One more octave on keybed

One more octave on keybed
« on: May 26, 2021, 09:27:46 AM »
I know this has about a .01% chance of happening, but I would absolutely love to have a four octave version of the Pro 3 available...  even with just 3 paraphonic oscillators.    As a performance instrument, being able to drone a low root/bass note and play a few octaves up with a melody/harmony is such a great option... or in general, having a four octave range in for solo/lead playing is much preferred.   Currently, I find myself composing in D or E key sigs constantly, just because the three octave keybed from c to c.  With one more octave, it would really open up possibilities further.   

For the future, please make all mono/para synths 4 octaves, and all polys 5+. 

This is the biggest thing I miss from the MatrixBrute I sold... that extra octave.   

OB-X8, Pro 3, P6, Rev2, Take 5, 3rd Wave, Deepmind, PolyBrute, Sub 37
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Sacred Synthesis

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2021, 09:38:21 AM »
Although it's too late, I totally agree.  If this had been the case, I would have bought a Pro 3.  Four octaves is an excellent size keyboard for a monophonic synthesizer.  It spares you the annoyance of having to constantly lean on an octave switch, which isn't always possible anyways.  It doesn't inhibit your composition or improvisation of melodies.  It also allows you to add a base quality to monophonic playing, with a certain played arpeggiated style.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2021, 09:42:43 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2021, 02:37:15 PM »
I know this has about a .01% chance of happening, but I would absolutely love to have a four octave version of the Pro 3 available...  even with just 3 paraphonic oscillators.    As a performance instrument, being able to drone a low root/bass note and play a few octaves up with a melody/harmony is such a great option... or in general, having a four octave range in for solo/lead playing is much preferred.   Currently, I find myself composing in D or E key sigs constantly, just because the three octave keybed from c to c.  With one more octave, it would really open up possibilities further.   

For the future, please make all mono/para synths 4 octaves, and all polys 5+. 

This is the biggest thing I miss from the MatrixBrute I sold... that extra octave.
I wholeheartedly agree. Was a bit disappointing to find the Pro 3 losing the extra keys that the Pro 2 had. 4 octaves would have been great. (I still bought it though.)

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2021, 02:48:37 PM »
I think it would have cannibalized too much of the P6 and OB6 territory and then opened the flood gates for people requesting 5 octave keyboard versions of those.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2021, 03:32:02 PM »
I think it would have cannibalized too much of the P6 and OB6 territory and then opened the flood gates for people requesting 5 octave keyboard versions of those.

I’m not so sure it would. The Pro 2 didn’t really do that. There’s enough difference between 6-voice poly and 3- or 4-voice paraphony to separate them functionally.

And yeah, 5-octave P6 and OB-6 would’ve been wonderful. I didn’t buy either precisely because they were too short for me; bought the P10 as soon as I could.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2021, 07:01:40 PM »
I hate to be contrarian, but I have no problem with the size of the Pro 3 or the small keyboard. I am kind of liking small synth keyboards these days, both for weight and portability. If you think about it, most classic synths from the 70s also had pretty minimal keyboards (Minimoog, MS20, etc.) and people did fine with them. In most band settings they work great.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2021, 08:10:48 PM »
Minimoogs were 44 keys.  I'm usually fine with 37 keys for classic solo/melody lines... though even then I would prefer 44+

It's in paraphonic mode that I miss the extra octave the most.   With Matrixbrute, I loved being able to have that stretch with a low, walking root / drone, and plenty of room a couple octaves up.   

MxB has four full octaves, Matriarch has four full octaves, Minimoog Voyager was 44keys, and even Pro 2 had the 44keys.

I feel the same about OB6/P6... one of the main reasons I haven't purchased them (though I did pick up a P6 desktop).   I would rather that synth manufacturers (specifically Korg/Seq) would just release larger keybed, player's instruments, and then have desktop/rack units available for those who need compact solutions and want to just have a small keybed, a single master, or are only sequencing them.   

@sdfstudios - your profile pic reminds me of HURT... great band that used to play around LA a bunch.   
« Last Edit: May 26, 2021, 08:12:56 PM by creativespiral »

OB-X8, Pro 3, P6, Rev2, Take 5, 3rd Wave, Deepmind, PolyBrute, Sub 37
Sound Sets:
https://sounddesign.sellfy.store/
Free Patches:
https://www.PresetPatch.com/user/CreativeSpiral

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2021, 01:10:54 AM »
Minimoogs were 44 keys.  I'm usually fine with 37 keys for classic solo/melody lines... though even then I would prefer 44+

It's in paraphonic mode that I miss the extra octave the most.   With Matrixbrute, I loved being able to have that stretch with a low, walking root / drone, and plenty of room a couple octaves up.   

