Installing the Touchkeys sensor proceeds apace.
There are 88 to install, so I tune out a bit, balancing attention and daydreaming about composing better pieces than certain famous composers.
Eventually they're all done, and I am pleased with how properly placed they are.
I then begin pondering what occupied my attention last night.
Last night I removed the metal struts used as supports for the middle of the case. I have no plans to sit on my keyboard, so they should prove unnecessary. Hopefully there should be no issues.
In any case, the struts were severely in the way, and now they are gone. I will use the first pair of blocks of wood now that were too wide when they were there. I've decided to screw the wood in from the bottom to secure it, as my thinner plank proved not to adhere with hot glue.
I paint the planks too, as they were a little rough. After waiting for the paint to dry. . .
Mark two screw hole points on the wooden bridge, drill two holes, attach it to the keyboard base. Done.
I already drilled a lot of holes in it previously for this moment. I take the sensor boards and time them down with string to the bridge. Now they're secure and won't flop around in the case.
Hmm.. I guess it's time to make my permanent case modification. I will drill the hole in the back of the case for the USB port.
The drill bit I wanted to do this with is not here. It is still in transit somewhere from Thailand. . . I forgot to check the shipping time. So I don't have the perfect size bit for the USB feedthru.
I'll drill a smaller hole and just. . . Wait a minute, I haven't checked the mail yet today.
. . . Mild shock. The Lord is kind and merciful. There it is from Thailand. Thank you God.
Well now let's drill that hole. I put duct tape on the inside and start from the outside, to keep the metal fragments under control.
Wow that's a lot of metal dust. Almost all outside, the duct tape caught it. Should've put more on the outside too, less to clean up.
Okay, now I have the feedthru, it fits the hole sufficiently rather than drill more holes for its screw slots, I'll just glue it on for now. I am cutting corners that I can finish up later, like skipping all the double sided tape, as I'm eager to finish and try it out.
Just hook up the interior usb cable to it.. it's time to carefully close the cover, and close up shop.
I only put in four screws rather than perfectly sealing it back up.. I can't wait. Now for the finish. . .
I rush the FP-90 back over to the keyboard rack, plug in the usb port, plugin the power, lets make sure the FP-90 works fine first.
Start up Touchkeys, start up Studio One.. Studio One boots.. gives me a warning, Roland FP-90 not available! Skull and crossbones!
No wait, take a breath... It's Touchkeys the program grabbed the MIDI output. Turn off Touchkeys.. Reconnect..
Roland FP-90 works perfectly! Let's test every key. Great! Beautiful.
Now.. for the finale.. where's that USB cable for Touchkeys..
Start er up.. No Touchkeys. I keep trying. No Touchkeys, it won't connect.
Noooooooo!
I fiddle around a bit, I can see the lights on inside the case, but no com port is showing up for it.
Maybe it's the feedthru. I yank it off and connect to the ribbon cable.
Nope.
I have to unplug it all and take it apart again. . .
I do that.
What's this, some ribbon cables have been yanked. I closed the case so carefully but.. it wasn't enough!
I hook one back up. I notice there are two more. They're all on the edges. Hmm, let's test it again. Plug in the USB cable... Touchkeys works!
Great nothing unfixable.
It's just the two ribbons on the end now to connect again.
It's a good thing I did not peel off the adhesive covers by the sensor doors, or I'd never be able to get at them without a lot of painful prying of the sensors off the keys.
As it is, I've just had to do a little prying so far.
There, ribbons hooked up after some very careful eyeballing and prying..
Let's test it out before closing up shop.. all detected in Touchkeys software. Working properly.
This time.. I watch the side ribbons.. and I don't really see how it happened the last time, but I take great care.. clunk.. the case is closed again.
Let's test it out one more time before even screwing it back together. Okay, Touchkeys loads.. it runs.. sensors work.. Great.
Now to screw it back together.. mostly. Okay, rush it over to the keyboard rack.
Plug it in, there we go.. Roland turns on, Touchkeys turns on..
It runs.. It runs fine.
It runs great!
Okay.. Let's boot Studio One.. and play..
What comes up first, my Sonivox Eighty-Eight..
I'm amazed.. This.. this is great! I didn't think the piano would sound great with pitchbend, but it does! I was thinking it'd be mostly synths and orchestral instruments.. but everything..
And it's instant. I didn't have to configure it.
Listen to that sound. . .
This.. This was really worth it. This was totally worth it.
Time to say a prayer of thanks.. and to play, and play and play the music for God. Deo gratias et Mariae semper Virgini.
Postscript.
I will have to record some examples of playing in the future despite how poor a pianist I am.
