Alesis Introduces VORTEX WIRELESS KEYTAR

VORTEX WIRELESS
USB/Midi Keytar Controller With Accelerometer
Combines onstage mobility with expressive control
37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch
8 velocity-sensitive trigger/drum pads
USB dongle creates a wireless connection to any Mac/PC
Volume slider, pitch wheel, ribbon controller, sustain pedal jack
USB, battery, or external power; USB/MIDI + MIDI outputs
Includes SONiVOX Vortex I DVI and Ableton™ Live Lite Alesis Edition

Press release:

"ALESIS VORTEX WIRELESS KEYTAR OFFERS TRUE ONSTAGE MOBILITY FOR ALL KEYBOARD PLAYERS
The popular Alesis Vortex has been updated with wireless USB MIDI

Cumberland, RI, USA – January 22, 2014. Alesis, a leading manufacturer of instruments and tools for today's musician, announces the new Vortex Wireless USB MIDI keyboard controller with accelerometer.

A keytar for the modern performer, Vortex Wireless delivers unprecedented control and expression by transmitting MIDI via a wireless USB connection for dynamic on-stage freedom, and includes the virtual synthesizer plug-in Vortex-I Digital Virtual Instrument from acclaimed software creator SONiVOX. In addition to 37 velocity sensitive keys with aftertouch—the keyboard features an assignable accelerometer (tilt-sensor) in the neck that can translate gestures into additional controls—adding vibrato when the neck is pulled up, for example. For additional control, Vortex Wireless provides 8 drum/trigger pads, 3 assignable knobs, a multi- mode ribbon controller, pitch bend wheel, and a volume slider.

Plugging the included USB receiver dongle into any MAC or PC establishes a live USB/MIDI link with the Vortex Wireless. There is also a standard MIDI output (5-pin) mounted in the Vortex Wireless for connecting to other MIDI-enabled equipment, such as a favorite hardware synthesizer. Vortex Wireless can run on batteries, USB bus power, or can be powered using an optional AC adaptor. Each Vortex Wireless also includes a USB cable with extension for the USB receiver dongle and 4 x AA batteries, so users can begin playing right away.

In addition, the Vyzex Vortex Patch Editor Software is also provided, making it easy to create, edit, and backup patches to your computer. AbletonTM Live Lite 8 Alesis Edition is also included.

Alesis Vortex Wireless Keytar Highlights:

'Nearly every keytar or remote keyboard has required a cable of one sort or another, be it power, MIDI, audio, or USB” said Nate Lane, Product Manager at Alesis. “With the Vortex Wireless, the player is truly free to move about at will. This onstage freedom allows the player to make the most of the onboard accelerometer and other extensive controls to create an original, expressive performance without the hassle of cables on stage.'

Combines expressive control with onstage mobility
37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch
8 velocity-sensitive trigger/drum pads
USB dongle creates a wireless connection to any Mac/PC
Volume slider, pitch wheel, ribbon controller, sustain pedal jack
USB, battery, or external power; USB MIDI + 5-pin MIDI outputs
Includes SONiVOX Vortex I DVI and AbletonTM Live Lite Alesis Edition

Vortex Wireless will be available with an estimated street price of $199.99 USD
Alesis will present the Vortex Wireless at the 2014 NAMM Show in Hall A, Booth 6700, January
23-26 in Anaheim, California. For more information, visit: www.alesis.com/WNAMM2014"

NAMM: Alesis Vortex USB/MIDI Keytar

The Features:
- Dynamic, shoulder-worn performance keyboard with attention-grabbing looks
- The first USB keytar controller—works with all of your software instruments & synths on Mac, PC, & iOS* devices
- USB and traditional MIDI jacks for use with virtually any synth, sound module, or other MIDI hardware or software
- Embedded, MIDI-assignable accelerometer for performance parameter control by tilting the neck
- Thumb-controlled volume slider, sustain button and pitch-bend wheel on neck
- Finger-controlled MIDI-assignable touchstrip, sustain, and octave-control buttons on neck
- 37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch for compact, yet complete melodic range
- Eight velocity-sensitive drum pads/sample triggers enable you to create beats or trigger clips
- Large transport & patch-select controls for instant access
- Includes strap; standard guitar strap pegs are compatible with virtually any strap
- Bus powered when USB-connected to Mac or PC; battery compartment for use with MIDI modules and iOS devices

The Description:
"STORM THE STAGE
It's time to experience outrageous, unprecedented keytar performance with the Alesis Vortex. The Vortex eliminates the barrier between you and your audience by giving you the freedom to move around the stage and take the lead. With an extensive layout of touch-sensitive keys and velocity-sensitive pads on its pearlescent white body, and radical pitch and modulation controls on its neck, the Vortex empowers you to rule the stage.

