Conference napalm::commusic_v1

1843.0. "New controller notion makes playing a real drag!" by DDIF::EIRIKUR (Hallgr�msson, CDA Product Manager) Fri Jan 06 1989 14:05

    
    I was dreaming this thing up the other day, and I just remembered what
    I have heard controllers of this class called: ribbon keyboards.

    I was driving along listening to Joe Satriani and thinking that I would
    love to be able to play chromatic bends and slide-between-frets sorts
    of things as easily as (someone else can play) on a guitar.  My guitar
    playing is good enough for sampling power chords :-(

    What it feels like I want is a way to "drag the pitch around" on
    something that is in layout exactly like a keyboard.  This probably
    wants to be very low profile (flat) to minimize finger breakage.  You'd
    get quantization, of course, but a little portamento would fix that. 
    Better yet, since I want the single attack until "all keys up"
    behavior--why not send drags as pitch-bend messages (rate
    controllable)?  This might have problems (is there a standard unit for
    bends?).  Of course velocity and pressure would be nice too.   I don't
    see any real utility for this thing other than for leads, but I would
    certainly buy one for that.  I can sort of play like this today on a
    instrument with very low key travel (Clavinet, Farfisa, anything with
    mini-keys), but you don't get the real advantage of a keyboard designed
    to play drags.

	Eirikur

Hmm, I could pick up an old Synthi-AKS with the flat capacitive mini-keys,
and do a voltage-to-midi (yeah, an Xpander, that's the ticket), and a computer
to implement the behaviour I want.......  Naw.

    

    I have a strong recollection of a keyboard (pre MIDI I think)
    that allowed you to "wiggle" the keys to get various kinds
    of expression.
    
    I find pressure is fine for dynamics, but not for bending - not
    enough control over pitch.
    
    	db

    Wasn't the keyboard with the wiggly keys the Yamaha CS80 ??

    Derek (who is still getting the hang of wiggling keys up and down :-)