Moog Music Forum

This is something I've wondered about for a very long time-- what resistive material is used in the ribbon controllers. Then I was just looking at the schematic for the 956 Ribbon Controller, and it very clearly states "Resistance Wire". This appears to be something that's still made and available-- but in many different forms.

I bet someone here knows what type Moog used.

i've never actually touched the 956 Ribbon, only the Ribbon Controllers on a Micro or PolyMoog-- but they don't seem like there's a wire underneath, more like a cusiony tape. maybe they used a different material?

I was just rebuilding a micromoog ribbon and with Kevin Lightner's advice he said that the conductive strip must be silver - or better, you could use gold ..

Copper won't do I guess..

He said one work around could potentially be using a silver conductive pen and draw a tracing on the back of touch surface..

The cushiony foam they used was merely for touch. Underneath it is a flat silver tape strip. Like silver conductive tape, which is what contacts the resistant surface that actually changes the voltages..

BTW, I have some of the grey-ish tephlon tape they used to cover the controllers (thanks to Kevin!) ..

I don't remember the element, but it was some alloy with a known linear resistance per mm. Not a conductor but a passive resistance element.

We're talking about two different types of ribbon controllers here.

The modulars had ones with a stainless band suspended over resistance wire.
The Micro, Multi, Poly and Liberation had a stainless band suspended over a resistive coated surface, much the same as slide pots use.

I don't know where one gets "resistance wire", but then again I've never looked.

One source for some interesting things is Spectra Symbol's SoftPots.
Here's a link that has a PDF and prices for several styles:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... 2082679_-1

I've always found hard-to-find stuff at www.allspectrum.com. Found resistance wire. Fairly cheap, too! http://www.allspectrum.com/store/resist ... 7d68a443a6

The first place I found when searching was one caller "Resistance wire.com" Pretty funny. They seem to sell at all price levels/ quantites.

I don't know how the Modular Ribbon Controller operates, I've never played one. But I really like how the MicroMoog-style bibbon responds to both pressure and position.

Does the modular ribbon work the same way?

I guess it's sort like a slide pot, where the amount of resistance increases the higher one presses along the ribbon. Then I would assume one is making a connection between the resistance wire and the other conducter at the point one is pressing down at. Is this about right?

I had always thought it was something different, something more like todays "flexi-force" strips. but that would only account for pressure resistance.