
Alternative Musical Keyboards - jacquesm
http://www.altkeyboards.com/
======
SeanAppleby
This doesn't appear to have been updated since 2014, but I'd also add the now
much more mainstream Seaboard to the list. It's somewhat more conventional, as
it maintains the general shape of a keyboard, but that is an advantage in my
opinion, as it makes it more intuitive to pick up and play while still
offering a much higher degree of freedom over a traditional keyboard.

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triclops200
As someone with a linnstrument, I have to say that I absolutely adore it. It's
among my best purchases I've ever made and is completely intuitive to me (who
has much more time on stringed instruments than keyboards). I don't hate
keyboards, but I like them less after using the linnstrument. The isomorphic
layout means that more time can be spent memorizing a _diversity_ of chords
and scales by function as opposed to memorizing the same function in different
keys. It's a blast to play and the expressive bends and whatnot are
incredible.

~~~
Rampoina
I have the opposite opinion (I also own a linnstrument).

I come from a piano background, and as someone that kind of struggles to
improvise in keys with more accidentals I was attracted to the idea of an
isomorphic layout.

After playing a lot with the isomorphic layout I've come to a conclusion that
it comes at a cost (it has its advantages and disadvantages compared to the
traditional piano layout)

To be isomorphic the layout has to have multiple representations of a single
note, with this comes the fact that you don't really have to learn one shape
for every chord, you have to learn multiple ones if you play complex
polyphonic music and want comfortable fingerings (the linnstrument also has
this problem that you can't play 4 notes in a square which comes at the most
unexpected times specially between the two hands).

So the comparison would be to learn every key thoroughly vs learning every
(useful) alternative for every chord.

In my opinion there's nothing intuitive about the y axis having a greater
intervalic distance than the x axis, specifically I would have this problem
when going down in a melody to the previous "string" the distance to that note
is way different than it would be on the same string.

To be fair I think the only intuitive layout is a linear one (like a single
string, or the haken continuum)

If anything, having played with an isomorphic instrument has encouraged me to
learn the piano layout more deeply.

Having said that, the linnstrument itself is a decent product all and all
(although I have some beefs with it but I don't want to turn this comment into
a review) and it makes sense that you like the layout having more experience
with stringed instrumments, but I would say that's familiarity not
intuitiveness.

~~~
mkl
Maybe try a linear isomorphic layout, Janko style (see my top level comment;
I'm coming from piano).

Edit: Is that _any_ four note square? Just squares, or rectangles too?

~~~
Rampoina
Rectangles too, any four corners played at once. It's because the sensors are
horizontal and vertical stripes of velostat, so every individual stripe can
only sense pressure, the location is gather by combining the information of
the overlapping stripes.

from their webpage [1]:

> If 3 note pads are pressed that are 3 corners of a rectangle, presses to a
> note pad that is the 4th corner of that rectangle will be ignored.

[1] [http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-
specs.html](http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-specs.html)

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BeniBoy
Very interesting, I didn't know there would be that many experiments around
the ergonomics of musical keyboards! My own personal experiment: an hand-held
keyboard-like device[0].

I am fascinated by the Harmonic table note layout. It really makes you wonder
about the mathematical basis of what we find aurally pleasing.

[0]:[https://www.benjaminpoilve.com/projects/synthetica.html](https://www.benjaminpoilve.com/projects/synthetica.html)

~~~
nkrisc
Very cool project and nice documentation. I have to assume you'd already be
aware of this, but if not (or for others who come across this), it reminds me
of Martin Molin's "MODULIN":

[https://hackaday.com/2017/02/13/its-a-synthesizer-its-a-
viol...](https://hackaday.com/2017/02/13/its-a-synthesizer-its-a-violin-its-a-
modulin/)

