LDR volume control
MIDI instruments sound robotic/ soulless; lacking dynamic variations.
I used to play the accordion for years and albeit I'm keen to enjoy MIDI instruments, so far their "dead" dynamics put me off...
For instance, I have got those great BigFish "Play the Tango" sound samples of each button of the bandoneon.
I also have got a 120-button accordion bass (box section only; i.e. without the bellow) wired to my Roland D20 Synth.. The question is: how to add volume variations, the way accordion/ bandoneon players do with bellow movements while playing the bass buttons?
Since my both hands are occupied playing buttons and keys, I have no hand free to vary the volume control (for vibrato and volume variations). Foot control is far too inaccurate for expressing rapid, accurate vibrato variations.
Since my 120-button accordion bass is attached to brackets on left side of the Synth, I was thinking of suspending it via gentle springs. Then only a lever to a volume control would be needed.
By shaking or pressing up & down the whole 120-button bass box I could vary the vibrato and volume rate as needed to add realism to any MIDI instrument.
Ordinary pots won't last; I suppose a mechanical/ electronic solution is what I'm after. Years ago, I saw a pedal from an Elka organ, which had a v-shaped slot through which a bulb light hit the LDR. Maybe there's a way of doing the same even more efficiently with a special opto-coupler? I have got an old PC-mouse, whose rubbered steel-ball often failed to drive the two little perforated plastic wheels. If I'm not wrong this type of optocouplers in there might be the answer... The volume variations have to be pretty responsive or sudden in order to create vibrato as applied by bandoneon (tango) players (?) I plan to just add this volume control at the output of the PC's soundcard.
I'm grateful for any useful advice on this idea. Now that I'm retired I have at last time to live out my dreams.
jjj333 from Chile