[Mesoiam] managed to pick up a Viscount hammer weighted keyboard for pretty cheap. For those who are unfamiliar, Viscount makes keyboards that feel like you’re playing a piano, hammers and all. The only problem with this, as [Mesoiam] discovered, is that even when he’s jamming with headphones in, his friends down stairs can still hear the keyboard banging due to the vibration going through the stand to the floor. His resolution to this problem was to build some custom dampers to reduce the vibration. He built two brackets that fit over the stand and suspend the keyboard on two strips of flexible rubber. Quite a simple solution to a possibly annoying problem.
not bad, I can see where this would give height to a low desk too. But wouldn’t adding some padding under the desk legs have been a bit easier?
I think it might be a matter of stability. Dampers under the desk feet would make the entire desk “float”, and not be very stable, whereas just suspending the keyboard achieves the same ends, but leaves the desk rock solid.
Well the thing is it is a musical keyboard on a stand, not a desk. So it is basically supported by two crossbars, which these dampers sit on. Click through to see how it is set up, it makes more sense.
Anyone else think this was for some crazy steampunk computer keyboard involving hammers?
Yep. When I read the first line after seeing the picture, I was wondering what kind of computer keyboard would require those huge dampers.
I have the opposite problem. I live downstairs from two people who love to have knock down, drag out fights.
Personally, I’d probably report a domestic disturbance every time I heard that. :p
Well – I’ve been through that situation before and the police are mostly worthless. And if they do come out, if the aggrieved party refuses to press the charge, nothing comes of it. So effectively the only time the Po-Po will come is if one murders the other.
What’s wrong with carpets?
Thunky keys don’t have enough of the quality wool felt for proper operation. There is a lot of poly-fake felt form China on the market. This felt is hard and makes for a noisy action and key-fall. Many use black foam and thin felt.
Worse is this thunk transmits back up to finger joints, making practice hard on joints. You should adapt your playing for the requirements of the midi curve and quit pounding those rubber contacts to death. They won’t last as long and usually are not stocked as parts for long.
I’m sure I’m not the only model M user (or not) who was wondering what a computer keyboard with the action of a piano would be like.
Who’s working on it?
Model M as in the first Hammond organ, just kidding. If a letter could be in any one of 128 fonts as you typed it might be useful. Just good touch is all that is needed. Silent or klickey. Oddly enough the keys of a Hammond organ are the ultimate for non touch sensitive keys ever made. Fatar and the like are too short on the key length. The tail length is as long as the white part. Pivot is a leaf spring at the rear. Near vertical action and no jiggle or looseness or clix.
Most speed players playing loud all the time want non weighted keys (fast typers), others prefer the key to talk back to the finger or even the ear (command line) romantic piano style.
When I read the RSS summary and picture I thought… my god these bastards really take their clicky-keyboards seriously! Assuming this was referring a computer keyboard… then I clicked the link… whoops :)
I guess I’m lucky I’ve never had annoying neighbors above me… about the most interesting thing I’ve had is in one apartment I had “loud” neighbors, if you know what I mean… I found that more depressing then annoying at the time :)
Great solution! Very kind of him. My neighbors always annoy the shit out of me. Once I had some who owned an organ! Yes, an organ!
If only my
upstairsneighbors cared half as much as this. This guy deserves a neighbor of the year award.I wish my nieghbour cared as much !
Good work !