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Different sounds/functions for the left and the right hand ?


Peter

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I think it would be incredible if I could assign one kind of sound to my left, and another to my right hand. Or even set different sounds to each of my fingers. And most importantly I could assign the arpeggiator/sequencer only to my left hand while the right can play all the keys without triggering the arpeggio or sequencer. 

 

 

I suppose the player must wear some kind of special gloves, or other wearings on his hands, and the keyboard must have sensors in each key to differentiate the left hand from the right. 

 

Does something like this exist? Would it be more practical than just using two separate keyboards? What do you think?

 

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Double P,  

 

Is it what Mike said, a split,  or:

 

Are you asking if there is any "keyboard" or "keyboard controller" than can intelligently identify and follow your two hands and possibly even your fingers.  So that no matter what key on the keyboard your hand plays,  only the tone assigned to your hand will sound when played.

 

If so, you just invented it!  Go forth and become famous.  

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Thanks Mike for the reply, I am well aware of the SPLIT function  :). The P1's performance mode is excellent when I have a precise composition in my mind, but not so great when improvising or composing (at least for me, I'm still a learner). When doing that, I never know exactly which harmonies or chords I'm going to use. Or am I going to modulate from one key to another. And the splits cannot foresee these things, so I am often limited by them. Of course I can always adjust the splits and arpeggio zones in settings, but that sometimes breaks my "inspiration". 

 

So that is the reason why I come to the idea for this topic. And the hypothetical keyboard doesn't need to be intelligent. Let's assume every key had a small in-built magnetic detector. I put on my left hand a glove which has tiny magnets built on the fingertips. When I press a key with my left hand, the keyboard detects the magnet and plays TONE A with an arpeggio for example. When the same key is pressed again by bare hands, it detects no magnetic fields, so it plays a different tone, TONE B without arpeggio but with a phrase for example. 

 

I don't know how silly does all this sound, but my goal was to imagine a keyboard with much more flexibility and control. And I think it would be cool :) .

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Let's assume every key had a small in-built magnetic detector. I put on my left hand a glove which has tiny magnets built on the fingertips. When I press a key with my left hand, the keyboard detects the magnet and plays TONE A with an arpeggio for example. When the same key is pressed again by bare hands, it detects no magnetic fields, so it plays a different tone, TONE B without arpeggio but with a phrase for example. 

 

Interesting... :)   That would be a  very unique feature.   

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Like Brad said, you just invented it.  Run to the patent office and file once you kick the bugs out of it.  One thing though, instead of magnets, wear false fingernails or gloves with RFID chips sewn into them.  Otherwise the system wouldn't be able to distinguish one finger or hand from another with ordinary magnets.

 

Now that the tomfoolery is aside, first I'd like to point out that keyboard splits have been working for musicians for over a half a century now.

 

Secondly, setups are a major part of the process and it's unlikely anyone's going to reinvent it anytime soon.

 

Finally, have you considered simply picking up a second keyboard and stacking them?  Easy enough to program two keyboards to produce whatever sounds you may want to create... ;)

 

Gary :D

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One thing though, instead of magnets, wear false fingernails or gloves with RFID chips sewn into them.  Otherwise the system wouldn't be able to distinguish one finger or hand from another with ordinary magnets.

 

I thought something like that. Sadly, electronics are not my strong side  :(

 

 

Now that the tomfoolery is aside, first I'd like to point out that keyboard splits have been working for musicians for over a half a century now.

 

Well yes, but I find my 66 key XW-P1 sometimes a little "crowded". An 88-key instrument is arguably more spacious. 

 

 

Finally, have you considered simply picking up a second keyboard and stacking them?  Easy enough to program two keyboards to produce whatever sounds you may want to create...  ;)

 

Yes I did. Don't have the money  :). My goal is a good 88-key controller keyboard, with all those knobs and sliders.

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Besides being the simpler and easier solution, a second keyboard would also be cheaper. Do you have any concept what a special frankenkeyboard with individual fingertip recognition and RFID scanners for each key would COST?!?!?!

 

Face it. The cheapest, simplest and best solution is to spend the money and get a second keyboard just like every performing band in the world. :D :D :D

 

Either that or learn to live within your budget and save up til you can afford another keyboard or else learn to be happy with what you currently have.  I'd Love to own a Kurzweil PC3K8 or a Korg Kronos 88 but I too am not made of money and make do with what I can afford. ;)

 

Gary

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Software such as MainStage can actually track your hands and move the split point based on that. I have MainStage 1, and it works pretty well. I don't know if the current version of MainStage 2 works better. I would not be surprised if other software does this, but I haven't used anything else.

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  • 1 month later...

Someone did. Digital Keyboards did it in the Synergy back in 1982. It could track your playing to keep left and right hands separate despite straying across the nominal split point, apparently in some cases even if you crossed your hands. In the October 1982 issue of Keyboard magazine Dominic Milano claimed it could "work quite well once you've got the technique down."

 

Here's everything you didn't want to know about the Synergy:

http://users.ece.gatech.edu/lanterma/synergy/

 

Note that the owner's manual describes the operation in quite some detail; more than enough, in fact, for someone smart (like an engineer at Apple) to figure out the algorithm. Hey, innovation is where you find it.

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