Syntonovo Keyboard

Sacred Synthesis

Syntonovo Keyboard
« on: April 21, 2017, 07:33:43 AM »
The keyboard has long been a superb musical mechanism.  This designer is further expanding its expressiveness in the hands of the synthesist.  What a beautiful word - keyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvSZkSQcx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeHHE3oTy8
« Last Edit: April 21, 2017, 07:40:29 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

LoboLives

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2017, 07:47:53 AM »
The keyboard has long been a superb musical mechanism.  This designer is further expanding its expressiveness in the hands of the synthesist.  What a beautiful word - keyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvSZkSQcx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeHHE3oTy8

This compared with the Deckard's Dream CS-80 clone....imagine.

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2017, 12:44:42 PM »
The keyboard has long been a superb musical mechanism.  This designer is further expanding its expressiveness in the hands of the synthesist.  What a beautiful word - keyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvSZkSQcx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeHHE3oTy8

That's pretty interesting, especially as it would extend the context of keyboard technique.
Sequential / DSI stuff: Prophet-6 Keyboard with Yorick Tech LFE, Prophet 12 Keyboard, Mono Evolver Keyboard, Split-Eight, Six-Trak, Prophet 2000

LoboLives

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2017, 01:23:37 PM »
The guy seemed so annoyed that people were more interested in the synth than the keyboard.

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2017, 05:50:56 AM »
The guy seemed so annoyed that people were more interested in the synth than the keyboard.

Some "designers" have little business sense–take the money!
Sequential / DSI stuff: Prophet-6 Keyboard with Yorick Tech LFE, Prophet 12 Keyboard, Mono Evolver Keyboard, Split-Eight, Six-Trak, Prophet 2000

LoboLives

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2017, 06:13:33 PM »
The guy seemed so annoyed that people were more interested in the synth than the keyboard.

Some "designers" have little business sense–take the money!

Tell me about it. An intellectual carrot-the mind boggles.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2017, 06:30:49 PM »
I think all his pride was in the keyboard, and Nick's interest in the synthesizer frustrated him.

LoboLives

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2017, 10:35:07 PM »
I think all his pride was in the keyboard, and Nick's interest in the synthesizer frustrated him.

I think what a lot of manufacturers fail to understand is we are at a synth boom now. A lot of people are lusting for more analog polysynths, a new FM based synth etc. so they shouldn't be frustrated when people see something that looks like a new synth at these shows and want to drool over it. I think people want variety and this is why I think there is a huge gap in the market now. Desktop modules are nice but a lot of us want keyboard versions. People want Korg to bring out full sized analog gear, they want Yamaha to bring out a new DX, they want Moog to make a poly synth, hell they want someone other than DSI making analog polys and the reason why Berhenger is capitalizing with lower priced and cheaply made clones is because nobody else is willing to pull the trigger on stuff. Yamaha would sell hundreds more units of a new DX than a Montage and yet here we are.

chysn

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Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2017, 05:21:32 AM »
He'd make more money with the synthesizer. That keyboard isn't going anywhere.

The keyboard has brought us pretty far. The innovation of velocity was a natural fit. Aftertouch, a bit less so. By the time you get to woggling keys left and right, or shoving them back and forth, it's sort of a cry for help. If you need to control so much stuff with one finger, maybe you don't have the right tool for the job anymore.
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Sacred Synthesis

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2017, 08:04:22 AM »
Personally, having that much control from a keyboard doesn't interest me in the least.  I posted the video because I thought it would be of interest to synthesists who are always looking for extreme expressiveness.  But I find the keyboard to be already sufficiently expressive, when played well.  It's expressive in its own way - not in an overly emotional, maudlin, or sentimental way with many nuances, but in a more dignified and noble way.

I, too, would have been more interested in the synthesizer.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2017, 08:06:37 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2017, 09:58:52 AM »
Personally, having that much control from a keyboard doesn't interest me in the least.  I posted the video because I thought it would be of interest to synthesists who are always looking for extreme expressiveness.  But I find the keyboard to be already sufficiently expressive, when played well.  It's expressive in its own way - not in an overly emotional, maudlin, or sentimental way with many nuances, but in a more dignified and noble way.

I, too, would have been more interested in the synthesizer.

This seems to be a recurring theme (extreme expression control)–but it's not dissimilar to that old chestnut, the battle between classical/liturgical and theatre/ballpark organists for the design of a modern organ console.

Theatre & ballpark organists, whose remit is to entertain, often make use of extra kick switches, roller pedals and momentary button tabs for triggering sound effects, unusual voicing changes, or drum / percussion hits. Classical & liturgical players, on the other hand, have no use for such things, and consider them to be abominations, if not simply gimmicks–yet they ultimately do end up on home organ designs, along with rhythm boxes, auto-accompaniment, etc.

But it's not unusual these days to find pressure-sensitive drum pads on a MIDI controller keyboard.

In fact–the same argument has been made against the organ crescendo roller pedal (which adds additional stops / voices as it is depressed)–yet you'd be at a loss to find a modern pipe organ for which the crescendo pedal has been omitted.

In this respect, every feature reaches a threshold of acceptance beyond which its inclusion is considered a must-have, as might be considered the case with MIDI controllers and (attack) velocity functionality. (Of course, Roland has been keen to omit aftertouch on many of its products as of late, including the JD-XA; release velocity has never really caught on.)

So it might be the case that the sheer number of expression features within the Syntonovo prototype shown at Superbooth 2017 might have turned some people away, either by fear or on principle, though it is fair to ask: how many people would be as interested in the synth itself without the presence of an expressive controller to drive the synthesizer sound-generation engine during the demo clips?

Poly-AT is another case of this: few controllers / complete synthesizers currently on the market implement this feature, but it continues to re-emerge as a desired feature, and now as a component of MPE control...it may simply be the case that this particular Syntonovo prototype is ahead of its time....
« Last Edit: April 23, 2017, 10:05:05 AM by DavidDever »
Sequential / DSI stuff: Prophet-6 Keyboard with Yorick Tech LFE, Prophet 12 Keyboard, Mono Evolver Keyboard, Split-Eight, Six-Trak, Prophet 2000

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2017, 02:10:26 PM »
Well stated.  I think you know on which side I come down.  In all my years as a Church organist, I never once thought, "Gee, this instrument just isn't expressive enough."  Rather, I always thought the pipe organ was a magnificent musical mystery, having a force that carried one to heights far above sentimentality. 

There are various types of "expression," and some are more transcendent and less emotional than others.  Even with the synthesizer, I cherish the lessons learned and would never want it otherwise.  From this perspective, becoming overly absorbed in trying to achieve a maximum of intimate expressiveness is a distraction that trivializes one's music.   

megamarkd

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Re: Syntonovo Keyboard
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2017, 10:08:51 PM »
I can imagine a controller in the future that has bend wheel, mod wheel, touch sensitive knobs, keys and faders, proximity sensor (shoulder mounted for bass-player's chicken-neck control), x/y touchpad, motion sensor/accelerometer, joystick, tactile expression ridges and facial expression recognition system (for control via lead guitar-faces).