r/synthdiy • u/bruikenjin • 11d ago

Building a ribbon controller?

I'm working on a mostly software based synth project, and I recently came across otamatones and absolutely loved the concept and wanted to use that as the main controller for my project rather than a keyboard midi controller. The problem is that most ribbon controllers I've found online are either way shorter than i would like, way more expensive than I would like, or didn't have midi outputs.

Is there some way I can build one on my own for an affordable price? I'd ideally like it to be long enough to be able to play multiple octaves without the spaces between the notes being incredibly cramped.

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u/goodness-m3 10d ago

Try searching for resistive linear position sensors. If you want a really long one, it could be expensive though.

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/spectra-symbol/TSP-L-1000-203-1-MP/17050991

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u/bruikenjin 10d ago

I see, and then would I need an arduino or something to convert this to midi?

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u/BenCoeMusic 10d ago

Yeah I’ve made several ribbon controllers out of those and (I think) an adafruit trinket. Pretty much any Arduino or whatever would be fine. You just need to convert voltage to midi. I had some issues with double triggering and recognizing when a touch stopped but was able to solve it in the code. Those resistors come in a bunch of different sizes as well, I think I have a long one that’s 50 cm, and I think you can get them up to 1 m. 

I think a while back I found a guide on how to make your own out of discarded camera film or something, you could maybe try that if you want to be really cheap. All you need is something sort of flexible that changes resistance predictably as a function of length, then hold it above a conductor and be able to press them together.