Alternative Controller

Alternative Midi Controllers are a number of non-standard OSC or MIDI Controllers that can control any parameter in a Synthesizer or Sequencer. Here is a List.

INNOVATIVE AND OTHER CONTROLLERs here's a new place (we/I will fill it up over the next days) with some interesting non-keyboard and standard controllerbox kind of controlling parameters with all your senses..

Tech: MIDI, Ethernet (via OSC)

Hier ist eine Liste von alternativen Controller

Controllers and USB-Treatment

• sknote Shaker, Pressure, Ribbon, Breath Controllers via http://www.sknote.it/hardware.htm
• make a tablet a MIDI controller of your choice with this (sadly pc only) Software: http://www.livelab.dk/index.php

btw: there is also a software by STEIM to turn ANY USB DEVICE into a controller..

• Light Sensor and photocells convert your movements to 4 controllers and all notes off knob "panic" http://electrokraft.com/index.html
• Stoffelshome D-Beam-Like Controller http://www.stoffelshome.de
• Finger Tracking / Gesture Controller http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/fusion/LaserActiveTracking/
• MCE8 MorphEUS - morphing interpolating multiple controllers..

a morphing controller (in german only) that offers to control any controller set by onle one knob like the nord lead and nord modular / g2 series as an external box Link: [1]

• UCapps Midibox / with reaktor. Video by Lostscience: http://www.lostscience.org/buttons/highfi.mov Link: http://www.ucapps.de/
• D-Beam and Alesis Beam Control called AXXIS (AirFX,Airsynth, X25/X49 etc.)

the Dimension Control "d-beam" is available on some Roland products such as the Vsynth (keyboard only), mc909 and others. It reacts to the distance of any body part (or something else) to the controller and can be played quite exactly. since the vsynth has 2 of them it is nice to have 2 parameters under control that can be controlled and modulated by one hand or just 2 or 3 fingers.. the d-beam is 1 dimensional but you can narrow the "beam" from any direction.. the alesis version measures 3 dimensions of your moves and so the position of your hand controlls the output of 3 controllers. the Air FX and Synth series do not have midi ,so they only use it for internal functions. but the newer remote keyboards can do..

there are some other boxes (all in the us), one if it being the inventor of the d-beam himself "eyris" and another machine, that works quite similar.. it's a shame that roland never had a twin (!) d-beam box for sale.. not even a single d-beam.. see my live performance on Dada-Inn (30.4.2005) or/and Moogulator (2005), if you like a video .. (check video sections..)

more controllers and sensors

• Ribbon Controllers by Kurzweil has a not so cheap one and Doepfer R2M has a flexible one which is MIDI based. ribbon controllers like the R2m by doepfer.. http://www.doepfer.de/R2M.htm
• - simples movement sensors or pressure sensores like FSR (force sensors like in old Moog Multimoog or DIY).
• (D) einfache Bewegungssensoren (druckempfindlich, Infrarot, Ultraschall)
• - 3d controller - ball pen like - The Bat (stiftähnlicher Controller - mißt Stellung im 3-D-Raum)
• - Lightning (Donald Buchla)
• - measurement of skin or muscle tension - I-Cube-System (Haut-,Muskelspannungmessung)
• - hands (Michel Waisvisz)
• - a body suit - body synth (Daten-Anzug - Laurie Anderson)
• - for dancers - Diem Digital Dance System (für Tänzer)
• - video based things - BigEye (auf Basis von Videos)
• Theremin lets not forget the (hard to play) theremin, it works as a controller as well, .. most thremins are no midi instruments, but if so check if the pitch and volume antenna can also send controllers.. it's the oldes one of the controllers listed here..

the 20ies made THEREMIN aus den 20ern:

and bio feedback, measurement of alpha waves in your brain.. hard to control, especially on a stage or with a lot of people in the place..

simple things like the wacom tablet or the cinqtiq screen that can be used with a pen - directly write on the screen (virtually) etc.. for music?? well.. the pen is pressure sensitive and both ends have different functions.. high price.. 2500€ for a 1600 pixel wide screen with sort of ribbon on the left upper corner (zoom).. made for painters.. but..

