PC Keyboard-type control, without the keyboard!

[cedd]

The title won't let me get any more over really!

 

Basically the problem is as follows;

 

Church using Song Show Plus for scripture and songs.

 

Once a service is set up the basic commands used are;

 

either clicking on individual verses using the mouse, or.........

Using hot keys on the laptop keyboard, such as

C = Chorus

1 = Verse 1

2 = Verse 2

 

etc........

 

Now whilst I am very happy using this software and know how to use it like the back of my hand (had 7 years at it on the same software version!)

we do have some users on the rota to whom a computer is a horrible cream-coloured box containing all the woes of the universe.

 

What I'd like to o for a "bare bones" service is make up a panel with, say 8 verse buttons (1 - 8), chorus, song advance and song back. That's 11 buttons in total. Nothing for anyone t get wrong, I set up the service, they run it with those very simple buttons.

 

The question is...........How?

 

I either buy a cheap USB keyboard and hack it up to create a watered down version using big friendly buttons, or find some kind of interface that'll let me do something similair.

 

If it's succesful I'd like to do something similair for when I sing with my band so I don't have my book of words infront of me, monitor built into a wedge shaped box with a foot pedal to scroll through lyrics using powerpoint.

 

Any help greatfully recieved!

[dbuckley]

Get a 'custom' keyboard, from someone like Cherry, which you can program the keys to send the keystrokes you want, and relabel them. You can group two of four keys together to make a big key.

[roryfm]

I recently hacked up a couple of old keyboards for something similar - there's a few websites dedicated to hardware hacks out there. Somewhere like this (this will give you a rough idea - just google hack keyboard and you'll find lots of people out there that have done simlar.

 

Basically takes the guts from one working keyboard, solder in some switches (I used arcade style buttons as it was for young children to use - they're much more tactile and colourful than other switches, I doubt this is as important for your church group...) Then I stuck it into a lovely looking enclosure and plug it into the PC, and you've got one custom keyboard, really simple if you have any experience of soldering, and takes next to no time.

 

PM me if you would like more details

 

Roryfm

[Brian]

Something like this or this?

[cedd]

Those are just the ticket yes! Slightly more elegant solution than hacking a keyboard, though for the price that might still be what I do. Especially as it's only keyboard commands that I'll use. That interface board looks very useful though. I can see a couple of uses for our friends over in lighting, imagine a PC running DMX control that you can call up the next scene or preset using dedicated keys. Indeed for a primary school with a lighting rig - red button, blue button, green button...... Very useful piece of kit indeed.

 

Anybody ever set one up and how easy are they?

 

Thanks for that

[pstewart]

How about a USB numeric keypad? That's what we've done...

 

Philip

[henny]

How about a USB numeric keypad? That's what we've done...

 

Philip

 

 

do this and just remap + and - to do next/last ect

[Tomo]

X-Keys are pretty easy to set up - we recommend the X-Keys Professional for Congo Client users.

(We supply the settings and key layout as well to save users the trouble)

 

They are really nice bits of kit.

[cedd]

The X-Keys units certainly look well specified and there have been 2 of you now recommend them, so that's very probably a chance. Particularly their interface board. I'm an electronic engineer anyway, so making up the panel myself is pretty easy. Also means I can lay out the buttons on the panel to tie in with the on screen functions. But if I'm doing all that, it seems to me I may aswell hack an existing keyboard.

The numeric keypad is also a good idea, indeed I might hack one of these instead of a full yeyboard. I'd rather have big bright coloured arcade game-type buttons though.

 

Cheers all

 

C

[roryfm]

With regards to arcade buttons the cheapest place to get them is here (ebay buy-it-now) I searched all over the place but this guy seems best - quick delivery too, otherwise companies like Gremlin UK supply arcade machine manufacturers with spares etc so might be worth a look.

 

Hope this helps

roryfm

[Tomo]

But if I'm doing all that, it seems to me I may aswell hack an existing keyboard.

I'd agree with you there - if you intend to build the physical UI anyway and all the functions you need are simple keypresses, then buy a cheap keyboard and rip it to bits.

 

Or buy a keyboard control IC and go from there.

[cedd]

They are cheap!!! I have several in stock at the minute anyway, but will bear them in mind. It's always been cpc up till now, although I did get hold of a bag of 1000 ultrabright LED's on there a while ago for a very good price!!

[obsoperator]

I use the large X-Keys with my ETC Obsession I console to access macros with one touch. For that application, you have to use the X-Keys with a keyboard connector, as we've been discussing here. You might check, since you're using a PC, whether you can use the USB version of the same X-Keys keyboard. I believe (because the interface is bidirectional) that the manufacturer provides a Windows program to view, edit, and clone the contents of that model. But I haven't used it myself.

 

In my config with the keyboard/DIN/PS-2 connector, a conventional keyboard is necessary to complete the X-Key functionality, even if you aren't using the conventional keyboard. I suspect that may not be true with the USB model.

[Jivemaster]

If it's succesful I'd like to do something similair for when I sing with my band so I don't have my book of words infront of me, monitor built into a wedge shaped box with a foot pedal to scroll through lyrics using powerpoint.

 

Any help greatfully recieved!

 

Isnt this best done by a CD+G disc playing thru a flat screen monitor. I've seen several bands that do this inc some big 6 piece party bands.

[cedd]

I suppose it is, though that means learning how to make the things, and doesn't take account of the number of times we seem to change the set around. Every gig has a different line up and I don't have time to change tracks during the gig itself, so it has to be pre-prepared. A disk per show I could maybe stretch to, but it also means having to buy a cd-g player from somewhere. A 20 quid keyboard and a footswitch I cans tretch to (being a yorkshireman).

 

Thanks for the idea though, maybe for the future, especially as at some point I'll need a new cd player for my disco setup.