MxB has four full octaves, Matriarch has four full octaves, Minimoog Voyager was 44keys, and even Pro 2 had the 44keys.

I feel the same about OB6/P6... one of the main reasons I haven't purchased them (though I did pick up a P6 desktop).   I would rather that synth manufacturers (specifically Korg/Seq) would just release larger keybed, player's instruments, and then have desktop/rack units available for those who need compact solutions and want to just have a small keybed, a single master, or are only sequencing them.   

@sdfstudios - your profile pic reminds me of HURT... great band that used to play around LA a bunch.

Or go the Korg/Modal route and release multiple different keyboard lengths per model.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2021, 05:43:36 AM »
FACT: Mono synths should have 88 keys.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2021, 09:37:32 AM »
FACT: Mono synths should have 88 keys.
😆

chysn

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Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2021, 11:54:27 AM »
FACT: Mono synths should have 88 keys.

This leaves 40 MIDI note numbers without coverage. It's 128 keys or nothing.
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Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2021, 12:07:06 PM »
FACT: Mono synths should have 88 keys.

This leaves 40 MIDI note numbers without coverage. It's 128 keys or nothing.

My gosh!! How could I have been so silly. Of course 128 keys is needed. It's literally impossible to play monophonic on 88 keys....never mind duo phonic. 

Sacred Synthesis

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2021, 12:48:14 PM »
Why are you limiting this to only one keyboard?  A monophonic synthesizer should be a double-manual instrument.  How else can you play a complete melody?

chysn

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Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2021, 03:22:09 PM »
Why are you limiting this to only one keyboard?  A monophonic synthesizer should be a double-manual instrument.  How else can you play a complete melody?

Double-manual? Don’t you realize that MIDI has 16 channels?
Prophet 5 Rev 4 #2711

MPC One+ ∙ MuseScore 4

www.wav2pro3.comwww.soundcloud.com/beige-mazewww.github.com/chysnwww.beigemaze.com

he/him/his

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2021, 05:22:16 PM »
Why are you limiting this to only one keyboard?  A monophonic synthesizer should be a double-manual instrument.  How else can you play a complete melody?

Double-manual? Don’t you realize that MIDI has 16 channels?

It's one of the reasons why the Prophet 15 was a complete bomb. Only 3 manual keybeds. The other reason being it had 15 voices of polyphony. It should have just been a mono.

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2021, 11:45:02 AM »
I don't see the 3 octave keyboard is a limitation here.  :P

I am totally fine with 3 octaves Mono and 4 octaves Poly in live and studio situations. In fact, this is a plus for portability.

Bach composed most of his keyboard pieces with just a 4 octave keyboard, yet the counterpoint and harmony is just so rich. These days we have button to shift the octave, that's even more convenient and expressive than ever.

Of course, I have a full range 88 key keyboard for that purpose, if I need to.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2021, 11:51:14 AM by Wavtekt »

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Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2021, 01:46:30 PM »
We have been considering 1 octave, 5-6 keyboards. Vertical keytar madness.

Why are you limiting this to only one keyboard?  A monophonic synthesizer should be a double-manual instrument.  How else can you play a complete melody?

Double-manual? Don’t you realize that MIDI has 16 channels?

It's one of the reasons why the Prophet 15 was a complete bomb. Only 3 manual keybeds. The other reason being it had 15 voices of polyphony. It should have just been a mono.
Sequential

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2021, 02:22:31 PM »
We have been considering 1 octave, 5-6 keyboards. Vertical keytar madness.

Now you're talking!...  but why not just go for the ultimate synth interface:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rRNM5n3jjQ

Seriously though.. in future, 44+ for mono.  61+ for poly.  Pleeeaase. 

OB-X8, Pro 3, P6, Rev2, Take 5, 3rd Wave, Deepmind, PolyBrute, Sub 37
Sound Sets:
https://sounddesign.sellfy.store/
Free Patches:
https://www.PresetPatch.com/user/CreativeSpiral

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2021, 02:56:53 PM »
We have been considering 1 octave, 5-6 keyboards. Vertical keytar madness.

Now you're talking!...  but why not just go for the ultimate synth interface:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rRNM5n3jjQ

Seriously though.. in future, 44+ for mono.  61+ for poly.  Pleeeaase.

This was part of a segment on Tomorrow’s World which was a technology show I loved watching as a kid. This clip always makes me chuckle. The interview is pretty funny too.

I agree with those keys numbers. Was actually checking out the T8, man that was a cool instrument with 76 wooden keys, preserving the low range (rather than starting at E). Release velocity too!
« Last Edit: May 28, 2021, 03:00:28 PM by Quatschmacher »

Re: One more octave on keybed
« Reply #19 on: May 28, 2021, 03:57:20 PM »
Hopefully the extra octave is part of the new firmware...

 ???