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Author Topic: What type of keyswitch is a piano key?  (Read 5645 times)

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Offline crowstar

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 05:54:02 »
Wondered this, it isn't clicky for sure. Is it tactile, are there differences. Force diagrams? Would be interesting to see.
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Offline Findecanor

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 06:51:57 »
Piano keys are linear (or some curve that is close).
Key travel is usually up to 1/2".
Actuation and break is usually at the middle of the stroke -- but it actuates only if you press hard enough, as the hammers move only from the force of your strokes.

Usually ...
There are several types of mechanisms for both vertical and horizontal pianos. Some pianos have hysteresis.
There are some diagrams on Wikipedia.
« Last Edit: Sat, 19 March 2011, 06:55:55 by Findecanor »
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Offline panda-R

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 12:39:09 »
I'll go with Cherry Reds.
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Offline crowstar

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 16:00:42 »
Quote from: panda-R;314401
I'll go with Cherry Reds.


LOL, you know what I mean!
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Offline HaaTa

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 16:17:54 »
Heh, piano keys are interesting. The more force you press on the key, the stronger the tactile "bump".
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Offline Fwiffo

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 16:25:39 »
It would be interesting if keyboards worked more like pianos. You could produce capital letters or perhaps a larger font by striking the keys more forcefully or bottoming out.
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Offline HaaTa

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 16:29:54 »
Yeah, that would be interesting. Some sort of accelerometer equiped key switch could probably do it, with layered digital or analog outs.
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Kiibohd

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Offline Amp

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 17:17:32 »
Quote from: Fwiffo;314492
It would be interesting if keyboards worked more like pianos. You could produce capital letters or perhaps a larger font by striking the keys more forcefully or bottoming out.


Quote from: HaaTa;314494
Yeah, that would be interesting. Some sort of accelerometer equiped key switch could probably do it, with layered digital or analog outs.


The original Street Fighter (or Fighting Street, if you're confused) arcade cabinet featured pressure sensitive buttons that determined the "strength" of your attack.

All this ever resulted in was that the buttons would work precisely once, for one good game, then the second person to come to the arcade cabinet had broken buttons.
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Offline Findecanor

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 17:32:39 »
Quote from: Fwiffo;314492
It would be interesting if keyboards worked more like pianos. You could produce capital letters or perhaps a larger font by striking the keys more forcefully or bottoming out.

Font size by key pressure has been tried. The result from normal typing looked like a child had written it by hand, with each letter in a different size.
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Offline ch_123

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 19 March 2011, 18:27:49 »
Quote from: Fwiffo;314492
It would be interesting if keyboards worked more like pianos. You could produce capital letters or perhaps a larger font by striking the keys more forcefully or bottoming out.


IBM had patents for keyswitches where it would only repeat if you pressed the key down all the way. Obviously it was decided that this was unnecessary.
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Offline panda-R

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #10 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 16:44:05 »
ripster stop
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Offline panda-R

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #11 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 16:44:36 »
trolling the
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Offline panda-R

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #12 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 16:45:17 »
keyboard forum.
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Offline Moneyless

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #13 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 19:39:09 »
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Offline panda-R

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 21:13:33 »
I did not have sexual relations with that headphone.
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Offline BucklingSpring

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #15 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 16:52:51 »
Quote from: Fwiffo;314492
It would be interesting if keyboards worked more like pianos. You could produce capital letters or perhaps a larger font by striking the keys more forcefully or bottoming out.


It actually makes sense. :-)

Go and register a pattend for it. You might get rich one day.
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Offline Dr.Pepper

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #16 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 06:14:59 »
I type with uneven pressure, it would be a pain in the ass for me to use. Although it does sound cools, I don't think that I could ever get used to such a thing. :-(
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Offline keyboardlover

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #17 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 19:23:37 »
I can't believe you have nearly 30k posts...
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Offline keyboardlover

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #18 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 19:32:18 »
I wouldn't trade any of my 82 memes for your posts ;)
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Offline keyboardlover

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What type of keyswitch is a piano key?
« Reply #19 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 19:48:31 »
Nope...not worth possibly losing a free Filco over :D
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