Just musing about a basic foot switch synth for bass tones.
I imagine a long strip pedal with 13 non-latching foot switches in the keyboard formation… and maybe a three way toggle switch on the side. This plugs straight into a bass amp and with some cunning internal electronics… you have a full bass, single-octave, sound generator… the three way switch providing Sine, Saw and Square wave forms… maybe a couple of pots providing frequency and volume settings?
The thing is, I’m not any kind of electronics designer, or synth maker, just how difficult would a project like this end up being
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With a single oscillator, every new note abruptly ends the previous note. Gliding smoothly between two consecutive notes requires controllable Portamento rate and, more significantly, key scanning.
The electronics to make this happen is, indeed, cunning … and expensive.
Probably smarter to purchase a pre-owned MIDI bass pedal controller and hook it up to the synth module of your choice.
A bass guitar amplifier may not be the best choice. The synthesizer deserves uncoloured full-range frequency sound reproduction and the absence of overdrive.
(maybe I need to be realistic)
https://www.thomann.de/gb/doepfer_mbp25_electronic_with_1_pedal.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwh5qLBhALEiwAioods0PYxcwc4cTjbkeTTw5m5VdLFcVA2rRThMbYq7Cb6l2_XtBl0nrbxBoCjLoQAvD_BwE
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZSGrzujXdMAk5krF8
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I think I’m gonna carry on with the pedal build… so if you, or someone you know, wants some cheap organ bits… stump up for postage or come and collect.
I’m keeping the foot keys, foot volume pedal and output amp/speakers… but there may be some handy bits!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NmzbenG5mrdvshfZ7
I stripped the Yammie and bought a couple of useful units… the Doepfer MPB25 bass pedal unit (link below) and the Mik Roe midi Bass synth unit. I robbed a couple of wall warts with appropriate power and threw it all together in a blaze of enthusiasm… it didn’t work… bollox!!!
Life got in the way for a few months and apart from a few half hearted garage forays, it didn’t progress. Then, about a fortnight ago, I had an inspiration.
It turns out that Yamaha do things different to Doepfer’s expectations and I kind of had the wiring upside down… so I took today to find that lot out and to use a knackered electronics welder to blob stuff in a totally different way!!!
https://doepfer.de/pdf/MBP25_Manual.pdf
https://download.mikroe.com/documents/add-on-boards/other/audio-and-voice/bassboy/bassboy-manual-v102.pdf
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yYiLpnxpRLA2mFKs8
Its been more about the build than anything else… but it plays fine! Just got to work out how to use it without falling over… though I doubt I’ll actually use it!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LpmLX9c6QBDNKCFDA