A Broken Key
Back in college, a long, long time ago, I bought what for me at the time was a significant musical instrument.
The Yamaha CS101 II synthesizer, which I bought used for $100 from another student, was a pretty radical departure from the rinky dink Casio keyboards I was used to at the time - a real synthesizer, with no preset tones (Piano! Harpsichord! Vox Pops!) and slides to control exotic-sounding things like “pulse wave modulation,” “glissando,” “frequency cut off” and “attack time,” to name a few. One might think I knew what these things meant.
One would be wildly optimistic.
It has its limitations - it is not polyphonic, for example, and while the sound is very customizable, it’s range is rather small.
Still, I had fun with it until some time in the 90s, when I dropped it and broke a key on it, right in the middle of the keyboard. It was unplayable after that.
Fast forward to, oh, say, three days ago. In conversation with a coworker who’s hobby is 3-D printing, I happened to mention that I had been planning to build a CAD model of the key and have someone print it. His willingness to do this for me compelled me to finally (I’d been talking about doing this for YEARS) sir down at the computer, with the broken key in one hand and a vernier caliper in the other, and build that CAD model:
I found the finished key on my desk this morning. Here is the restored instrument in all its glory:
Now all I have to figure out is what to use it for.
I could always sell it; models of this synthesizer are apparently collectible, and useful for playing electronic bass lines. It really has a unique sound. You can even get parts for them - I have seen keys for sale for as little as $5 each.
Makes me feel kinda stupid for waiting.
The Yamaha CS101 II synthesizer, which I bought used for $100 from another student, was a pretty radical departure from the rinky dink Casio keyboards I was used to at the time - a real synthesizer, with no preset tones (Piano! Harpsichord! Vox Pops!) and slides to control exotic-sounding things like “pulse wave modulation,” “glissando,” “frequency cut off” and “attack time,” to name a few. One might think I knew what these things meant.
One would be wildly optimistic.
It has its limitations - it is not polyphonic, for example, and while the sound is very customizable, it’s range is rather small.
Still, I had fun with it until some time in the 90s, when I dropped it and broke a key on it, right in the middle of the keyboard. It was unplayable after that.
Fast forward to, oh, say, three days ago. In conversation with a coworker who’s hobby is 3-D printing, I happened to mention that I had been planning to build a CAD model of the key and have someone print it. His willingness to do this for me compelled me to finally (I’d been talking about doing this for YEARS) sir down at the computer, with the broken key in one hand and a vernier caliper in the other, and build that CAD model:
I found the finished key on my desk this morning. Here is the restored instrument in all its glory:
Now all I have to figure out is what to use it for.
I could always sell it; models of this synthesizer are apparently collectible, and useful for playing electronic bass lines. It really has a unique sound. You can even get parts for them - I have seen keys for sale for as little as $5 each.
Makes me feel kinda stupid for waiting.