A real harpsichord; fine to gut it. A single carriage on a belt rail (3D printer hardware) travels to each key and presses.
How it works
A real harpsichord; fine to gut it.
Single carriage on a belt rail (3D printer hardware) travels to each key and presses. Monophonic; travel gaps between notes are part of the art. Multiple carriages on one rail give simple polyphony.
Variants
Action removed, carriage plucks the strings directly, allowing strums and glissandos.
Separate pluck and damp per string, so a string can be freed without plucking.
Motorized register stops for timbre changes.
Dampers
On an intact action, a partial key press lifts the damper without plucking. Margin is about a millimeter; test on one key first.
Actuators
Solenoids are clicky by default (mostly end-stop impact). Candidates: voice coil, micro servo, stepper on a belt with a silent driver.
References
Harpsichord action. Jack, plectrum, and damper; the damper lifts slightly before the pluck. Kit builders document string scaling and layout.
Player piano. Precedent for mechanizing an existing keyboard instrument.
Trinamic StealthChop. Quiet stepper driver mode used in 3D printers.