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Diy Breath Controller For Volume/tremolo Variations


jjj

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You don't really need a MIDI breath controller, for what you want/ need is a "stereo volume variation breath controller" to control your soundcard's stereo output to create volume and tremolo variations. Many hobby musicians confuse it with vibrato etc. Some sounds, such as Sax also change their timber with increasing volume. To mimic that you would need a MIDI breath controller. Yet for most other dynamic expression the above mentioned volume and tremolo breath controller will do. Even poor, but smart men (like us) can afford to construct one. All you need is two "right hands". Q: How good are your electronics & mechanical skills? >>> Here's what you need tho have:

 

As long you know how to recognize electronic parts, solder them the correct way together and build the mechanics, you'll be fine. Below are some construction ideas and a great electronics circuit. The rest you have to work out by trial & error, as everything in life...

 

Yamaha's BC3 breath controller uses a tiny, round magnet glued to a rubber membrane and that isn't necessarily the best solution. My suggestion is to use an LDR & bulb arrangement, which most electronic organs use in their volume pedal. Here's a drawing of my idea:

sliderpy3.th.gif

Instead the piston a thin rubber membrane from a rubber glove (or a "used" condom, lol) glued to the end of the tube, could push the slider (use silicon glue). In this case the tube should be about 1.75 inches in diameter allowing for adequate slider movement. I didn't build one myself so this gives only a rough idea, which requires trial & error. Feel free to think up something better? Please let me know. Here's the Morley schematic:

tda1524ng5.th.jpg

My suggestion is to use an LDR & bulb arrangement, which most electronic organs use in their volume pedal. The above Morley pedal electronics schematic has got stereo inputs/ outputs control via only one LDR & lamp/ "virtual Pot". A small v-shaped, black carton slider is then moved between the bulb & LDR to control the bulb's brightness and thus, the volume level of your soundcard's R & L channel output to your Amplifier. This enables you to introduce natural, human (non-robotic!) tremolo and volume variations to any MIDI sound/ instrument. Put the globe into a tube to focus the light onto one spot, only. Maybe a film slider with black color fading to clear is even better, instead that v-slider? A light gate/ flap could control the bulb's light intensity as well. I suggest to build the electronic circuit first and then do the test, which light intensity control works best. It's then only a matter to put it together, like Yamaha did.

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