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From: kelpie@fluke.UUCP (Tony Garland)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: keyboards & MIDI
Message-ID: <1163@vax1.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 11:47:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax1.1163
Posted: Mon Sep 16 11:47:39 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Sep-85 02:25:16 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 34

Being real new to the world of synthesizers, I am still naive enough to be
thinking about designing and building some sort of basic synth.  However, I am
in need of the following information:

    o  Where can one obtain  a "raw" keyboard? To be specific, is it possible 
       to purchase a keyboard mechanism mechanically complete which I
       could design around to provide velocity sensing with say 3 to 5 octaves?

    o  Am I crazy approaching it this way?  Instead, should I be looking for
       a keyboard which merely provides MIDI out for use in controlling other
       devices on the MIDI bus?  Are there even any keyboards out there which
       are MIDI compatible, but just produce output onto the bus without
       generating any notes of their own locally?

    o  Where can one obtain the detailed engineering spec on MIDI?  I presume
       there must be some sort of hardware standard as well as some software
       protocols?

    o  Last, but not least, am I crazy?  Are synths so far gone (advanced) at
       this stage to preclude realistic tinkering by an individual?  Am I
       likely to sweat it out only to produce a relative toy (compared to the
       what full-time engineers and LSI can do in the commercial products)?
       I am interested it *both* learning *and* producing something that sounds
       good enough that I will feel good about it.  Can someone with good
       hardware and software background still add value by building rather than
       buying?

Thanks in advance,

	Tony Garland, N7DX             	decvax\
	John Fluke Mfg Co.		ihnp4  >!uw-beaver\
	PO Box C9090				   allegra >!fluke!kelpie
	Everett, WA 98206 USA		ucbvax >!lbl-csam /
	(206) 356-5268			hplabs/