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Keyboard

A 100-key, velocity-sensitive MIDI instrument disguised as a full-size beige computer keyboard.

It extends Synthphone-E's office-equipment disguise into a second instrument, replacing QWERTY with an isomorphic musical surface, drum keys, controls, and twelve knobs.

Keyboard², a beige computer keyboard rebuilt with colored musical keys, knobs, and an OLED
Daisy Seed / embedded Rust100 sensors / 12 knobs

Physical control map

The control map.

Seventy keys form the Wicki-Hayden note field, ten handle settings and performance controls, and twenty trigger General MIDI percussion. Twelve knobs send continuous controller values.

70 melody keysWicki-Hayden layout
10 control keysSettings and performance
20 drum keysGeneral MIDI percussion
12 knobsMIDI Control Change

Wicki-Hayden geometry

Move the shape. Keep the chord.

The melody area is isomorphic: every interval has the same spatial relationship everywhere on the board. Move a scale or chord to another starting note and the fingering geometry stays the same.

Hall-effect velocity

Speed becomes velocity.

Each key uses an analog magnetic sensor. The firmware measures how quickly the key moves between two actuation thresholds and converts that elapsed time into MIDI velocity. Faster travel produces a harder note.

The collection connection

Built to control the phone.

Keyboard² sends notes, drums, pitch bend, and controller values to Synthphone-E over MIDI.