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[BJG145]

I just picked up a tatty Yamaha KX5 keytar (well, it's a phase everyone has to go through sometime) and while browsing spares, I came across this printable 3D model of the battery cover.



https://www.shapeways.com/product/YXJ2Y ... arketplace

I was surprised and encouraged that someone had taken the time to model the thing. I wonder if companies will ever start making these available in their support downloads or if it'll remain the preserve of hackers and hobbyists.

I haven't actually lost the battery cover yet (heck, I haven't even received the KX5 yet), but I also found another reason to look again at the current state of 3D printing. Because as well as a keytar, everyone at some point needs a MIDI hurdy-gurdy.



https://midigurdy.com/

This lovely machine created by Marcus Weseloh can be yours for only £2K, but there's currently a two year waiting list. However, Hackaday's XenonJohn has promised to put up the 3D print files for his open source DigiGurdy very soon, so that's pretty exciting.



(He was quite chuffed to get a mention in Prog magazine this month.)



Anyone got a 3D printer yet and done anything musical with it...?

[BJG145]

KX5 turned up today. As it turns out, it didn't have the battery cover after all. Unfortunately that was the least of its problems.



This was the result of pulling it apart and reassembling it without the broken keys. Well, it was cheap. :tongue:

* * * * *

The Internet is an amazing thing...found an article here by a guy with exactly the same problem, KX5 turned up with the plastic hinge broken off six keys and didn't fancy getting ripped off by someone in Chile selling them for £15 a shot on eBay (the only game in town). So he fashioned a replacement bit out of 6060 Aluminium.

I became briefly distracted researching the different grades of Aluminium - more than you can shake a metal rod at. Then thought about the guy in Chile again. I'm a bit rubbish at sheds and tools and things. Maybe I'll drop him a note after all.

I bet Howard Jones never had this trouble.

[ManFromGlass]

I have an aged Roland AX-1 in that look-at-me red. Some of the keys stopped working 2 years ago. Somehow Roland was able to fix it. It’s still my main writing keyboard at my studio although I have it on a bench rather than wearing it.
I always liked the short keyboard because you couldn’t just bang out full dense chords, it forced me to think about high, middle and low end parts as I wrote.

Maybe a searching of the internet for people with 3-d printers who could do better than the Chile guy? Or is there a local uni with students looking for 3D projects? A 3D printer shop that might make them for you?

[BJG145]

I have an aged Roland AX-1 in that look-at-me red.

Great...! Yes, keytars are always eye-catching. They're rarely sighted here in Norwich anyways.

Maybe a searching of the internet for people with 3-d printers who could do better than the Chile guy? Or is there a local uni with students looking for 3D projects?

...yeah...I actually work at the local uni. I guess I should get out of the office once in a while...

[Dynahoe Dave]

I run and maintain a couple of 3D printers for work. I am in the process of getting one set up for my own use. I might be able to do things like this in a few weeks.