I will also write out some of my notes and afterthoughts later.
There are 88 to install, so I tune out a bit, balancing attention and daydreaming about composing better pieces than certain famous composers.
Eventually they're all done, and I am pleased with how properly placed they are.
I then begin pondering what occupied my attention last night.
Last night I removed the metal struts used as supports for the middle of the case. I have no plans to sit on my keyboard, so they should prove unnecessary. Hopefully there should be no issues.
In any case, the struts were severely in the way, and now they are gone. I will use the first pair of blocks of wood now that were too wide when they were there. I've decided to screw the wood in from the bottom to secure it, as my thinner plank proved not to adhere with hot glue.
I paint the planks too, as they were a little rough. After waiting for the paint to dry. . .
Mark two screw hole points on the wooden bridge, drill two holes, attach it to the keyboard base. Done.
I already drilled a lot of holes in it previously for this moment. I take the sensor boards and time them down with string to the bridge. Now they're secure and won't flop around in the case.
Hmm.. I guess it's time to make my permanent case modification. I will drill the hole in the back of the case for the USB port.
The drill bit I wanted to do this with is not here. It is still in transit somewhere from Thailand. . . I forgot to check the shipping time. So I don't have the perfect size bit for the USB feedthru.
I'll drill a smaller hole and just. . . Wait a minute, I haven't checked the mail yet today.
. . . Mild shock. The Lord is kind and merciful. There it is from Thailand. Thank you God.
Well now let's drill that hole. I put duct tape on the inside and start from the outside, to keep the metal fragments under control.
Wow that's a lot of metal dust. Almost all outside, the duct tape caught it. Should've put more on the outside too, less to clean up.
Okay, now I have the feedthru, it fits the hole sufficiently rather than drill more holes for its screw slots, I'll just glue it on for now. I am cutting corners that I can finish up later, like skipping all the double sided tape, as I'm eager to finish and try it out.
Just hook up the interior usb cable to it.. it's time to carefully close the cover, and close up shop.
I only put in four screws rather than perfectly sealing it back up.. I can't wait. Now for the finish. . .
I rush the FP-90 back over to the keyboard rack, plug in the usb port, plugin the power, lets make sure the FP-90 works fine first.
Start up Touchkeys, start up Studio One.. Studio One boots.. gives me a warning, Roland FP-90 not available! Skull and crossbones!
No wait, take a breath... It's Touchkeys the program grabbed the MIDI output. Turn off Touchkeys.. Reconnect..
Roland FP-90 works perfectly! Let's test every key. Great! Beautiful.
Now.. for the finale.. where's that USB cable for Touchkeys..
Start er up.. No Touchkeys. I keep trying. No Touchkeys, it won't connect.
Noooooooo!
I fiddle around a bit, I can see the lights on inside the case, but no com port is showing up for it.
Maybe it's the feedthru. I yank it off and connect to the ribbon cable.
Nope.
I have to unplug it all and take it apart again. . .
I do that.
What's this, some ribbon cables have been yanked. I closed the case so carefully but.. it wasn't enough!
I hook one back up. I notice there are two more. They're all on the edges. Hmm, let's test it again. Plug in the USB cable... Touchkeys works!
Great nothing unfixable.
It's just the two ribbons on the end now to connect again.
It's a good thing I did not peel off the adhesive covers by the sensor doors, or I'd never be able to get at them without a lot of painful prying of the sensors off the keys.
As it is, I've just had to do a little prying so far.
There, ribbons hooked up after some very careful eyeballing and prying..
Let's test it out before closing up shop.. all detected in Touchkeys software. Working properly.
This time.. I watch the side ribbons.. and I don't really see how it happened the last time, but I take great care.. clunk.. the case is closed again.
Let's test it out one more time before even screwing it back together. Okay, Touchkeys loads.. it runs.. sensors work.. Great.
Now to screw it back together.. mostly. Okay, rush it over to the keyboard rack.
Plug it in, there we go.. Roland turns on, Touchkeys turns on..
It runs.. It runs fine.
It runs great!
Okay.. Let's boot Studio One.. and play..
What comes up first, my Sonivox Eighty-Eight..
I'm amazed.. This.. this is great! I didn't think the piano would sound great with pitchbend, but it does! I was thinking it'd be mostly synths and orchestral instruments.. but everything..
And it's instant. I didn't have to configure it.
Listen to that sound. . .
This.. This was really worth it. This was totally worth it.
Time to say a prayer of thanks.. and to play, and play and play the music for God. Deo gratias et Mariae semper Virgini.
Postscript.
I will have to record some examples of playing in the future despite how poor a pianist I am.
I will also write out some of my notes and afterthoughts later.
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