Re: [microsound]Profound discovery

[nick <ndkent@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> needs MIDI...
>
> aleks vasic wrote:
>
>
> > http://www.rolluppianoman.com/
> >
> > Wow, now that is simply amazing, everyone should have one.  Even
> > endorsed by James Goulet, "studio musician"!  Its digital even.  What
> > are you waiting for...
> >
> > Actually it would be neat to take apart.
> >
> > aLEKs

This looks like a copy of earlier, more expensive Chinese units (that  
may actually roll up better). I saw one model with MIDI for circa  
$175. (note the "as much as $250" in the ad clearly refers to units  
on the market for a while).

I tried the more expensive units (without MIDI) which may or may not  
be identical to the TV commercial one. I found them very hard to  
play, the pads are not very sensitive - I guess to keep adjacent  
notes from false triggering. Playing harder makes hitting the raised  
ridges between keys not very pleasant - something I found I was  
doing. Worse, there are no dynamics (no velocity, aftertouch, any  
sort of expression). I see nothing in the online video to convince me  
that it's not similar or the same as what I played. Clearly those  
people in the video practiced until they didn't sound awkward, but  
still there's zero expression in their toy-like sound.

I use a roll-up USB computer keyboard with a homebound shoebox PC.  
I'd almost rather see a (likely totally unexpressive) keyboard made  
of that stuff, my fingers like the response better. Maybe someday a  
musical instrument maker will make something like the above out of  
more responsive material.

I would like something that would fit in a bag with a laptop. I guess  
the "real" keyboards with the half throw keys come a little closer  
than an Oxygen, but neither has enough protection for the keys and  
knobs to throw into a bag, maybe if they had a foam cover of some  
sort. Maybe some kind of expensive bag would do the trick but I'd  
prefer a way to protect the face of a keyboard to fit in any bag.

I've been playing a 2.5 octave Edirol PCR-30 for a while, which needs  
a medium sized bag way larger than a laptop bag . It has enough keys  
to play with 2 hands - which I like a lot over the more common 2  
octave smaller ones. I unfortunately stored it in a bag, where,  
unknown to me the keys were being lightly depressed, so one day I  
took it out and volia, a bunch of keys were dead. Edirol confirmed  
that storage with depressed keys leads to key failure.

Maybe someday this technology can be used for controllers
http://www.overclockersclub.com/?read=7328384

nicholas d. kent
http://technopop.info/ndkent

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