Lifeforms KB-1
Pressure Sensitive Keyboard Controller
Suggested Retail Price $499
Here’s what they have to say about it:
Take Control
Shape your music like never before with the new Lifeforms KB-1; a unique and intuitive set of tools designed for controlling your eurorack modular system. The Lifeforms KB-1 provides a multi-function, expressive, capacitive touch keyboard designed for performance. The KB-1 contains a powerful one octave adjustable, pressure sensitive keyboard complete with arpeggiator, step sequencer, four voltage memory pads and two trigger pads. Eleven outputs and a deep feature set enable you to explore new sonic territory with an unprecedented level of control.
Monophonic and Duophonic response modes with user-selectable note priority and retrigger options let you customize the KB-1 specifically to your needs. Octave buttons provide quick selection of one of seven available octaves for a wide sonic range. Monophonic mode allows you to perform soaring leads, buttery basslines with legato, or classic arpeggios. Or, take control of two separate oscillators in Duophonic mode to create rich soundscapes, complex drones and arps, lush pads, and thundering bass.
Easily program melodic sequences with maximum flexibility. Along with immersive keyboard features, there is also a powerful ten note arpeggiator and sixty-four note sequencer, each focused around playability, empowering you to craft inspiring melodies, or utilize the stepped voltage as control for other parameters, such as filter frequency or VCA control.
The Next Step
The Lifeforms KB-1 features a playable, ten note arpeggiator. This robust arpeggiator can cycle through one to three octaves. The arpeggiator in the Lifeforms KB-1 contains three different arpeggiator modes, including single or double note trigger, and random monophonic or duophonic note cycling with random gates . Probability gate burst mode can trigger additional random gates to add complexity to arpeggios. This feature, unique to the Lifeforms KB-1, enables you to have rolling pulses divided by the clock source, allowing for dramatic rhythmic variations of your sequence.
A feature-packed sixty-four step sequencer with multiple play modes gives you precise control over the cycling of your sequence. Sequences can be played forward, reverse, or random. Sequences are quickly created by step programming and each step can have one of six step modifiers: pitch bend, tie, single trigger, double trigger, quad trigger, and whole note. Once the sequence is complete, the first note of a sequence can be shifted back or forward, resulting in generating new sequences out of your initial performance. Probability gate burst mode is also available to sequences adding realtime complexity to a performance.
Express Yourself
The two assignable trigger buttons enable you to unleash your creative potential in new ways. Trigger 1 and trigger 2 can be independently assigned to one of six different trigger button modes including pressure sensitive pitch bend, gate, latch enable/disable, trigger, pressure sensitive trigger burst generator, and a pressure sensitive clock divider.
Preset Voltage Memories
The programmable voltage memory section can function as a four channel sequencer, cycling forward, reverse, or randomly; or the active channel can be selected manually allowing the section to function as a 4 channel voltage memory. Voltages are unquantized analog voltages between 0 and 5 volts. Multiple clocking options are available to drive the preset voltage memory sequencer.
On the Beat
The Lifeforms KB-1 can be clocked internally via tap tempo or from an external clock source such as a sequencer, square wave, trigger, or clock divider. This allows you to either play on your own, or perform locked in time with external devices.
wow, these cases are pretty….pricey.. 🙂 that´s real euroracking!
That SV-1 is about 10 Eurorack modules rolled into one, I’d say it is on the money, if not a little bit pricey.
The KB-1 may also be on the money, or maybe a little pricey, but what do you compare that to? Who is making a pressure keyboard in Eurorack format?
But then they put these two units together and you got a basic mono-synth for $1,600-2,050 – that seems very pricey.
“Who is making a pressure keyboard in Eurorack format?”
Sputnik and Verbos spring to mind.
Admin: Personal attack deleted. Keep comments on topic and constructive.
Indeed. They are all the rage right now.
Make noise – Rene and pressure points – there’s plenty, actually
And I believe the description said this is a two voice synth
Icredible synth ….with a horrible manual.and no patch examples of the kb1 in the case with the sv1. Not one.and in classic modular snobish fashion it only tells the reader what everything is but not how it is used in practice.maybe thats why modular was so un popular for so many years.SNOBS and insiders are always obticals in that field of sythesis.infomatoin for fist time users is only avalible on the internet now.and its about as helpful as a shovel to the face.maybey some day someone will REALLY come down off there high horse and try to be alot more welcoming to the MODULAR CURIOUS….
I hope that the mini jack midi port uses the same format as the one on the beat step pro for instance, then you could directly connect one port to the other without the need for the mini jack to 5pin connectors. If more eurorack modules implement this you could use multi’s to spread the love. Gear that can’t fit the 5 pin dins could also benefit and we’d see modules that can communicate much greater info between each other.
That’s what I think anyway.
What exactly makes this ‘the next generation of modular synthesis’? Dont get me wrong. It makes some nice sounds. But ‘the next generation of modular synthesis’? This term is being thrown around much to easy these days. “We have meda a new kickass synth” would be much better. At least honest.
I got in to modular as it was pretty cheap to put an interesting and unique mono synth together, this is very pricey compared to say Moog Mother + stuff like minilogue (4 voice poly for the price of a mono module) make this look way to expensive.
Have they ironed out the power issues with the PM cases? I remember a few years back there were all sorts of wonky power problems with their cases. Other than that issue, I would be interested in using their pre-configured kits as a starting point into the wonderful world of Eurocrack. 🙂
..dont get me wrong..im just talking about the cases, not the modules. Pm has one of the best i think, but cases are always pricey..no offend..
This is a monster and an answer to the music easle,that has held this position for far to long at that price point. What Pittsburgh and many other company’s are realizing is that we want something that feels like an instrument not a module that on its own has very little character without a pile of other modules.This thing has an aggressive or clean ability and it starts with the keyboard controller a synth and goes from there period. Pads are ok but a keyboard gives you note information just because of what it is …pads don’t. I bought one as soon as I saw it and it’s built like a tank. Can’t wait! Peace christo