It's more like a violin in ways, but can also be played sort of like a
keyboard.

~~~
BeniBoy
Thanks!

Very interesting instrument, I love the expressiveness of the ribbon pitch
controller! I was thinking about adding an inertial unit to create a pitch
"vibrato" effect, which can really liven up a digital instrument.

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rwmj
There are so many great "alternative" instruments out there, and some quite
affordable. Most of these are really easy to pick up and play after only a few
minutes to a few hours of practice. Some of my favourites: The Korg
Kaossilator series [I own about 4 of these now]. Korg Monotron Delay. Yamaha
Tenori-on. Omnichord. Deerhorn organ [I don't own this but have seen a few
videos of it]. Werkbench [iPad app].

My favourite thing is to sit on long train/plane journeys with headphones just
"noodling around" on a Kaossilator. It's a shame it's a battery eater
though...

~~~
pmoriarty
I have a Kaossilator myself, and while it's definitely fun (especially when
you first get it), its sound can be improved tremendously with some effects
pedals.

~~~
rwmj
One of the things I have is the Kaoss Pad 2 Mini which is essentially an
effects pedal for the KO2S.

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mntmoss
I have an Axis 49 (Harmonic Table layout - and years out of production) but in
recent years I've taken to using a computer keyboard with Wicki-Hayden
bindings. It lacks a bit in range and consistency but it's very easy to
access. However I will also use traditional keys and practice my scales on
them.

Each of these options develops different muscle memory and creative
tendencies, but it is easier to work out modulation possibilities on the
isomorphic layouts. Getting the Axis49 was like an instant "level up" to my
theory skills because it made so many things come together visually.

A recent piece of hardware that lets you try the isomorphic layout cheaply is
the Hyve touch synth: [https://www.hyvesynth.com](https://www.hyvesynth.com)

~~~
leethargo
I did the same, using vkeyboard on Linux, which simulates a MIDI device.

Another benefit of the Axis49 is the pressure sensitivity, of course. My
infant daughter loves it, too :-)

For live performances, there are also keyboards with custom layouts (although
1-dimensional) by
[http://www.verticalkeyboards.com](http://www.verticalkeyboards.com)

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mkl
Missing from this site is the Janko-layout keyboard I got a few months ago,
the Chromatone: [https://chromatone.jp/online-
shop/en.html](https://chromatone.jp/online-shop/en.html)

It looks like it has an enormous number of keys, but they are linked together,
with each horizontal position being a note, and 3-4 "buttons" on the same
physical lever for each note. This makes fingerings very flexible. The closer
spacing of the key layout means you can reach bigger chords more easily - I
can comfortably play a 10th, for example. The layout is isomorphic, so
transposing is as simple as shifting your hands along.

I have played (standard) piano for over 30 years, and this was immediately
intuitive for anything melodic. I am far from an expert yet, but the biggest
difficulty has been the lack of colours on the keys, which makes it hard to
jump big intervals, or play the same note in different octaves in both hands.
The lack of colours is because keys don't play a fixed note; the whole
keyboard can be transposed by pressing a couple of buttons. Also, because the
layout is isomorphic and they were trying to get away from the traditional
note system. I am planning to try different colourings with masking tape or
post-its, but I wish it had an RGB led for each key (not sure I can justify
the effort of rigging _that_ up).

The layout itself is great, and is the reason to buy this. Everything else is
less great, and really shows its age (I have the newer model, the CT-312,
which dates from something like 2007). The biggest hardware deficiency is the
lack of a sustain pedal input, but I expect I can find a way around that with
MIDI out or by rigging something up with the (toggle!) sustain button on the
control panel. The sound synthesis is also pretty poor, but again, MIDI out.

The best thing about the Chromatone in comparison to all these other
alternative keyboards, is that it's (1) Available, and (2) _Free_! They're
clearing out old stock or something, so all I paid was shipping from Japan.

