Doepfer

Hi Bakis and Mr Doepfer,

The proposed TKB is bound for failure, feature and function wise, 
idealistically speaking. Not every feature, one wants, will be able 
to be implemented.

Let's get the basics straight. First, the proposed Doepfer TKB is 
modelled after the two of the most sought after and expressive 
analogue controllers out there, the Buchla 219 Touch Keyboard and the 
Serge TKB. Here are the url's;

http://www.buchla.com/historical/b200/219-keyboard.html

http://www.scampers.com/EGRES/wiz_seq.htm

These are features and functions the proposed Doepfer TKB is based 
upon. This the foundation from which to build upon and not to 
subtract from. Mr. Doepfer and Company have done a Good Job so far, 
it just needs to be tweaked some more.

The pressure voltage, derived by capacitance-activated touch plates 
or keys, is the most natural and expressive control in electrical 
terms. It is very similar to playing a string instrument. It is 
direct and immediate, finger to touch plate, unlike an organ manual, 
finger to plastic key, plastic key to trigger contact.

The whole point of the proposed Doepfer TKB is bring elements of the 
above mentioned controllers and not to have a organ style manual 
dictate how it should be or perform. There are very few of these 
controllers around for people to make remarks or opine ideas on how 
they should be built, so it should be modelled from the originals 
with input from people who have used and understand them. 

The electronics of the Buchla 219 were then adapted to an organ style 
manual. Here is the url,

http://www.buchla.com/historical/b200/keys-23X.html
http://www.buchla.com/historical/b200/images/237-large.jpeg

Since we live in the microprocessor age, it is only feasible and 
logical to have midi onboard. Building the proposed Doepfer TKB, 
Analogue style, would be cost prohibitive. It should be modular in 
its approach to allow for expansion of I/O and sequencer functions 
and not the other way around.

To hear a touch keyboard in action, please check some of Charles 
Cohen's mp3's to give you an idea. Here is the url,

http://phobos.serve.com/charles_cohen/?D=A

Live_at_the_Gathering_19981212 - - track 2 and 3 are pretty good 
indications of the Buchla sound and touchplates.

Regards,
RM


> --- Dieter Doepfer <hardware@d...> wrote:
> > From: "Dieter Doepfer" <hardware@d...>
> > To: "Bakis Sirros" <synth_freak_2000@y...>
> > Subject: Please forward ...
> > Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:54 +0100
> > 
> > 
> > > Maybe its because the current version of the TKB
> > received an
> > > unenthusiastic response at trade shows.  I still
> > wonder if the
> > > keyboard appearance might have caused confusion:
> > it may have looked
> > > to many like a cheap alternative to a real
> > keyboard.
> > 
> > This is not the main reason. Our biggest problem -
> > as mentioned several
> > times - are the many different, partly even
> > contradictory suggestions (e.g.
> > number of potentiometer rows, MIDI features,
> > analog/digital sequencer
> > features, mono/polyphony, plates like a "normal"
> > keyboard or simply equal
> > shaped plates and so on ....).
> > In contrast to other projects we see no clear line
> > which features (or even
> > non-features, e.g. we received messages from several
> > customers that they
> > will not buy the TKB if it will include MIDI or if
> > it will look like a
> > normal keyboard or if it will include a digital
> > sequencer or ...).


> > > > Best wishes
> > Dieter Doepfer
> >