Anybody want an isomorphic/Janko midi keyboard?

[Taylor Livingston]

I've been watching this guy's blog for a while. He is going to make a kit to transform a regular midi keyboard controller into an isomorphic keyboard, specifically either a Wicki-Hayden or Janko layout.

The advantage of these layouts is that you only need to learn one fingering for any chord*, and everything is played the same no matter what key you are playing in. You can reach much larger intervals with one hand - you have about 3 octaves under your hand at all times. It is also typically more compact than a linear keyboard with the same number of keys.

If anyone here is interested in getting one these kits, contact the guy. The more people who want them, the cheaper they will be for everyone, since he is getting the parts made in very low quantities.

* For example, an A minor chord is the exact same shape as an F# minor chord, and a C# major scale is exactly as easy to play as a C major scale.

[lemur821]

How funny that you would post this right after I watched a bunch of videos with this thing below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjq0hL13A8k

I sure do hate the usual keyboard layout, and I'd jump at this if I had the slightest intention of playing keys. I hope it goes well.

[Visirale]

Wow that's weird. Intuitive, but weird. Unfortunately I think I'm too far ingrained with the "regular" way of playing. It'd be so weird to transfer my way of thinking from the linear layout I'm used to, to that...

But if I learned that from day 1, I'd be all over that.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Visirale

Wow that's weird. Intuitive, but weird. Unfortunately I think I'm too far ingrained with the "regular" way of playing. It'd be so weird to transfer my way of thinking from the linear layout I'm used to, to that...

You can play the bass, can't you?

[BassChuck]

I could be wrong, but isn't this the way the buttons on an accordian are laid out? It's been a whole lot of years since I dealt with one.

[Taylor Livingston]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

I could be wrong, but isn't this the way the buttons on an accordian are laid out? It's been a whole lot of years since I dealt with one.

Yes, it is. That's called Wicki-Hayden. The isomorphic layouts make playing keys a lot more like bass or guitar, so it should be a natural fit for those of us on Talkbass.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

that's really interesting- i started a thread questioning the keyboard layout some years back-
considering the starrlabs keyboards- http://www.starrlabs.com/keyboards.php
I didn't know that alternative keyboard arrangements had existed for centuries.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

http://technabob.com/blog/2007/08/09...ce-of-88-keys/

I like the look of this Janko-style keyboard- although colouring the keys would help a lot.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

old thread in which I was thinking about keyboard key textures for each note-
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f22/alternative-note-naming-system-82259-post932268/

[Taylor Livingston]

I actually remember that thread, though at the time I had no interest in keyboard and I knew almost nothing about music theory, so I figured there must be a reason the linear keyboard was designed in such a stupid way. I realize now that like all inventions, it was just an imperfect design.

There are several other unusual midi keyboards available right now; this page has several great links. The Tonal Plexus, for example, has 211 notes per octave. Pretty crazy. I personally don't have a use for that, but I could see some patient person getting some cool things out of it.