Anyone know about this please

Theatre7 · February 01, 2024, 06:37:27 AM

I'm desperate to get an instrument that behaves like the stagea and has Horizontal Touch, and I see others do too, in my searches on Google I found these people https://touchkeys.co.uk/ not cheap but has anyone any experience of the idea or the keyboards?
John

mikf · February 01, 2024, 09:23:08 AM

I had never heard of this and took a look. I expected some crazy off the wall idea, but to my surprise I found it quite fascinating, and might be the best step forward I have seen for keyboards. The idea is quite brilliant and takes aftertouch to a whole different level. And it seems more intuitive than the way aftertouch works now by adding pressure.
If it works the way shown on the video it adds a new layer of reality to instrument simulations. You can treat the key like say a guitar string and add vibrato, slide and bend just as you would on the string of a real guitar. I could imagine great things for brass and saxes, and the demo of a violin is terrific. I think you would have to be able to switch it on and off as desired, and maybe by zone, but the potential is huge.
I would love to try this, and didn't think the price too bad for what it adds, although I would never go
for the 'take your keyboard apart, do it yourself' approach.
But maybe this is next significant step ahead for over the counter Yamaha synths and arrangers, I could certainly see that. You have to be believe Yamaha etc are watching this closely, if not already working on it.
I see so many suggestions for features on our keyboards that little commercial value, so they never happen, and people complain about poor customer response. But in my estimation the potential value of this technology is huge and would really sell keyboards.
Mike

RoyB · February 01, 2024, 09:47:44 AM

I agree, it looks like a very creative idea.

However, it doesn't seem to have done that well and it may or may not have any future. The company behind it was dissolved 12 months ago..

Divemaster · February 01, 2024, 09:52:03 AM

It's a very clever idea, but I think it lags a long way behind the amazing Roli Seaboard 2.

This might interest you all.

https://roli.com/products/seaboard/rise2

Keith.

Joe H · February 01, 2024, 10:15:30 AM

Quote from: Divemaster on February 01, 2024, 09:52:03 AM
It's a very clever idea, but I think it lags a long way behind the amazing Roli Seaboard 2.

This might interest you all.

https://roli.com/products/seaboard/rise2

Keith.

I agree. Anyone who wants to know more about the Roli Seaboard should search on Youtube. It's a VERY expressive playing surface.

Joe H

pjd · February 01, 2024, 12:31:06 PM

Yamaha have patents on some form of key multi-touch technology. Whether it ever shows up in a product, who knows? They have tons of stuff in their patent portfolio which never makes it to the product stage.

The Roli Lumi keys implements a subset of MPE touch options. I have one, but don't generally recommend it. The keyboard doesn't have much strike depth, but it does let you wiggle the key around for pitch bends and such. If it worked with the old Roli iPad app (Noise), I would probably use the Lumi more.

All the best -- pj

mikf · February 01, 2024, 04:34:40 PM

In fact the Roli doesn't appeal to me, its way more than I would want. It will appeal to people who like to play around a lot with sound, and effects. I liked the simplicity of the other one, which just lets you simulate typical everyday instruments, and quite intuitively. I could see why that company would fail, but if someone runs with that idea, and builds it into a current keyboard, without trying t get too clever, I would pay for that.
Mike

Denn · February 01, 2024, 04:45:27 PM

WOW! Another way of making a mess of my playing. I can make SOOOOOOOOOOO many errors, wonder if I need this,

Denn

mikf · February 01, 2024, 06:28:47 PM

It's not for everyone Denn, that's for sure. If you are struggling just to learn to play chords and melody, you don't need even more to think about.
But some of us played guitar or other stringed instruments and finger sliding, or shaking would be second nature, and sound very realistic.
Mike

Enildo · February 02, 2024, 06:02:43 PM

That's what I call natural evolution!
When everyone thinks there is nothing left to be invented... boommm! Someone has a good new idea.

Enildo

Theatre7 · February 03, 2024, 07:10:33 AM

The Roli Seaboard 2 looks like a dedicated device, how would that work playing, in my case, and SX900 ?
I already have a second Keyboard and V Console and just want everything that violin/fiddle feature can do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InNZkNz4NMc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftouchkeys.co.uk%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt
Cheerrrrs John

Enildo · February 03, 2024, 07:34:29 AM

Quote from: Theatre7 on February 03, 2024, 07:10:33 AM
The Roli Seaboard 2 looks like a dedicated device, how would that work playing, in my case, and SX900 ?
I already have a second Keyboard and V Console and just want everything that violin/fiddle feature can do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InNZkNz4NMc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftouchkeys.co.uk%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt
Cheerrrrs John

This is fantastic!

mikf · February 03, 2024, 10:52:17 AM

Fantastic if being highly innovative with sound is important for you. But way overkill for most of us, and not convenient for normal playing. What I liked about the other one was that it would behave just like a normal keyboard when you want that, but still give you control of some what I would call 'normal' effects like vibrato on a violin, note bending on a guitar or slides on a trombone etc.
Mike