you can get it in like a megohmThat suggestion makes sense. I wonder how much these things cost though...
Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com
"Doug Milliken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
>
> On Sat, 7 Dec 2002, Mike Beauchamp wrote:
>
> > Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity.
> > Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is
> > such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it,and I
> > don't know much about it. But, I just need anything that would do the
> > resistance I need in the right distance.
>
> Carbon arc rod? (used with arc welders for heating, buy at weldingsupply)
> I have no idea if this will be suitable resistance or not, just a wag.
>
On Sun, 8 Dec 2002, Mike Beauchamp wrote:
Carbon arc rods are cheap (unless there is a large minimum order or something).
Quoted text (8 lines)
> That suggestion makes sense. I wonder how much these things cost though... > > > Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity. > > > Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is > > > such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, > > Carbon arc rod? (used with arc welders for heating, buy at welding supply) > > I have no idea if this will be suitable resistance or not, just a wag.Cant you pull an old rheostat to bits? or even a scalextric controller.
Loads of old radios and such used wire wound pots too.
I'm sure you can still by those as well.
Craig
"Mike Beauchamp" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:wSvI9.33694$[email hidden]...
I
> don't know much about it. But, I just need anything that would do the
> resistance I need in the right distance.
>
> I remember in gradeschool doing a litte trick out of a book with a pencil.
> You'd shave off all the wood, leaving just the graphite center. Attach a
> light to it, with one contact at the end of the graphite and if youtouched
> the other contact onto the graphite the light would turn on. Depending on
> where you slid the other contact, you could make the light go dimmer orget
Quoted text (15 lines)
> TOT stands for "Terribly Off Topic"! :) > > The reason I'm asking in here, is that I can't help but notice a lot of > smart people in here. I've tried asking in other forms, but have not > received any sort of an answer. > > I've been working on building an electronic musical isntrument for quite > some time, and I want to make the controller for it such that you can use > your finger to simply touch it and slide it left and right for notes. > > However, I need something to make it and that's what I can't find: > > Something that has a bit of resistance, but still conducts electricity. > Like, maybe 10-20K of resistance across one or two feet. I know there is > such thing as "resistive wire", but I've never gotten my hands on it, andQuoted text (11 lines)
> brighter. I need something like that... > > So if anyone has any strange suggestions that I should try, I can get out > the multimeter :) > > Back to the regularly scheduled GTR2002 gushing :) > > Mike > http://mikebeauchamp.com > >"Mike Beauchamp" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:wSvI9.33694$[email hidden]:
Here's one solution using ordinary video tape and mylar:
http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/synthstick/synthstick.html
It might be worth a try, certainly doesnt cost much :)
Quoted text (11 lines)
> TOT stands for "Terribly Off Topic"! :) > > The reason I'm asking in here, is that I can't help but notice a lot > of smart people in here. I've tried asking in other forms, but have > not received any sort of an answer. > > I've been working on building an electronic musical isntrument for > quite some time, and I want to make the controller for it such that > you can use your finger to simply touch it and slide it left and right > for notes. >Tried it actually! But, the resistance of the VHS tape is too great. Still
worth playing wtih though..
Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com
"B Bonnet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
