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by lonesoulsurfer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzylmjtmIkI
2. 3 X Copper Strips 6.3mm wide X 300mm long - eBay. 9. Length of wood to mount the ribbon controller on.
Again, most hobby shops will have it in 300mm Not necessary but gives a nice nish.
lengths
To o ls :
3. Velostat Sheet - eBay or Core electronics if you are in
Australia 1. Stanley and/or exacto knife
Step 3: Measuring & Cutting the Copper for Ground and Wiper Connectors
The rst thing that you need to do is to cut 3 small 1. First, place the smaller strip of copper (terminal)
pieces o the thinner copper strip. 2 of these will be against the larger piece (ground) and mark its about
connected to either end of the larger copper strip and 5-10mm longer then the width of the ground plate.
will act as the ground. As in any potentiometer, you
have 2 xed ends which in this case we'll call ground 2. Cut 3 of the terminals of the same length and if you
and one variable end which we'll call the wiper. The want to round o the edges like I did.
image attached will help you visualise what I am
talking about. 3. 2 of these will next be attached to the ground plate
St e ps :
The easiest way to attach the 2 terminals to the needs to be as wide as the ground plate and wrap
ground plate is to use some conductive adhesive. I around both sides as the images show below.
went with aluminium tape as it's what I had around.
You could also use copper tape as well. Just make sure 2. Place a connector on the ground plate and tape
it's good quality tape. down. Make sure that's it's taped down well and the
connection is strong.
St e ps :
3. Do the same with the other end of the ground plate
1. Firstly, you might have to trim the main ground
strip. Mine is ...and this gives you from 10K too 100k 4. Next you need to isolate the bottom section of the
resistance. The longer the ground plate, the higher ground plate. To do this just use some masking tape
the resistance. and cover about 70mm on each side.
Next step is to add the last terminal. This will be your 1. Place the terminal next to the ground terminal
wiper terminal so needs to be isolated from the making sure it isn't touching any section of the
ground. That's one of the reasons why you added the ground plate.
masking tape at the end of the ground plate. I made a
small mistake here and placed the wiper terminal at 2. Use some more aluminium tape to secure it into
the wrong end. It meant that I had to have the place, again making sure it doesn't touch the ground
terminals on the bottom of the build and not the top. plate at all.
No big deal but I would add the wiper terminal on the
left so it is on the top of the ribbon controller. 3. Place another piece of aluminium tape at the other
end of the ground terminal. Again making sure it is
St e ps : isolated from ground.
This isn't really necessary but I wanted to get the best connection as possible so removed any tarnish from the
St e ps :
1. Grab some metal polish
So what's velostat? Well it's a pressure sensitive, 2. Place the velostat on the strip and bend over the
conductive plastic that is really the heart of the ends.
ribbon controller. The velostat is attached at each end
to the terminals via some aluminium tape 3. Add a piece of aluminium tape to one end of the
velostat. When sticking it down to the back of the
St e ps : strip, it shouldn't touch the copper ground strip at all.
1. First, you need to cut a strip of the velostat as wide 4. Do the same for the other end of the velostat,
as the main copper strip and 30 mm or so longer making sure you pull it tight before sticking down.
If you are looking to use the ribbon controller but ribbon controller like a keyboard. You can check out
don't know where to start, then you could build this the video at the start of this 'ible on how it sounds.
synth made from a 4049 CMOS chip. I've included the
schematic in case you want to get s PCB made. I tried One of the reasons why I made a ribbon controller is
to upload the gerber les for the PCB but the because of a comment left on another 'ible I made
Instructable website didn't like it. If you want them which was a moog style synth. I've created a PCB for
then please DM me. this circuit and and look to hook-up the ribbon
controller
It's a pretty simple circuit and allows you to play the
Cheers