music.

Now here is another problem for everyone to give me advice on!!!

I play jazz guitar, because of the difficulty of finding others to play with I have resorted to computer programs to provide my

backing and using Band in a Box and Encore have built up a good repetoire of numbers. I have a home version and a battery

powered computer/amplifer setup that I carry around with me in the campervan. I use Macintosh computers.

I like to play around with the tune for a few minutes before calling in the backing rhythm. To do this I have to hit the

spacebar of the computer and this is a problem because it means I have to take away a hand (and my eyes) from the guitar for

a few seconds and this causes a break in the flow of music.

Question is...how can I do this with my foot? I have a foot operated volume control to which I can add buttons.

I have considered....
1. Mechanical, where I have a wire running through a cable to a 'finger' on the keyboard.

2, Electrical, whereby an electro magnetic relay punches the spacebar.

3. Electronic, where I run a pair of wires into the keyboard and 'short' out the spacebar.

4. Radio, where I somehow utilise the radio mouse.

All of these have major problems. Anybody got a simpler way?







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Is there a way to change the key assignment in the software, so you don't have to use the spacebar? This might allow you to use a latching foot switch driving a transistor circuit.The spacebar is the easiest way of triggering the program, it can also be done with the mouse but I'd like to know what you mean by a transistor circuit?

What about having it play, and using a mechanical footswitch to just break the connection from the computer audio out to the speakers? Don't think I'd like that solution, but thanks for offering it.

This problem has been irritating me for years, I've had the odd idea about how to do it but despite the fact that I am a serious 'problem solver' this has always beaten me. Throwing the question to this format is done in desperation. Any serious musician would understand the need for the modification.

 

Couple of interesting ideas here...I have considered the opening up of the keyboard and looking for the contacts and may persue this road. The problem in this case is that my computers are Macintosh and rather old. If I stuff up the contacts I will lose my irreplaceable equipment and that would be unnacceptable.
thanks anyway!!!

 

Using LC3 which is pre-USB. Marveleous machine, now been in use best part of twenty years, black and white, A4 screen, ideal for music. bit slow by modern standards, but so am I!
Other computer is powerbook 190 series. Keep ripping into it to effect repairs and have a couple of nearly dead ones for cannabillasation.

Hanging onto this old stuff for several reasons, one is that I'm in my 82nd year and not keen to spend lots of dough just to impress people. Second reason it that my Encore program would have to be replaced if I bought a new computer. So I put up with slow startup times and pretty lousy screen defiition so I can spend more of my pension on whisky.

 

This idea has some merit but the keyboard is needed between tunes to set up for the next number and I aint keen on bending down to floor level to do this! Perhaps I could get my foot up to the keyboard to do the triggering. NAH, too many problems there!!!

 

Thanks for reply. Apart from LC3 I also have performa 5200CD, and a couple of early iMacs. They are all still working. A few years ago I went into PC laptops because they had several music programs that were not particularily good on Macs. Since then I've had two which have gone to the great internet in the sky and am now on my third. Would like to get back to Mac but that would mean upgrading the Encore program.

Getting back to immediate problem, The LC3 is the home computer and is ideal for writing new stuff and tidying it up. Once that is done I transfer the data to the Powerbook 190
which is the portable part of the operation. It is mounted on a wheeled frame with an SC5 and a battery powered amplifier. I have installed extra batteries to service the SC5 and the powerbook. This unit lives in my campervan and with it I can play/busk for nearly 6 hours. It can all be recharged in the camper.

The trigger to press the spacebar must be applicable to both the LC3 and the Powerbook so really the answer has got to be an electromagnetic unit physically punching the spacebar as a finger would do! So this is the direction I am going to persue.

regards
Deigh