Music Keyboard

[+BBWW]

Curious could the ECS Music Keyboard be used as a game controller?

 

With 6 voices at a time, couldn't you map those 6 triggers at a time for game play in non music games?

 

It is dangerous when I think.

 

[intvnut]

Actually.. all 49 keys are completely separate, and can register as separate, unique inputs in parallel. There isn't a limit of 6, like on some PC keyboards (the "6 key rollover.")

 

The 6 tones that play are a function of the sound chips. Depending on whatever control scheme you have in mind for the 49 key synth keyboard, though, you could handle as many keys pressed as you have fingers (or other appendages) for pressing.

[freewheel]

Already in the works, my friend. Patience, patience...

 

The only real question is actually coming up with a gameplay mechanic that's *just* buttons, and is still, you know, fun. Flappee Bird but with 5 or 10 inputs, for example. Maybe something like Missile Command, where one hand controls the directional disc, and the other selects from 3-5 fire bases? You could move and fire at the same time, at least.

[+BBWW]

Cool, I support anyone who wants to do something that supports the Music Keyboard! It is an underused peripheral!

[bikeguychicago]

If you start the BASIC module on the ESC with the synthesizer connected you will see that each key on the keyboard maps to one of the keys on the computer keyboard. I actually found this out when, once upon a time, my computer keyboard died and I had to use the synth to play World Series MLB.

Edited November 11, 2015 by bikeguychicago

[intvnut]

If you start the BASIC module on the ESC with the synthesizer connected you will see that each key on the keyboard maps to one of the keys on the computer keyboard. I actually found this out when, once upon a time, my computer keyboard died and I had to use the synth to play World Series MLB.

 

Yep!

 

One minor difference is that the synth keyboard has blocking diodes in its scanning matrix, so that you can play whatever chords you like without weird ghosting effects. The alphabetic keyboard doesn't. That means the converse isn't true: you can't use the alphabetic keyboard to play music very well, unless you stick to single notes, or the handful of chords that don't cause ghosting effects.

 

Another side effect of the blocking diodes in the synth keyboard is that my programs won't let you use the synth keyboard in place of the alphabetic keyboard. The blocking diodes require you to scan the synth keyboard using a specific port for output and a specific port for input. It turns out that you can do a better job scanning the alphabetic keyboard if you flip that assignment. (In particular, the shift key doesn't work with certain other keys unless you make the flip. No one notices in ECS BASIC because it's in ALL CAPS.)

 

If you're curious how it all works, I posted a good writeup on this awhile back.

[freewheel]

Another side effect of the blocking diodes in the synth keyboard is that my programs won't let you use the synth keyboard in place of the alphabetic keyboard.

 

Which explains why I can't use the synth keyboard to navigate through certain menus... oops, I've said too much!

[intvnut]

 

Which explains why I can't use the synth keyboard to navigate through certain menus... oops, I've said too much!

 

Now you're just making everyone jealous. Carry on...

[freewheel]

 

Now you're just making everyone jealous. Carry on...

 

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