https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/striso/striso-board?ref=synthtopia
Developer Piers van der Torren has launched a Kickstarter project to fund production of the Striso, an expressive instrument/MIDI controller that combines multidimensionally sensitive buttons with an isomorphic note layout, designed to standardize the physical layout of musical intervals, chords and scales.
The Striso is designed so that each button offers a wide range of expressive control. This means that each note can respond to finger pressure, subtle left-right and back-forth movements as variations in loudness, pitch and timbre.
You can also tilt, rotate or shake the instrument to add another layer of expression.
The Striso supports MPE and polyphonic aftertouch via MIDI over USB.
Features:
- 61 soft silicone pressure and direction sensitive note buttons (3.7 octaves)
- Scanning rate: 1200Hz
- Touch sensitivity range: 70g – 700g
- 4 extra buttons for glissando, octave switching and settings
- Motion sensing: 3D rotation and acceleration, sent over MIDI at 100Hz
- Polyphony: 15 notes with MPE
- Tuning: uses polyphonic pitch bends and hence works with any MPE synth
- Internal synthesizer (to be added during kickstarter)
- Audio output: 3.5mm stereo jack (to be added during kickstarter)
- Dimensions: 192x174x26mm, 425g
- Power: USB B, 5V 100mA
- Connection: MIDI over USB, with 3 MIDI modes: MPE, one note per channel; normal, with pitch bend, modulation and polyphonic aftertouch; monophonic, with glissando
- Firmware: Open Source firmware
Pricing and Availability
Striso is being produced via a Kickstarter project and is available to project backers for €420 (about $460 USD).
Thoughts on ergonomics? The accordion-style model made quite a bit of sense. Holding a board like this doesn’t sound that comfortable.
I like that this guy has a very nicely kept up farm. I see one of the kickstarter packages is you get to visit his farm.
Isomorphic with 3D joysticks like with the eigenharp is a good idea and would be useful. The pads sort of look like they are made of some kind of styrofoam though? How are they attached to the board inside? I have some concerns about the durability of the keys. What’s the warranty like? What happens if you need service?
Agree about the durability of the pads. On the Kickstarter he said they’re moulded silicon, but I’m also concerned because they’re relatively “tall” that if you play with the long enough the bottom part (the part that gets bent when you wiggle it) will start to wear out and they’ll fall off. Wonder if the designer can strike a balance between those and what Keith McMillan uses on their interfaces. Otherwise, I’d love an isomorphic controller – having a consistent “shape” for chords across the note range, like a guitar, makes so much more sense than a traditional keyboard. Pad controllers like Ableton Push and Launchpads in keyboard mode sort of does that, but I do really like the hex layout.
And “my eys are burning”‘s comment made me laugh out loud.
I’m just guessing here, but perhaps the silicon is mounted on a sensor, such that if it ever peels/breaks/splits/pulls off, one could use Sugru® and mould a replacement– or perhaps it might ship with some replacement nubs. Or you buy a packet for some additional charge.
Hi, Piers the inventor here. Thanks for sharing your worries. The buttons are from silicone rubber, a very durable material that keeps its properties under quite extreme circumstances, and use a lot for button pads also, like for example KMI. Only I use a softer version. All buttons together are one piece, so they cannot be pulled out. I had them mistreated in quite some ways, the only thing that did damage them was the pet rats escaping and eating them :\
The oldest instrument is almost 6 years old and traveled over the world, and you can see the shine of the most used buttons is changed, they work just as well as the new ones.
Thanks for coming on and sharing your reassuring details.
hi Piers, newbie interested in mpe keyboard here. Other than price, and the layout. How would you compare Striso to Linnstrument. Sensitivity-technical-performance etc in mind.
Whoever chose the gross image with 2 blurry fingers needs to take a long hard look at themselves.
Gumdrops.
Yo! Get yo nails did!!