We're designing a radical new synthesizer and we've decided that we're going to using custom hardware and an STM32 Nucleo to create a player interface. For now, we're using a Windows PC to generate the sound and communicating between the two using USB.
Out player interface consists of a turntable controller (inspired by a Hurdy Gurdy handle) and some strings which are played like violin strings - although they don't sound themselves.
The original design for the stings - stainless steel wire contacting on copper plate - proved prone to noise and dropouts. After trying several other methods of implementing our "string" we decided on the thin zig-zagging PCB copper track which has enough resistance to measure and gives good contact area and resistance to oxidation.
Let's move on with assembling the strings on to the base board and preparing to mount the copper contact strip above them.
I know that this is all taking a long time but it is important to get the player interface right if we are to build an instrument that will play musically.