Learning to play the Axis. Stage 1, ability 0

It has been 2 or so weeks since I got my Axis, and I've been moderately busy with it.  

I spent the time in several profitable ways:

• Setting up my 3 computers (desktop, laptop, and work computer) to work with the Axis.
• Writing a tiny Max/MSP program to remap the midi notes from Axis to folded-scale (my name for Wicki-Hayden).
  I've now made it into an executable program, so I just have to click on it to run it, I also don't always use Garratin Personal Orchestra for practice, the built-in sounds of Windows are good enough. the program also shows the name of the note hit and the velocity (if you want a copy I'll make it available).

• Trying to make practicing something done every day. A key part of this is making it as available as possible; having an accessible keyboard that makes sounds instantly really helps, as I have to slot practice in between other stuff.

Portability is great

I knew intellectually it would be cool, but the reality is better: its surprisingly good to have a portable keyboard.
I'd say my setup is about as portable as a guitar. I would prefer to have a simple, small laptop (would a netbook work?), or even better a simple midi-player, to plug the Axis into. My current laptop is heavy, but does the portability trick and runs for about 2 hours on batteries.

I was forcefully reminded of this last night, in setting up my wife's portable Technics P50 (a great 88-key instrument for it's price - too bad Technics is not making them) for a performance of her childrens choir, the Tempos. The blinking thing was 60 pounds, and I needed to haul a stand and a piano bench for it too.  Very unportable, yet as keyboards go, it is light and nimble.

Whereas I'm wandering all over the place with my Axis.I played it in a Taco Del Mar, trying to pick out notes to sync with the ambient muzac.

The Axis-49, mark 2 should have a built in simple midi to sound ability just feeding a headphone jack. That would make it quite a good unit, especially since excellent battery-powered amps are cheap.

 

Comments

[MusicScienceGuy]

[this is good]

You got it, I'd love to be able to feed the program a midi file, set the tempo, and if possible, select the staffs that are to be displayed, and see the notes being played.

[Keats' Handwriting]

A display, huh?  Im sure you've seen that flash animation that someone made where you can use your mouse to click on a hexagon.  Shouldnt be too difficult to convert.

Anyways -- you've inspired me to work on a display.

 

I'm trying to remember this freeware midi program that displays the midi in hexagonal format (i guess what you call the Wicki-Hayden layout).  I put some classical music into the program (and I dont listen to classical much) and it was amazing- I almost cried (and I dont cry) because it was so beautiful to *SEE* the notes played and their relationship with eachother.

It's not real time, but I imagine it could be tweaked to be a real time display of midi notes etc...

 

[MusicScienceGuy]

I've really, really wanted a display system to show the notes struck onscreen, so I can show them in demos, and other stuff - the Wicki-Hayden layout has such strong links to the way we experience music that I predict the result will be compelling.. But time has not permitted.
I hope that you'll do something along these lines.

I can only promise that your peers will enjoy it and provide cool suggestions for improvement.

Ken, MusicScienceGuy

[Keats' Handwriting]

Yeah, I was thinking about that too....  I feel bad because I cant really jam with other musicians with my current home studio setup. 

But with an Axis 49, a laptop and an amp, I could really jam with little problems.

Because of the visual aspects of the axis 49, I think that it would be interesting to send the midi data out to a VJ software to make something interesting visuals as well. 

[MusicScienceGuy]

posted for Michael Johnson

Greetings.

First, let me say I'd respond on your blog, but Vox doesn't seem to like Opera much.

I've been following your Axis-49 discourse with much curiosity. I just read your Learning to Play, Stage 1, Ability 0 entry and I'd like to respond with some ideas of my own. I'd try them out, but, unfortunately, our finances don't allow it right now.

Anyway, about netbooks. I think the right netbook with a USB MIDI box and the right software would be a possibility. For the OS, I'd say a music-production minded Linux distro, or a customized generic Linux
distro. It's something I'd love to try but, again, no netbook funds :( And right now I should be working, anyway ;)

As for some other portable substitute, I recently discovered the MicroKorg. It's a 37 key MIDI keyboard with a full MIDI in/out and what appears to be a great synthesis system. It weighs in at less than five
pounds and less than 20.75" x 9.25", so it's quite compact. It even includes a vocoder and a mic. I found it while tooling around ThinkGeek ( http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/musical-instruments/a981/?cpg=ab ). They have it listed for $400, but I imagine it could be found for less
elsewhere.

An idea I've also had is a small, dedicated MIDI box, perhaps based on a PicoITX board or maybe even a fully embedded board like the Beagle board. Something that has at least OK sound, and with just enough juice to do some software synthesis. I'd say something the size of a largish cellphone, maybe even the size of a soda can. It'd have MIDI in/out/through, headphone jacks, and a simple interface. I think it's just now possible to build this as a DIY project, but I could be wrong on that. This is one where I think I just need the time to do it...

Anyway, I look forward to more of your reviews of the Axis-49, as well as anything else you choose to write about. I enjoyed the one on the major scale.

Thanks, for your writing and for listening to me :)

Michael

--
Michael D Johnson   <[email protected]>
redbeardcreator.deviantart.com

"Marketing research...[has] shown that energy weapons that make sounds sell
 better..." - Kevin Siembieda (Rifts Game Master Guide, pg 111)