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mosc
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 Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 7:26 am Post subject:
Thoughts on alternative controllers... |
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From the NM email lists:
| Quote: | >To move the subject on: What I really think is that it would have been
> nice histrorically if monophonic synths had developed with a variety of
> interfaces and that polysynths had a quite separate path of development
> allied to keyboards and guitar interfaces - where they are
> indeed necessary
> and therefore logical. To me the keyboard and its harmonic
> perspective have
> skewed the development of the synth music and weighed it down with playing
> styles too much derived from western classical music, the piano and the
> organ... the windcontroller is a small counterbalance to this
> bias and its a
> shame there are not existant many more options to suit differing
> musicalities. The dictatorship of the keyboard has closed off many other
> options IMO
>
> Richard |
And Rob replied:
| Quote: | To me this is a nice example of 'how the big numbers rule the world'. It is
generally recognized that one of the main reasons for the keyboard being
used on synths is simply as there are so many keyboard players. Learing to
play a musical instrument is quite an investment in time and only few people
are willing to invest in learning a totally new type of interface. Just
listen to a Clara Rockmore recording and then try to play a Theremin
yourself. The keyboard is simply too convenient to many to create the
'critical mass' necessary for another, more suitable interface to become
mainstream.
I play a Yamaha windcontroller myself, but not seriously. The reason is that
to me it lacks the 'physicality' of a real clarinet. With a clarinet I feel
like I 'have the sound in my hands', with the WX I feel like I'm holding a
remote control. Ok, a bit exaggerated, but it shows where the future
challenge is for synth manufacturers: "to develop an interface that really
feels like you have the sound directly under your fingers or coming from the
mouth." With sensors that give the right sort of tactile feedback that feels
good to groove to. If these can be developed they maybe could seriously
replace the keyboard to control a synth. Basically as a modern synth
consists of three parts, the synthesis engine, the human interface and some
intelligence in between to translate the interface information to
appropriate data for the synthesis engine. Synthesis engines and the
intelligence to control them are quite advanced these days, but on the side
of the sensors in the human interface it is still like we're in the stone
age (or should I say plastic key age?). I always have an open mind to new
and different play controllers, whenever I can get my hands on one I try it,
one can never know when a real good one suddenly surfaces. But up to now
most don't feel any better than a good keyboard. Its hard to keep some
optimism in this field.
I think that the development of a real good musicians interface for a
synthesis engine, that also gets really everything out of that synthesis
engine, is quite expensive and goes way beyond what manufacturers are
willing to develop right now. Just imagine on how tactile feedback of the
sound should be implemented, how the thing should e.g. subtly vibrate like
an acoustic instrument does. How the instrument should 'talk back' to you,
not only by the sound but also by its feel.
It would be great if us musicians could challenge the synth manufacturers to
stop listening to their accountants for a while and take up the challenge to
start some serious development in this interface area. But it seems that the
only new interface that has been developed in the last fifteen years is that
pinkish, soft rubbery button printed with the word [Demo]... |
I thought his was a good place to start a discussion with a more eclectic audience. |
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mosc
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seraph
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| Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:05 am Post subject:
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check them out 
| Electronic Musician wrote: | ...the typical keyboard player looks only slightly more thrilling than a librarian sitting behind a book counter. That's not exactly the most brilliant way to excite an audience...
September 1997 |
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zynthetix
Joined: Jun 12, 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 3:29 pm Post subject:
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| Neat stuff. Ribbon controllers provide a microtonal solution, although monophonic...they don't take up a lot of room either and could be built into a synth above a traditional keyboard for note reference purposes. Has a controller like this been made already, or am I left to solder one for my nord? |
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mosc
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paul e.
Joined: Sep 22, 2003
Posts: 1567
Location: toronto, canada
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| Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:58 pm Post subject:
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| Quote: | To me the keyboard and its harmonic
> perspective have
> skewed the development of the synth music and weighed it down with playing
> styles too much derived from western classical music, the piano and the
> organ... |
i find that comment most interesting...as i have wondered if Wendy Carlos and others like her , in a small way are responsible for perhaps giving credence to the popular concept of using a 'piano keyboard' analogy as an interface to a synth
Her choice to use the Moogs to render Bach's music seemed to cement in the mind's of the public that synthesizers were meant primarily for realising classical music...as if the synthesizer were to be considered a neo-piano/organ of the post-war 20th century..
It seems that this was a fashion for a while because i can also think of Isao Tomita's realising of Holst's The Planet Suite, which may lead us into another perception- that synths should be used to emulate a symphony orchestra...
in both cases the orginal music is well-suited to a synthetic treatment, the renderings are quite beautiful and seem to enhance the original composer's work, but...
it may have done much to associate in most people's minds that synthesizers are 'neo-classical' and thus the old piano keyboard metaphor continues to this day..
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paul e.
Joined: Sep 22, 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:09 pm Post subject:
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having said that...the piano keyboard is a nifty way to organize the notes in a logical way...
handy for making chords and such 
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Cyxeris
Joined: Oct 30, 2003
Posts: 1125
Location: Louisville, KY
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| Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject:
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I'm actually a bit surprised that nobody has mentioned Zendrum. I saw these at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville back in 1995.
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