..imo the mouse is one of the most overrated controller.. there should be more contact to the diaplay / the picture itself.. and why it is still 2D only? ...

New Keyboards for Note Input/Play

• C-Thru Axis, playing 6 octave range with velocity honeycomb like keys http://www.c-thru-music.com
• Thummer / Jammer - another alternative idea to keyboards and drum pads is the "Thummer" and "jammer"..

it has poly pressure and is a pad of sensitive pads/keys. http://www.thummer.com/

• Continuum by Haken

this is a biiig ribbon like controller, it is a flat lengthy band on which you can play like on a ribbon controll, but it also reacts to pressure and velocity, if also has a second direction, so one could be for pitch , the other one for any other parameter plus danmics.. Carla Scaletti (she did Kyma! long life Carla!) shows it fine on Haken Audios site. Links: http://sequencer.de/blog/?p=132 -Carla playing the Continuum with Kyma Video: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/200/HakR202.html -More Videos feat. Continuum: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/200/HakL200.html -Link: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/

• a very strange accordeon-like collection of keys in "diamond" form.. it's pythagorean tuning and it's creator Barbara Hero seems a bit esotheric-like. let's read this one. http://www.lambdoma.com/

Surfaces and Objects

• Percussa Audio Cubes - illuminated Cubes to push and move around, they generate sound depending on how they are arranged. http://www.percussa.com/

Data Glove

• Sold out: Doepfer Mogli based on Nintendo Gloves
• NoDNA Data Glove

Touchscreens

• Jazzmutant Lemur - Multitouch Surface, also as DAW Controller called Dexter

Light Tables

• Reactable
• Audiopad (James Patten)

Sequencer Systems / Chase Light

• Yamaha TenoriOn (Matrix) sensor Light Pad make music on a 16x16 sensor lights pad - it can be seen from the back side, too http://www.sequencer.de/syns/yamaha/TenoriOn.html - Yamaha Link: http://www.global.yamaha.com/design/tenori-on/swf/index.html
• Monome (16x16 Matrix) http://www.monome.org/
• Genoqs Octopus 10x16 Step view Deluxe Sequencer

ABOUT KEYS/KEYBOARDS

Howdy! Keyboard- Reloaded: hey, why don't you manufacturers do not make keyboards where the keys themselves are 2D fields: means: the higher my finger slides, the higher is the first controller, same with left to right, so he first Third of a key is a 2-way controller plus note on/off plus velocity.. since you can pres the key down you have to "borders" of the neightbour keys, when you touch them, you might be able to use these as 2 special controllers for things like FX etc.. so they keyboards is something for electronic musicians and not only pianists.. and don't forget: they are 3 octaves!!

Über Keyboards

Tach auch.. also mal ne kleine Idee: Wieso müssen eigentlich immer Tasten normal sein? Wieso kann eine Keyboardtaste nicht ein 2D-Controller-Feld sein? Sprich: Drücke ich eine Taste, dann wird der Ton gespielt, aber ich sende pro Taste 2 weitere Parameter, die ich durch die Fingerposition einstellen kann.. Die weißen Tasten haben damit bis zu den schwarzen Tasten ein gutes Feld, die schwarzen Tasten sind zu gut 1-2 Dritteln sensitiv, der Rest kann ein weiterer Controller sein, der auf Position reagiert. Wenn das "runterdrück"-Prinzip bleiben soll ,kšnnten auch die Seitenkanten der anderen Tasten Druckfelder sein, die sich für div. Ereignisse wie Hall und Co heranziehen lassen wŸrden.. Dann muss man nicht mehr so oft die HŠndchen von den Tasten nehmen und kann einen Sound besser spielen.. und 3oktavig bitte! alles andere ist zu gro§ oder zu klein für die meisten zwecke (wir reden ja über Synthesizer)

Alternative Controllers Link [2]