French controller maker Joué has announced a new expressive MPE controller module, the Grand Clavier.
They are officially introducing the Grand Clavier at an event Sat Nov 24, 2018 in Paris.
The Joué controller is a platform that lets you add control overlay modules and customize for your use. A variety of modules – including Pads, Strips & Synth – are currently available.
The new module features 25 keys, designed to let you expressively play any type of digital instrument. A Glissando mode allows you to play continuously between the notes and to explore microtonal performance.
It will come with a custom-made UVI sound package that includes MPE expressive sound presets, ranging from acoustic instruments to electronic sounds.
They are also introducing the re-CONNECT cable, which allows you to control any MIDI compatible hardware synth with the PLAY, without the need for a computer or an external interface between the two.
Details are available at the company’s Facebook Event page.
That looks very funky
Interesting, and an improvement since the original Joué board always required a computer. Curious how this new keyboard will compare to the 2 and 4 octave Keith McMillan alternatives.
This looks interesting, but I’m not convinced that anybody has gotten this right yet.
With both the KMI and then ROLI, it doesn’t feel like you’re playing a piano keyboard at all, but more like something else with the general shape of a keyboard.
I’d just like to see a good velocity sensitive keyboard that adds x/y-axis expression after you play a key, so you could add vibrato (x-axis) or expression (y-axis). Something like the Touchkeys (https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2016/12/08/touchkeys-bring-new-expression-to-traditional-keyboards/) but built into synths and controllers.
Yes the touch-key route seems nice… If it could be built in, and offer a surface similar to typical keys.
Combining that with tech similar to the VAX midi solution for polyphonic aftertouch.
And then we could have a MPE keyboard that actually feels familiar for keyboard players.
I would really like to see some company then building it in to a acoustic piano, with soundboard speaker, to offer an unique way of layering acoustic piano sounds, with samples and or synthesis. (Fade those strings in, by sliding ones fingers, and add vibrato to the strings if one wishes, for example, but the creative possibilities in combining it with synthesis would be huge).
The others ways are really just MPE controllers with keyboard layout, but not a keyboard controllers. And the keyboard layout has it’s limitations. So I’m a bit conflicted on keyboard layout on controllers, that feels nothing like a keyboard. Is it actually any easier to learn to play the Roli Seaboards, compared to learning to play the Linnstrument, that then offers a much better layout for doing slides, and that can also do strumming, and visual splitting of the layout for playing two sounds. (and that does midi built in, with channel rotation for synths that don’t support MPE)
But then you can’t glide more than a semitone can you? As you’re limited to vibrato on a single key…
88 keys please
2 octaves is not enough. 3 is my minimum requirement.