http://www.infiniteresponse.com/VAX77.html
Seems a bit like a hoax, or at least as if it hasn't really come off the drawing board yet, but it does look very interesting. 4 pedal connectors, custom key weight, very light (25 pounds!) etc. etc.
Unfortunately, only 77 keys. Well... Anybody seen this for real?
Good morning to Bremen,
my impression is that the keyboard is not available yet, there are only prototypes. The idea is great. However, the price will not be in a CME range, I think. In the end the same question as always: could it be better than my MP8? Nope, but it will be not that heavy. :-)
Rainer
Certainly it will be different from a MP8. Consider the weight (25 lbs./11 kg). On the other hand, it has one octave less. Certainly, the keys will not be made of wood.
Yes, it seems it isn't available yet. I'm not sure if these are actual photos or computer renderings.
Pracitically, it looks very interesting though. You could take this to a gig in a really small car (thinking of a Smart...) Schlep goodbye!
Although the infiniteresponse website is a little bit vague, the VAX-77 does not look like a hoax. The company appeared at the South By Southwest music conference in the U.S. this year and there's some video footage of somebody unpacking and unfolding one of these keyboards (http://speakerdesignstudio.com/portable.html) - though this footage doesn't appear on the official website, and so it may not be a completely accurate picture of how it works.
Not only is this keyboard lighter and more compact than other 76-key controllers, but also it's supposed to be really sturdy, with a chassis that has been made of strong, light metal instead of plastic. It looks like a good option for the travelling muso.
I'm mostly interested in the keyboard action, which is very fast and evenly weighted, according to the infiniteresponse site. Apparently the keyboard is responsive to the "slightest key movement". It would be very interesting to see exactly how it compares to standard weighted controllers like my Fatar VMK-188. The keyboard's action would probably be the most important factor in judging how good it is as a match for Pianoteq. If the action gives you better expressive control, then it will probably be a better match, unless you definitely need that extra octave of course :)
This keyboard could be really exciting... but you can bet your bottom dollar that it won't come cheap. I might be saving up for a long time if and when it is released.
Thanks for the link! The travel performance including the lock mechanism looks good indeed. The player too
And now they have even incorporated a pitch bend!
But the most exciting feature is this:
It delivers MIDI messages based on acceleration vectors, not just keyspeed at the bottom. It’s more about how you play the note than how hard.
This shows that there is still plenty of room for improvement in the traditional MIDI protocol.
Some people claim that hammer shafts in an acoustic piano bend more -- and thus produce a different sound -- if you pound deeply into the keybed. The aformentioned "acceleration vectors" seem to be the perfect math model to describe that to a software which might in the future be able to translate it into something. (PTQ anyone?)
And then:
The VAX77 also generates the new High Resolution Velocity Prefix (cc 88) that was just adopted by the MIDI Manufacturers Association in July 2007. From the lightest touch to the hardest strike, there are now 16,000 levels of volume expression instead of the previous limit of 127.
STRIKE! -- in the true sense of the word --
This is interesting too:
It is not a simulated piano action – it’s much better. Most people who play it agree that it is the fastest action they have ever played.
Now for the negligible fine print:
How much does it cost?
The VAX77 is priced at $2450.00
Ouch!
not a hoax... I met someone at MUSIKMESSE Frankfurt 2007 ...
still, let's see what they will come up with in the near future...
btw: the concept isn't revolutionary...
DOEPFER already had a masterkeyboard like that some years ago, too...
btw: the concept isn't revolutionary...
DOEPFER already had a masterkeyboard like that some years ago, too...
Yes, I saw that once too. But Doepfer has bad marketing and a very functional/ugly design. Very "deutsch"
Meanwhile, the VAX-77 does have some advanced new features. Acceleration vectors...
wizard_of_keys wrote:btw: the concept isn't revolutionary...
DOEPFER already had a masterkeyboard like that some years ago, too...Yes, I saw that once too. But Doepfer has bad marketing and a very functional/ugly design. Very "deutsch"
Meanwhile, the VAX-77 does have some advanced new features. Acceleration vectors...
ha... I used to have a LMK-3 or something like that... pretty bad...
and yes - it's really sad that DOEPFER doesn't push borders by effective marketing