A touchpad on a guitar?

Fuqueue · 06-08-2009, 05:22 PM

So I was just thinking right, instead of having a knob for tone and a knob for volume and having to twist them about all the time, why not have a touchpad that works on 2 axes?

So like, left to right would be tone, up and down would be volume, and you just tap in the desired place within the square touch-pad to choose your sound. It would be much more efficient that twisting around two seperate knobs.

So my question is, has this been done yet, and could i build something like that myself?

Fuqueue · 06-08-2009, 05:27 PM

Also, by the same principle, do you spose a track-ball type thing might work? That would seem easier to achieve as well..

gaslight · 06-08-2009, 05:28 PM

I think it would be cost prohibitive for a start, you'd be transforming the EQ section into a digital thing from an analog thing. It also requires someone to have only a volume/tone set-up. I've got volume/pick-up blend/bass/mids/treble on my bass, couldn't really have a five axis set up.

I doubt it has been done but the touch pad concept sounds a lot like a Kaoss pad, so you could look into that for further inspiration I suppose.

I think at the end of the day, potentiometers are the way to go for simplicity.

Mr. Pickle · 06-08-2009, 06:11 PM

Does Matt Bellamy use touch pads in his guitars that have the built-in Fuzz Factory's? It kind of looks like them.

gaslight · 06-08-2009, 06:13 PM

Matt Bellamy has Kaoss Pads built in to some of his guitars.

Fuqueue · 06-08-2009, 07:04 PM

And we all know how that turned out..

Thanks for the input. I realised that the digital conversion thing might be a hassle but somewhere in my mind I was thinking that maybe there might be a more mechanical solution.. is that just crazy talk? a mechanical touchpad?

The mouse ball wouldn't need any digital output, but it might be very fiddly to fine tune it the right way. And also is just potentially a stupid idea.

06-08-2009, 05:22 PM	#1
Fuqueue Registered sex offender Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: At least 300m away from any school or playground. Posts: 1,050	A touchpad on a guitar? So I was just thinking right, instead of having a knob for tone and a knob for volume and having to twist them about all the time, why not have a touchpad that works on 2 axes? So like, left to right would be tone, up and down would be volume, and you just tap in the desired place within the square touch-pad to choose your sound. It would be much more efficient that twisting around two seperate knobs. So my question is, has this been done yet, and could i build something like that myself?

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06-08-2009, 05:27 PM	#2
Fuqueue Registered sex offender Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: At least 300m away from any school or playground. Posts: 1,050	Also, by the same principle, do you spose a track-ball type thing might work? That would seem easier to achieve as well..

06-08-2009, 05:28 PM	#3
gaslight Some place better Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sydney Posts: 27,522	I think it would be cost prohibitive for a start, you'd be transforming the EQ section into a digital thing from an analog thing. It also requires someone to have only a volume/tone set-up. I've got volume/pick-up blend/bass/mids/treble on my bass, couldn't really have a five axis set up. I doubt it has been done but the touch pad concept sounds a lot like a Kaoss pad, so you could look into that for further inspiration I suppose. I think at the end of the day, potentiometers are the way to go for simplicity.

06-08-2009, 06:11 PM	#4
Mr. Pickle Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 9,069	Does Matt Bellamy use touch pads in his guitars that have the built-in Fuzz Factory's? It kind of looks like them.

06-08-2009, 06:13 PM	#5
gaslight Some place better Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sydney Posts: 27,522	Matt Bellamy has Kaoss Pads built in to some of his guitars.

06-08-2009, 07:04 PM	#6
Fuqueue Registered sex offender Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: At least 300m away from any school or playground. Posts: 1,050	And we all know how that turned out.. Thanks for the input. I realised that the digital conversion thing might be a hassle but somewhere in my mind I was thinking that maybe there might be a more mechanical solution.. is that just crazy talk? a mechanical touchpad? The mouse ball wouldn't need any digital output, but it might be very fiddly to fine tune it the right way. And also is just potentially a stupid idea.