Playing synths on the go can quickly become a weightlifting expedition, with synths, drum machines, and controllers mounting up in the rucksack. The AIRTOUCHS MIDI KEYBOARD is a sleek, hackable and minimal controller keyboard which offers lightweight polyphonic playback through capacitive touch sensitive keys as well as knobs and buttons thrown in!
The AIRTOUCHS sends MIDI notes over USB enabling you to play melodies, chords and trigger sounds on the move. It has 2 octaves of playing range, with transpose buttons and the option to expand the use of the knobs to 24 using the on-board function keys. This gives you the ability to control a huge range of parameters in your tracks – as well as using push buttons to (for example) mute or solo tracks. It can be expanded to send CV signals with some advanced soldering, detailed on the product page.
It’s currently available in three configurations; as a PCB only, full diy kit, or fully assembled. It doesn’t require any drivers, as it’s totally plug and play – as well as being hackable and open source having been designed on the Arduino platform.
There are numerous updates planned for the AIRTOUCH, including sequencer, DIN MIDI out, polyphonic aftertouch and pressure sensitivity.
It’s available from Spherical Sound Society who are based in Spain, who sell a fine range of musical devices.
