QuNexus Smart Sensor Keyboard Controller

[sharc]

Spotted this earlier and thought I'd share. It looks cheap and plasticky but the specs are impressive.



25 Smart Sensor Keys detect Pressure, Location, and Velocity
Polyphonic Aftertouch
7 Octave range
Pitch Bend Pad
2 CV/Gate Inputs
Gate and 3 CV Outputs (16-bit)
Blue and White LED Illumination with 16 levels of brightness
Portable: 14 oz, 3.5" x 10" x .5 "
Plug and Play: USB powered, no drivers needed
MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux

The video suggests it has some decent sequencer functionality / controlability. They don't seem to be giving much info on the OSC or CV/Gate support but as a $150 kickstarter investment it's interesting to say the least.

More info: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kmi ... controller

[kensuguro]

only CV output? Or some sort of MIDI conversion as well?

[jksuperstar]

Probably just USB.

I have the soft step, the pressure sensor stuff is very expressively cool

[garyb]

midi requires an add-on module. it seems to be avout an extra $50.

[sharc]

only CV output? Or some sort of MIDI conversion as well?

Having gone through the video again. I see that it does USB/MIDI to CV conversion. The socket next to the USB connector in the pic appears to be the CV & Gate out - Probably a stereo jack.

midi requires an add-on module. it seems to be avout an extra $50.

Shipping within the US it's $190 including the 5-pin MIDI DIN expander.

Shipping outside US I just noticed it's an extra $50.

[HUROLURA]

Looks like an hybridization of Korg Nanokey and Novation Launchpad with some more responsive sensors and CV/Gate interface on top of it.

Only thing I wonder is how to use it for 16 step seq pattern with only 15 lower keys ...

[Nestor]

I see it interesting for someone that does not play keboard, or as an MIDI extension controler, but for a keybord player would you ever play in this thing? I don't think so.

[Fluxpod]

Uhhh Poly AT!!! I may be in on this.

[siriusbliss]

Uhhh Poly AT!!! I may be in on this.

Yeah, where have all the poly after touch keyboards been all these years?

G

[sharc]

Uhhh Poly AT!!! I may be in on this.

Yeah, where have all the poly after touch keyboards been all these years?

G

There were a few back in the 80's and early 90's, but none recent that I can think of other than the VAX77 and that's $3000 - soon to have a price hike to $3895.

I guess it must have been such a rare and underappreciated feature that most decided it could be left out to keep manufacturing costs down.

[Fluxpod]

I had Poly AT with the Snyderphonics Manta till last week.Sold it because jeff has no timeframe for win(mostly just mac mac mac nag nag nag....).I am really looking forward to this.

Poly at is a feature that is so undervalued...and hard to implement.Also very costy with standart keybeds.

[sharc]

Ironically the QuNexus video shows them using it to control Animoog, which has a brilliant little keyboard interface already which with it's poly control is no doubt a source in part of new interest in forgotten MIDI features like PolyAT.

[sharc]

I had Poly AT with the Snyderphonics Manta till last week.Sold it because jeff has no timeframe for win(mostly just mac mac mac nag nag nag....).I am really looking forward to this.

Poly at is a feature that is so undervalued...and hard to implement.Also very costy with standart keybeds.

I like the look of those. How was it to play?

a quick google also revealed this... http://www.alphasphere.com/ ...I shouldn't laugh

[HUROLURA]

I tested it during last Musikmesse but didn't get good feeling about it. Response is a bit strange and different from what I first expect when I saw it (I thought it was a kind of 3D MPC).

I had much better musical feeling when I shortly tested the Dafact Karlax:

http://www.dafact.com/

Not really the same use and pricetag but the design is as useful as nice looking with plenty of musically responsive control.

[siriusbliss]

I tested it during last Musikmesse but didn't get good feeling about it. Response is a bit strange and different from what I first expect when I saw it (I thought it was a kind of 3D MPC).

I had much better musical feeling when I shortly tested the Dafact Karlax:

http://www.dafact.com/

Not really the same use and pricetag but the design is as useful as nice looking with plenty of musically responsive control.

Yes, this looks like lots of fun!

G

[HUROLURA]

While discussing with Remi Dury from Da Fact last year, he told me they were working on a more entry level little brother of this device.
Wait and see ...

[Eanna]

Excuse the ignorance, but is polyphonic aftertouch a commonly-implemented feature in a synth?

Any Scope devices been programmed to handle that Midi stream?

[siriusbliss]

While discussing with Remi Dury from Da Fact last year, he told me they were working on a more entry level little brother of this device.
Wait and see ...

Yeah, a single-handed light-weight version would be nice.

I have friends developing some pretty wild media control stuff using Wii's, which is actually a very inexpensive tool for such processes.

As for the KM Softstep - I've considered this for use with MIDI guitar, but I need more pedals like another hole in my ass.

G

[garyb]

Excuse the ignorance, but is polyphonic aftertouch a commonly-implemented feature in a synth?

Any Scope devices been programmed to handle that Midi stream?

yeah, i think there are a couple that will...it's pretty rare..
there was a big discussion about it once. i think that modular can deal with it. i don't know if John Bowen ever implimented it on Solaris. there was talk about it.

[HUROLURA]

PolyAT is implemented in hardware Scope devices like NOAH and ASB but it is used as a trick to had more MIDI CC message when the less than 120 limit is reached.
So a PolyAT keyboard would be more trouble than benefits on these.

I cannot remember any Scope device being able to use PolyAT as none of the MVC atom also found as a modular module provide such signals (they "only" provide frequency, note number, velocity and monophonic aftertouch).

But building a small device to remap PolyAT message to CC message would be possible but the main interest for PolyAt is that you can change sound parameters differently on different notes of a chord for example.

Currently, device featuring PolyAT are not that many. The one I am thinking about are:
- Haken Audio Continuum
- Infinite Response VAX77
- Endeavour EVO keyboard (with the new 24 key model starting now at 500€)
- Eigenlab Alpha

So this KMI device would probably be the cheapest available providing PolyAT feature.