Virtual Piano for Chopin on the go

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Ever since those keyboards of the typing variety got all virtual on us, we knew the instrument version would go infrared and turn our rhythmic table tapping into beautiful music. The new device, from Digital Information Development, operates -- and looks -- quite like that Bluetooth version from iTech, 'cept there's a speaker in this unit to pump the tunes you're generating. Though there's just a 25-key keyboard in this version, DID is promising an 88-key "grand piano" unit, and even some sort of weighted notes (we'll believe it when we see it). This first iteration includes piano, organ, pipe organ and harpsichord sounds, and should cost around 15,000 yen ($130 USD) when it hits stores in Japan this November.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

[drummania @ Aug 4th 2006 9:30AM]

Without touch sensitivity it doesn't make any sense...

[Justin Streufert @ Aug 4th 2006 9:40AM]

drummania is right. Unless it can somehow sense how hard you press the "keys" (and I can't think of a way that it could), this isn't a piano. In fact the very NAME "piano" (shortened from "pianoforte" -- soft/loud) means that it can make different sounds depending on how you touch the keys.

Still a pretty cool technology, though, even if it will give you RMI or arthritis or something from repeatedly poking your fingers at a hard surface. ;)

[Andrew Wang @ Aug 4th 2006 9:55AM]

They should have a typing keyboard in the unit as well. Who wants to carry around an infrared piano?

[musicman @ Aug 4th 2006 10:09AM]

As a musician, I don't need that device. I can play whatever I want on a hard surface and hear it in my head since I can do that. Granted, that device would enable other to hear you, and might even be an on-the-go composing aid, but although it does not have touch sensitivity, it is not completely useless, since do you actually expect something that small and without real keys to be at all like a real keyboard? Although I think that it is still a waste of time to not have touch sensitivity. I wonder if this keyboard is a midi device, because that would be cool.

[Osiris @ Aug 4th 2006 10:23AM]

I think it's better application will come as an input device for music software, not so much from actually being able to perform on the go.

Anyway, i'm sure i'm not alone on this, but i still prefer some kind of touch feedback knowing i've pressed it, kinda why im not so keen on the touch control ideas that have been floating around recently.

[olas polare @ Aug 4th 2006 10:24AM]

ok ok its not a piano, but that doesnt make it useless.
hammond organs arent touch sensitive either, but they still sound awesome..

[callused @ Aug 4th 2006 10:32AM]

I remember there were problems with the keyboard ones in that one couldn't push 2 keys at the same time. Hopefully they've sorted that, or be prepared for some rather basic tunes...

[DP @ Aug 4th 2006 10:43AM]

I think it's more meant to be something "cool" rather than a useful piano. For $130 could be a "cool" toy.

[akijikan @ Aug 4th 2006 10:57AM]

Saw the qwerty keyboard version put into a car on pimp my ride...hope they gave the piano polyphony

[Gregorio Torres @ Aug 4th 2006 11:29AM]

Touch sensitivity is not completely necesary, ask Jean Michel Jarre about it.

[Gio - NYC @ Aug 4th 2006 11:36AM]

The beam projects a virtual grid and senses every mili-movement of your fingers, sending back data into the cpu. Sort of like when you get pulled over for speeding by radar gun.

[Robert @ Aug 4th 2006 12:03PM]

What, exactly, is Pipe Organ sound? My organ has 15 different ranks of pipes,each with a different sound. It also has three keyboards and a pedalboards. That's a lot of stuff to project with one little laser beam. (And what about the stop tabs?)

[Dave @ Aug 4th 2006 4:07PM]

I saw the same thing on Pimp My Ride, but it was a conputer keyboard.

[Khidr @ Aug 4th 2006 5:39PM]

From what I saw on the orignal site it does have polyphony (chords can be played) I'm not too concerned about touch sensitivty for something like this, but I think latency would be a huge issue.

and... how about a midi out so you could control some external sound source... now... add 64 note poly / a sustain pedal, and instead of touch sensitivity light based theramin capabilities, and you'd have an interesting creative tool that travels well.

[T-Will @ Aug 4th 2006 5:51PM]

I don't know about having a projected piano, but after reading the article about the Kaoss Pad, I could see how this technology could be used to invent some pretty unique instruments.

[yamex5 @ Aug 7th 2006 5:12PM]

Everyone,

Please, 99% of the electronic keyboards today
implement "touch sensitivity" as key velocity,
so there is no reason that an infrared device
couldn't have "touch sensitivity".
However, I will grant that hitting a hard surface
would take adjusting to, and not something that
I'm excited about.
Check out the Continuum keyboard for something
that's really cutting edge.

[John McCall @ May 19th 2007 3:33PM]

Nice idea, but the virtual computer keyboard isn't that great to use. Hope the virtual piano keyboard is easir to use and play piano.

Andy
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