Hey all

Does anyone know of an add-on USB Roland style pitch/mod lever?
I really used to like the expressiveness I could get using them on my old Roland synths but don't really want to fork out for another controller keyboard.

Googling around I found this pic but haven't come across this anywhere .

 

ATEMP MC1 MIDI Controller, Filter.

MIDI controller ATEMP MC1 is intended for management hardware MIDI Protocol messages on standard MIDI IN, OUT ports DIN-5, and also for connection to the USB port of a computer for transmitting and receiving MIDI messages in the Program-sequencers and software and hardware tone generators through JACK MIDI IN, OUT ports.

It can be used together with MIDI Keyboards, Synthesizers and Digital Pianos that do not have a built-in USB output for connecting to a PC, as a USB-MIDI interface.

The power MIDI controller receives from the USB connector can be connected to a USB power supply (5V) for offline connection when you use as a MIDI controller for Synthesizers and Digital pianos.

USB power supply 5V, 30mA.

Dimensions 110 x 150 x 48 mm

Weight 500g

https://atemp.ru/en/products/atemp_mc1.html

 

Sadly, apart buying a broken keyboard and keep only the lever ... i don't see anything.

 

A tiny joystick for pitch bending

mitxela.com/projects/tiny_joystick

If you'd like to buy one of these, check out Brendan's website:
www.brendan-power.com/DM48.php
www.brendan-power.com/MiniMidiJoy.php

£62

 

You can invest in a Roli block pad and configure it to control pitch/mod and ofc you can do much more things.

 

Please note: the VMeter is now out of production. We may do another run if there's enough interest, but for now there is no eta. Please let us know if you're interested and if we get enough people, we'll do a crowd sale supported run.

If you're an owner, don't worry, we're still offering full support.

Did you know? The VMeter is fully opensource, from software through hardware. Feel free to build your own, modify, or use the design as part of another instrument!

www.vmeter.net

 

I don't think these things exist, sorry.

You can be on the look out for the current Roland MIDI controllers, like the A300 series.

Then you can try if you can find them used, things like the Korg Prophecy (pitch/mod in the same umh, log), older Roland synths, but especially things like late 90's Roland "home accompaniment" keyboards, like the E series (think E-20). The E series had basically a Roland MT-32 inside them, then a multitrack smart harmonizer/chord/rhythm track, cheesy shit like that for the home organist. But... they were made for performers and they're physically solid. And they had that Roland pitch wheel.

And since no one wants those bad boys anymore with some luck you'll find one for pennies.

 

I used an old ps3 style controller together with an app called Steim JunXion (I’m on Mac) and programmed the app to receive pitch and mod control on one of the joysticks. There are other Mac apps that do the trick like OSCulator or MultiControl and I assume there are PC alternatives as well. Now all my controllers are from Roland except for my Komplete Kontrol MK2, but luckily I have a Expressive e Touché as well.. this thing is as expressive as you can get, so you might want to save up for such device as this one is quite badass.

 

There's Atemp's MC1 - though I have no idea how much that costs. If you're lucky you could find a used Yamaha MCS2. They're inexpensive but a bit rare.

Alternatively you could contact this guy GitHub - pje/pbmw: A standalone pitch bend & mod wheel MIDI controller and ask him how he built his controller. It's made with an Arduino so probably not all that expensive.

Alternatively, you could use a Teensy - like an arduino but.. actually how is it it different? - which has a USB-MIDI mode and just wire some spare modwheel boards to it.