Update - The AXiS-49 music controller is in my hands and works! Let the evaluation begin!
Alas, I have missed the chance to evaluate last week, when I had time off. Now I'm cramming the review in between rehearsals, now I get to look at it and not play.
I
haven't waited so hard for a delivery since I sent away for a "flying platform" toy in kindergarden (It took two Kellogs Frosted Flakes boxtops and I had to wait for the cereal to be eaten before mom would by a second box. Two whole months is a long, looooong time when you are 5). Obviously I have yet to really grow up, but still, I've waited years for this, so perhaps I've earned a bit of slack.From dreary slogging to ...
I once heard heard Dan Bricklin speak about one of the first demos he gave of his newly packaged VisiCalc. A businessman was there, a very well-dressed senior accountant or high-level financial advisor. After Dan gave his talk, the gentleman had a cheque ready, and the cost of the Apple computer and Dan's software was obviously not an issue. What impressed Dan, however, was that as the cheque was handed over, the man's hand shook.
Dan talked to him and discovered the man was just beside himself hoping, praying that his new spreadsheet - that Dan really saw as just a nifty new programming language and tool - would transform his job from dreary daily slogging into an satisfying adventure. And damn, the gentleman was right! For a number-cruncher, spreadsheets are like breathing; wonderful when you consider the alternative.
Similarly, I believe there is an most excellent chance that a similar transformation is possible here. I have strong reasons to expect that the hexagonal-layout, velocity sensitive music keyboard is as great an improvement over the traditional keyboard as the first harpsichord was over the harp, a thousand years ago.
Of course, there are many things that could still be inadvertently "wrong" with the AXiS-49 for my purposes. Keyboard design is a fine, fine art, as I know well to my personal expense. For this reason, I will be not placing any bets until it is in my fingers and properly evalutated.Let me know what you want evaluated.
Ken Rushton, Email: MusicScienceGuy (at) shaw.ca
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