I'm happy to answer questions about it, though I haven't had the keyboard long
and I'll be going to work soon.

~~~
beetwenty
My observation from having tested the three most common isomorphic systems
with PC keybindings is that the Janko-style mapping(which I believe is the
default mapping of Chromatone) is the most familiar to piano players, and the
least disruptive in terms of playstyle. Harmonic Table is at the other extreme
- it minimizes note distances to the point where ergonomics for traditional
playing are hampered - chromatics are downright uncomfortable, but you can
easily reel off huge jumps around the scale that would otherwise require
virtuosic technique. Wicki-Hayden sits somewhere in between those two.

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mycall
Synthstrom Deluge should be on the list. While it is sequencer, sampler, synth
combination, it has a isomorphic player mode that lights up the key and mode
you are in. Amazing unit.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH12J-K8T9k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH12J-K8T9k)

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BrettThePark
For those interested in isomorphic hexagonal (or rectangular) layouts (like
the now dead Axis 64) check out the iPad / iPhone application we make, Musix
Pro.

[https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/musix-pro-epic-
isomorphic/id...](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/musix-pro-epic-
isomorphic/id585857087)

As well, there is an awesome hardware project trying to get of the ground at
[http://terpstrakeyboard.com](http://terpstrakeyboard.com) (more communication
on their facebook as well)

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jdietrich
The Ableton Push deserves a mention. It has a straightforward (but highly
configurable) 8*8 rectilinear grid configuration, but the real magic comes
from the deep integration with Ableton Live. It really does turn the DAW into
a playable instrument.

[https://www.ableton.com/en/push/](https://www.ableton.com/en/push/)

The Akai Force is clearly substantially inspired by the Ableton Push, but is
entirely stand-alone.

[https://www.akaipro.com/force-forcexus](https://www.akaipro.com/force-
forcexus)

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packetslave
Jordan Rudess (keyboard player for Dream Theater) has been doing some pretty
interesting work building alternative keyboard layouts on the iPad. His app
GeoShred, in particular, shows some of the possibilities when you break away
from the standard "ebony and ivory" keyboard paradigm.

[http://www.wizdommusic.com/products/geoshred.html](http://www.wizdommusic.com/products/geoshred.html)

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mrspeaker
I like doing music production on the computer - and always had a midi keyboard
on hand... but I rarely used it, as I can't play piano: I can tinker, and I
get the basics of music theory and can play basic chords... but I always found
it better to just program things I wanted directly. Then a friend game me a
"you rock midi guitar": [https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/you-rock-
guitar-2nd-...](https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/you-rock-guitar-2nd-
generation-midi-guitar) \- it's basically a toy, but because I'm better and
tinkering with a guitar than a piano, I use it so much more and the stuff I
make is now much more "full" than I could do before.

I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier - sometimes just changing the
form-factor helps a lot!

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banterfoil
I know absolutely nothing about music, but I find this to be really
interesting! It makes we wonder what whackier ways exist yet.

I've always wondered if its possible to use a standard computer keyboard for
this sort of thing. What are the main reasons that this wouldn't be possible
or likely?

~~~
mkl
It's possible but it kind of sucks. On most computer keyboards there are
limitations as to which keys can be held down simultaneously (and how many),
and the keys are on/off - there's no pressure detection. Also, computer
keyboards are pretty small - you can't fit many notes on at all - and the keys
are not arranged regularly.

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falcolas
One I've found fascinating was the Eigenharp - mostly because of the
technology around its keys (registering analog movement in the up/down axis,
and in rocking both vertically and horizontally).

~~~
ayushgta
Eigenharp is fascinating but very expensive. Artiphon is also very
interesting.

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atoav
I wanna throw in the soundplane by madrona labs:
[https://madronalabs.com/soundplane](https://madronalabs.com/soundplane)

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bfuller
[http://www.lambdoma.com/keyboard.php](http://www.lambdoma.com/keyboard.php)

Pythagorean Lambdoma Harmonic Keyboard created by Barbara Hero

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landonxjames
I was recently listening to the podcast Now&Xen[0] about microtonal music and
it had me thinking about the possible designs for and ergonomics of microtonal
keyboards. Very interesting to see some of these potentially more flexible
designs.

[0] [http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/](http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/)

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badrequest
dead link with 4 points and no comments, dang

