The idea of TouchKeys sounds great. “TouchKeys transforms the piano-style keyboard into an expressive multi-touch control surface”. I really like the way how they transform the standard keys on a Midi Controller in a new expressive surface. This really brings new ideas and possibility to manipulate sounds with different parameters. Example: you can map on this surface the cutoff and so you can play an expressive cutoff filter. There is nonetheless one problem for me in this nice technology. The price point. This new product begins at 190£ for 13 keys. If you want to to change your keyboard with 49 keys, you must buy 599£ what is in my opinion really expensive. Especially when you consider all other keyboards available on the market with these possibilities: ROLI, Keith McMillen Instruments K-Board Pro 4…
Check out the video for the full coverage of this new technology.
Here are a few of the main features:
- High Resolution: The sensors measure over 1500 points of resolution on the long axis of each key and 256 points on the narrow axis. That’s sub-millimetre accuracy!
- Low Latency: The sensors are measured every 5 milliseconds for a natural, low-latency interaction.
- Intuitive Mappings: Mappings between touch and sound are designed to be there when you need them and stay out of your way when you don’t. Mappings are fully customisable.
- Your Keyboard, Your Size: The sensors fit any keyboard with full-sized keys, from a 2-octave portable keyboard to a 97-key Boesendorfer Imperial Grand piano. Choose from Classic or Inverted colouring.
- XY Position: Every key, white or black, senses the horizontal and vertical position of the finger. (The narrow part of the white keys senses on the long axis only.).
- Multi-Touch: Each key measures up to 3 touches, enabling new multi-finger techniques on the keyboard.
- Contact Area: Contact area measurement distinguishes between the tip and the pad of the finger, which can be used as an additional control dimension
- Connected and Compatible: TouchKeys works with any MIDI synth or instrument, software or hardware. Connect TouchKeys to your computer (Mac, Windows, Linux) or choose the optional standalone hardware kit.
More Informations here: TouchKeys
7$ sensors on what looks to be a pcb type board. Seriously overpriced IMHO. Pity it would have been an insta-buy otherwise.