Mechanized Characterization of Musical Keyboard Touch Response

Abstract

Current digital keyboards, even weighted keyboards, have a different touch response (feel) than acoustic pianos, which affects a pianist’s ability to learn and perform. Keyboardists rely on the touch and haptic response from the keys as feedback. We have designed and fabricated a device that measures the touch response of a grand piano key, by taking force, position, velocity, and acceleration measurements and fitting characterization models. Our device, while measuring response, will impose force/motion inputs on a key that mimic key strikes by a human. In the future, this data could be used to create a digital keyboard with a touch response that more closely approximates that of the acoustic grand piano. Our device will be a research tool to help bridge the gap between digital and acoustic keyboards.