Stand alone mod/pitch wheel?

[mcmurray]

Hey guys, stupid question...

 

Does there exist an inline midi mod/pitchwheel controller? I have a Yamaha P80 and would like to add this functionality if possible. I've been searching and haven't found anything.

[TechEverlasting]

Yamaha made something like this in the 90s, I think it was called the MCS-II Midi control station. I believe Yamaha holds the patents on mod and pitch wheels so it might be unlikely for such a product to come from anyone but them. I haven't seen one of these units in years.

 

The easiest way to solve this might to get a small controller with pitch and mod wheels that can sit on top of your P80 and use a MIDI merger.

[mate_stubb]

You can roll your own with a couple of pieces from Doepfer.

 

http://www.doepfer.de/we.htm

http://www.doepfer.de/zubeh_e.htm

[AnotherScott]

Yamaha MCS-2

 

http://dacs-audio.com/product_details.php?product_id=527

[Chando]

Doepfer still has the worst website ever.

 

I love how some things never change

[mcmurray]

Thanks guys, very helpful.

[Mediterranean]

- Self-powered when MIDI cable is plugged into both ends

- Controls any MIDI device that has MIDI IN.

- Bonus feature: octave & semitone transpose functions

-

[Nillerbabs]

Stand alone pitch stick + wheel would be something.

[fagan]

- Self-powered when MIDI cable is plugged into both ends - Controls any MIDI device that has MIDI IN. - Bonus feature: octave & semitone transpose functions -

 

I can't find this anywhere. what is the exact model number?

[Ed A.]

I think it's model is PMC (Photoshopped MIDI Controller)

[j_e_f_f_g]

Is this pitch/mod wheel thing going to be attached to a computer? If so, does it specifically need to be 2 wheels, or can something like a joystick or rectangular touchpad (or two of them -- one for mod, and one for pitch) be used? I ask because there are a lot of human-interface-devices (HIDs) made to attach to a computer. They come in lots of form factors, and can be programmed to generate any keyboard shortcut or mouse movement. So if for example, you're controlling a softsynth that allows you to move the mouse to simulate a pitch wheel, then you can get a usb joystick or touchpad device to easily do this.

[Plink Floyd]

Of course, all this discussion assumes that the P80 accepts pb and mod inputs. I don't know, maybe it does.

 

Or maybe the OP wants to use the P80 to control another device?

[wesg]

A lot of crap Yamahas will accept pitch and mod input (i.e. PSRs), it's "just there" in the firmware, chances are decent that the P80 does.

 

As for patents... The DX-7 had pitch/mod wheels. There's no way those patents aren't expired by now.

[1001gear]

It's midi spec. Should be listed yes or no in the manual. My PF - 80 a generation or several before does PB only. Have an MCS 2. Has tiny wheels - like on the strap on key controllers and a couple sliders and assignable buttons - anything in the midi 1 spec.

[AnotherScott]

 

As for patents... The DX-7 had pitch/mod wheels. There's no way those patents aren't expired by now.

 

The Minimoog had pitch/mod wheels long before the DX7. As did other synths.

[soundwave106]

I think it's model is PMC (Photoshopped MIDI Controller)

 

Ironically enough, this question does seem to come up enough on the Interwebz that I think there would be the market for at least a smaller manufacturer to make this.

 

The Eurorack world actually has at least two manufacturers that make pitch and mod wheels modules. Not much help for the MIDI folks, of course...

[wesg]

Minimoog was not MIDI, patents could still prevent a MIDI mod/pitch wheel, except that they would have expired more than 10 years ago as the DX7 is obvious prior art; the wheels send MIDI albeit only on channel 1 like the rest of the unit.

[AnotherScott]

There have also been plenty of non-Yamaha MIDI keyboards that have had pitch and mod wheels, including the old MemoryMoog. More contemporary examples include, I believe, all the Kurzweil synths ever made, the small Korgs (i.e. MicroKorg, R3), and a bunch of the Arturia stuff.

 

edit: also most Alesis synths

[mate_stubb]

There are 2 ways to hook up pitch bend and mod via midi. You can inject the midi signals to the keyboard's midi input. This only works if the input can be set to merge with the midi stream created in the keyboard.

 

Or, you can inject the midi output of the keyboard into the pitch bend/mod wheel controller, which again must merge the input data with what it is generating.

[AnotherScott]

If you have an iPhone (or iPad), the "iBend MIDI" app will do it (with an appropriate MIDI interface between your iDevice and your MIDI gear).

[koolkat]

 

If you have an iPhone (or iPad), the "iBend MIDI" app will do it (with an appropriate MIDI interface between your iDevice and your MIDI gear).

 

 

I splurged (99 cents) and got the pro version. I really like this app because at one point, I almost dropped $250 bucks on a quasi-stand alone pitch/mod wheel.

[Synthaholic]

Find a used one of these:

 

 

$11.50 + $10 shipping:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M-Audio-Oxygen-8-/160893773599?pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item257604271f

[AnotherScott]

 

$11.50 + $10 shipping

 

likely not what it will go for, though -- auction in-progress figures are not useful guides -- but their completed listings will probably give you an idea of what to expect to pay.