DIY Ribbon Controller Made with Just a Few Spare Parts
This simple touch-sensitive setup allows lonesoulsurfer to create new buzzing tunes.
You’re probably familiar with linear and rotary potentiometers, but there's another variable-resistance option to consider, known as a ribbon controller, which allows you to control the pitch of an oscillator by sliding a finger up and down a pressure-sensitive conductive material. While you could purchase one, lonesoulsurfer shows how you can make your own using copper strips and a Velostat sheet.
His project creates a sort of ‘unrolled’ potentiometer, with connections handled by smaller copper strips and aluminum tape. Some small pieces of plastic help provide the necessary electrical isolation, and everything is mounted to a wooden base for a nice finish. Building one of these would be a great learning experience if you want to know how these components function.
In addition, lonesoulsurfer constructed a small synth that can controlled by the with a 9V battery, 4049 CMOS chip, LM286N-1, and a speaker housed inside an orange box. His ribbon controller features a 3.5mm audio jack, which this plugs into a 3.5mm input on his new music box for tune creation.
The musical setup makes a fun buzzing noise as seen in the video below, and this tapping input method appears to give him a lot of control over tune creation. Of course, this new resistive instrument is played with only one hand, and he notes that perhaps in the future he’ll integrate another sensor for a supplementary Theremin-like device.