The AUDIO PLAGROUND SYNTH MUSEUM

The Monolith Two-Dimensional
MIDI Controller Keyboard

Welcome to the future of musical keyboards. Introducing the world's most powerful musical instrument: The Monolithic Two-dimensional Keyboard. The Monolith challenges the conceptual limitations as to what was thought physically possible from a musical instrument and a skilled performer. The Monolith allows an individual to simultaneously perform all the parts and all the instruments of a musical arrangement by manual fingering only. With the Monolith you can play or compose live performances of Electronic Music, Symphonic works, Soundtracks, musical arrangements or multiple multi-timbral sounds. This is accomplished without the use of artificial accompaniment such as tracking, dubbing, layering, programming or sequencing of sounds.This capability is not possible from any existing musical instrument. The Monolith has been the subject of articles in magazines such as Keyboard, Experimental Musical Instruments, Leonardo Music Journal and others.

WHAT IS THE MONOLITH ?

The musical keyboard has not evolved much since it's creation. The reason for this is simple. There has been no overwhelming advantage or reason to change the design. But what happens when musical technology (synthesizers) exceeds the capability of the fingering interfacing mechanism, namely the piano keyboard ? When electronic/electro-acoustic music emerged for the first time this dilemma presented itself. The immediate response was to make the piano keyboard control the capabilities of the electronic synthesizer or sound generators. This response was driven by the practicality of using an interface with universal acceptance to introduce a new means of generating tones with no background of acceptance. This seemed like a reasonable way to get people to try synthesizers for the first time and allowed the art of electronic music to become a mass reality. And in fairness to the originator of the idea to couple the piano keyboard with the synthesizer, what else was there ? The options of using monophonic controllers such as wind driven transducers, string driven transducers and percussive sensors did not seem to offer as much control especially in the area of polyphony although the other controllers did provide greater advantages in microtonality. So, what happens when musical technology exceeds the capability of the fingering interfacing mechanism ? The new musical technology capabilities take a subversive role and adapt to the accepted interface mechanism. What did this adaptation cause? It caused the new musical technology - mainly synthesizers - to become a studio art form, one that is executed and performed in the studio. In other words this adaptation (multi-tracking, layering or programming multiple layers of tones or instruments to create an arrangement of music) caused electronic music to become primarily a non-performing art. This was caused by the multi-timbral limitations of the piano keyboard. In order to accomplish a live performance the synthesist had to succumb to multi-tracking adaptive behavior. This adaptation, which has been embraced by artists and academia has not largely been accepted by the general public. The main reason for this we believe is the public audience is interested in individual skill and performance. What is needed is a manual fingering interfacing mechanism that not only equals the current musical technological capabilities of the contemporary synthesizer but surpasses it. Such a mechanism would require individual skill and technique beyond what is currently taught by the existing piano keyboard. This new mechanism would place the human skill requirements and capabilities beyond what programming, sequencing, tracking or computer accompaniment offer currently. In other words human capability would surpass technological capability. In order to transition a new keyboard into accepted existence there are a few requirements that the new keyboard must provide. They are: 1.Offer a substantial reason or advantage over the current keyboard that would motivate keyboardists to switch to the new keyboard. 2.Modify or add to the existing piano technique not detract from it. In this fashion all of the learned piano techniques are still applicable and the great body of current pianist and curriculum are not alienated. 3.Make the keyboard as publicly accessible as the standard piano keyboard. We offer a solution that satisfies the criteria of the above requirements. The instrument is called the "Monolithic two-dimensional Keyboard". The keyboard is a MIDI based system. Its concept is based on a very simple premise. Expand the one-dimensional piano keyboard (sequential pitch patterns in the X axis with a fixed timbre) into two-dimensions (sequential and parallel pitch patterns in the X axis and parallel timbre patterns in the Y axis). The piano chromatic structure remains unchanged in the standard configuration. The whole and accidental keys are placed side by side, not juxtapositioned in an offset manner as in the piano. The same length per octave is maintained as in the piano in order to preserve the piano fingering technique. The key width is equal which facilitates easier and linear fingering instead of the two widths, whole vs. accidental as found on the piano. The key length is only the size of a fingertip. The rest of the key length found on the piano does not serve a useful purpose for synthesizers since it's function was derived from the cantilever action of the hammer-string mechanism of the piano. Thus the piano keyboard has been reduced to a linear thin row or strip of keys. Note that the piano structure and scaling is left entirely intact. Now since the row is thin, a little larger than a finger tip, another row can be stacked vertically directly next to it which is just as easily accessible by the fingers vertically as well as horizontally. In other words one finger can access one row of keys while an adjacent finger can access the vertically stacked row next to the other row. Now two adjacent fingers are playing different row strips. These different row strips are assigned to different MIDI channels which then is processed into different timbres or instruments by the host synthesizer or tone generating means. Continuing this line of thought more strips or rows of keys are stacked vertically until 15 rows, about four octaves each, are achieved. In this configuration many pitch(es) and as well many timbre(es) and any desired combination (within the limitation of our ten fingers) of the two parameters may be manually played at any given instant simultaneously. The two-dimensional keyboard allows by individual skill alone the concept of parallel execution of all the multi-timbral parts of a composition simultaneously without using mechanically or computer assisted accompaniment techniques such as sequencing, layering, programming, multi-tracking, dubbing or any other artificial assistance. In addition the two-dimensional concept provides an instrument that is capable of exceeding all other instrumental fingering techniques currently taught because of the concept of non-sequential and vertical fingering patterns instead of just sequential pitch patterns as is currently taught. In other words the two dimensional technique begins where the piano curriculum ends. The mind is quite capable of executing complex parallel finger patterns however until now there was no instrument available to demonstrate it.

The History of the Monolithic Two-Dimensional Keyboard

Jacob Duringer invented the Monolithic Two-Dimensional Keyboard(Monolith for short) in 1976. The first conceptual prototype was built in 1982. The keyswitches were small off the shelf low travel devices. The associated controlling electronics were analog in nature. The prototype controlled 4 existing commercial analog synthesizers. In 1982 the second prototype was built as well as 10 custom designed analog synthesizers. This keyboard utilized membrane type switches and associated analog control electronics. The membrane switches also had low travel and fairly high force requirements for actuation. In 1987 the third prototype was built utilizing touch capacitance in the design. This design alleviated the force requirement problems of the previous prototype but the tactile feel made it unnatural in response to fingering. In 1993 the fourth prototype(production prototype) was built. This current keyboard utilizes data entry low force switches that support a velocity sensing design. The electronics are software driven with configurable digital hardware. The output is of the standard MIDI protocol. The feel of the keyboard is similar to the feel of the piano and the tactile feedback is very good. The keyboard has 720 keys, 4 octaves each, and 15 rows. There is a function switch panel, which controls the parameters of the MIDI output and a character display to show status. Between 1994 and 1997 Mr. Duringer composed and produced 2 compact discs, Volumes 1 and 2 of The Duringer Expeditions, a classical-jazz-rock trio.

STATUS OF PRODUCTION

Heavenbound Systems Engineering Group is actively seeking individuals and/or institutions to participate in the effort to bring the Monolith from development into production and into the hands of the artists. Production will begin when the public demand justifies the expenses of bringing a new product to fruition. If you might be interested in purchasing a Monolith please E-Mail us so we may keep you informed of our progress. In a mass production environment the expected retail cost of a Monolith will be approximately $2,000 U.S.