Roli, Linn and ... Synton-ovo

[Lotuzia]

An X/Y/Z keyboard made by the founder of Synton (Syrinx etc)

A real keyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvSZkSQcx8

As opposed to Roli and LinnInstrument, wich already exist, it's not yet released. Hope to be able to play one in the future, when/if they finish their project.

[tapper mike]

Looks like a great idea. I'm sure those playing Roli keyboards would like something that "feels" more like a traditional keyboard.

[ChamomileShark]

Looks like a great idea. I'm sure those playing Roli keyboards would like something that "feels" more like a traditional keyboard.

hmm, not in my case. I go back to my keyboard after playing the Roli and it feels so clunky.

Maybe it's because I'm more a synth / electronics guy than keyboard player.

[Tj Shredder]

Keyboard is a concept of the 19th century and before...
But if your hooked, you can't escape... (I am not, love my LinnStrument)

[Gamma-UT]

Looks like a great idea. I'm sure those playing Roli keyboards would like something that "feels" more like a traditional keyboard.

It depends. Sometimes it's more natural to play something on a board with moving keys, sometimes touch-sensitive surfaces work better. There are things you can do with a Rise (or a Linnstrument) that are not practical on a regular keyboard even if that keyboard has touch sensors built in.

For the things where I want to use a conventional keyboard, the only thing that's moderately useful is poly-pressure. For fast playing actions, it's too hard to maintain consistent side-to-side or depth control to make the full x,y,z seem worthwhile. Maybe depth with arpeggios, but those less tricky on the touch surfaces than runs and rapid chord changes. For slow passages, the ability to sweep up and down across the whole surface is a big advantage of the touch controllers.

Each of these surfaces has its advantages and you need to adapt playing styles (as with any instrument) to get the most out of them.

[Lotuzia]

Looks like a great idea. I'm sure those playing Roli keyboards would like something that "feels" more like a traditional keyboard.

Well all these instruments are rather pricey, and I think this one will not be very affordable either. I would like such a keyboard though, especially if the x/y/z sensors action can be tweaked easily to be more/less sensitive. I 'think' i would feel better and have more pleasure to play it than on a Roli for example (the Linn beeing more outworldy) but this is something I'd still like to try and verify before buying This said, based on the video, I'm very interested in it, because it's the exact instrument I have always dreamed that someone would create and offer.

[tapper mike]

Keyboard is a concept of the 19th century and before...
But if your hooked, you can't escape... (I am not, love my LinnStrument)

Yeah I loved mine too until the thing took a crap on me. Now I'm just going to have to live with two Launchpad Pro's and my artiphon instrument one.

[deastman]

It is true that the Seaboard is not really a traditional keyboard, even if the waves bear some resemblance to one. I still can't play it very well like a traditional keyboard. Now, maybe it's just me, and I would feel differently if I were Jordan Rudess, but I find it kind of absurd to play two handed chords on the Seaboard and add individual vibrato to each note. Or if you're going to sweep a filter cutoff with the Y axis, all of your fingers are more or less going to have to go upwards together, because they're all attached to the same hand. In other words, expressive controllers are best suited to performing monophonic instruments. That is where you can really focus on the expressiveness of a performance. And with that in mind, it becomes a whole lot less important to have a controller which matches the traditional keyboard paradigm. Any of the MPE controllers will work for solo lead lines. But like I said, maybe that's just because I suck.

[Spitfire31]

This looks very much like the features of Andrew McPhearson's add-on Touch Keys overlays, but fully integrated in proper keys.

The downside, in my experience, to Touch Keys is the hard edges of the key overlays – they are, after all, just stamped-out pieces of circuit board with sharp, untreated edges. If you try to do a waterfall slide, you'll only do it once and then you need to reach for you BandAids…

But in principle, Touch Keys on a keyboard with aftertouch offers a very similar X/Y/Z controllability to this Syntonovo controller and, depending on your playing style, might be a good solution if you don't want to wait: http://www.touchkeys.co.uk/

/Joachim

[TOYZ]

This looks very much like the features of Andrew McPhearson's add-on Touch Keys overlays, but fully integrated in proper keys.

That's funny. I have been advocating integrating Touchkeys sensors into normal keys for a long time. Just a week ago I mentioned this again:

On another topic, one dream I'm having is of a keyboard with the following specs:

- 5 (or more) octaves
- Poly AT/MPE support
- Key 'pressure' should not only cover the bottom bit but the entire key travel, with very high resolution and playbility. Perhaps using two separate sensors for the key traves as such and the pressure when it hits the bottom. It should also not max out easily, I really want to be able to apply some serious pressure to the keys before it maxes out. My Roli Rise 49 is just about usable in this respect but it still maxes out too easily imho.
- Fully integrated TouchKeys-like X/Y capactive sensors on each key
- Ribbon Controllers that span the entire key range both above and below the keyboard. Ideally it would be possible to glide from the keys to the top ribbon.
- Continuous sustain pedal input
- At least two more expression pedal inputs.
- Roland-style pitch/mod stick

The downside, in my experience, to Touch Keys is the hard edges of the key overlays – they are, after all, just stamped-out pieces of circuit board with sharp, untreated edges.

The latest batch of TouchKeys actually had 45 degrees slanted sides. Not quite as good as truly round edges or sensors integrated in the actual keys themselves but still an improvement. I still haven't installed my set as I was hoping to put them on the VAXmidi kit that I had ordered but that is still in its (never opened) box as well because of all the trouble people are having assembling it. To date no one has managed to assemble a fully functional VAXmidi.

[SanjayC]

Is anyone playing multiple notes on the Seaboards while applying separate MPE movements on different notes? For example, are you applying vibrato on one note while others stay steady?

[himalaya]

Oh yes! Absolutely!

[ChamomileShark]

Yes, but for me it's more the glide and slide up

[TOYZ]

Is anyone playing multiple notes on the Seaboards while applying separate MPE movements on different notes? For example, are you applying vibrato on one note while others stay steady?

Vibrato not really, I don't see that working except for doing vibrato on one hand and not on the other.

I do use pressure and slide (up) quite a bit and also glide. Glide (including but not limited to vibrato) is not only fun for melodies but also when going from one chord to another, gliding just some of the notes to the new notes (in varying amounts of glide) while holding some other notes still. Gives a very nice effect.