Re: tapping device

["Bruce N. Walker" <walkerb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I have designed an experiment which requires some sort of tapping device that
> can be hooked up to a MacIntosh powerbook. I need to keep track of tapping
> intensity, tap duration and interval between taps. Can anyone recommend the
> appropriate hardware and software?

I have used a Roland R-8 Rhythm Composer for this purpose. It is
essentially a fully programmable MIDI drum machine with an array of twenty
1-inch-square buttons.  The buttons are flat and square, and have very
little travel - they are made to be "tapped".

It sports audio in and out, 8 MIDI jacks, tape in/out, etc.

With the MIDI-to-serial port adapter, this baby plugged right into a Mac
which was running a MAX program to play sounds and record reaction time
responses from the R-8.

I'm not sure if you need to (or can) buy this item (or a similar one).
Something like the Roland SPD-11 might be an interesting alternative.  It
is a simple array of about six 3-inch-square flat drum pads... But I
*borrowed* the R-8 I used from our computer music department - try that
first, 'cause they ain't cheap.

Good luck,
--Bruce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bruce Walker  (PC86-88)        Rice University Psychology Department
email: walkerb@rice.edu      6100 S. Main St., Houston, Texas, 77005
ph: (713) 522-2969 (home)              (713) 527-8101 x3772 (office)
Web: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~walkerb        (713) 285-5221 (fax)
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