WHIP IT
The Vortex is the first keytar to include a MIDI-assignable accelerometer. Now, you can get out from behind your keyboard stand and be just as visual as guitarists and singers with an instrument that will respond to your motion. You’ll be able to create incredible volume swells, amazing pitch bends, vibratos, filter cutoffs and more by tilting the Vortex’s neck in the heat of the moment during live performances.

KEYS, CONTROL AND MORE
The Vortex includes even more features never before found on any keytar: both traditional MIDI and USB MIDI are onboard, empowering you to use the Vortex with all of your software instruments and synths on Mac, PC, and iPad*. You'll have a virtually unlimited palette of sounds, ready to command with one of the most exciting keytar controllers ever.

The Vortex comes ready for instant performance, automapped for today’s most popular software synths and DAWs. Plus, you can customize and create your own mappings for virtually any MIDI software.

FULL EXPRESSION
Breathe new life into every performance with the most expressive keytar ever produced. The Vortex’s neck controls are laid out ergonomically: your thumb controls a volume slider and pitch-bend wheel while your fingers command nine front-facing controls that include a MIDI-assignable touch strip, and buttons for octave selection and sustain. Large transport and patch-select controls are centrally located on the Vortex’s body for instant access, and synth lovers will be happy to know that the Vortex’s 37 velocity-sensitive keys feature aftertouch to enable instant creative flourishes.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD

But you can rule the stage. The Vortex is for controllerists, for those who want to perform without limitations to their movement or their sound set. The Vortex is bus powered when connected to a Mac or PC, and can also be powered by batteries when used with MIDI modules and iOS devices including the iPad. Standard strap pegs are located on the Vortex's neck and body, and an adjustable strap is included.

Outrageous keytar performance in a pristine, pearl-white body—the Vortex is the perfect storm of stunning design and incredible performance capability.

Your audience won't know what hit them."

NAMM: Alesis Vortex: Quick Look at a MIDI Keytar at NAMM 2012

YouTube Uploaded by eangolden on Jan 20, 2012

"Alesis announced the Vortex, a new MIDI keytar designed for keyboard DAW users who want to take their live performances to the next level. For more information, visit http://www.djtechtools.com/2012/01/21/alesis-vortex-midi-keytar-for-the-masses/"

M83 'Midnight City' music in the background.

Alesis Vortex Wireless Keytar at NAMM 2014

Published on Jan 24, 2014 keyboardmag1·341 videos

"Alesis Vortex Wireless Keytar"

Keyboard Magazine/ Alesis Vortex Keytar Review- Accelerometer Fun

Published on Mar 18, 2013 celebutante·8 videos

"Mitchell Sigman talks about the innovative accelerometer control in the new Alesis Vortex Keytar Controller. Watch for a full review in the June issue of Keyboard Magazine."

Electribe 2 vs Alesis Vortex Keytar - MIDI connection test [Poly Keyboard]

Published on Mar 22, 2015 VJ FRANZ K

"Quick Tip - You can play two voices ( aka 'parts' ) on your Electribe 2 with 4 note polyphony on each! using 'Split' mode on the Alesis Vortex."

8 voice poly if you use the same voice for each part.

Korg Electribe2s on eBay

AirPower MIDI Wireless - Distance Test using Alesis Vortex Keytar

Published on Feb 14, 2013 StarrLabsZone·40 videos

"A simple walking test to see how far we could transmit MIDI messages using our Starr Labs AirPower MIDI Wireless unit and an Alesis Vortex Keytar. Please note that your results using the AirPower may vary."

STARR Labs on eBay (RSS)

NAMM 2014: Alesis Wireless Keytar - Now Lower Price

Published on Jan 25, 2014 sonicstate·644 videos

"NAMM 2014: Alesis Wireless Keytar - Now Lower Price Strut your stuff onstage with the updated Alesis Vortex with wireless USB MIDI"

ProAudioStar First Look : Alesis Vortex NAMM 2012

YouTube Uploaded by proaudiostar on Jan 25, 2012

"The Vortex includes even more features never before found on any keytar: both traditional MIDI and USB MIDI are onboard, empowering you to use the Vortex with all of your software instruments and synths on Mac, PC, and iPad*. You'll have a virtually unlimited palette of sounds, ready to command with one of the most exciting keytar controllers ever."

Alesis Vortex Wireless keytar at NAMM 2014

Published on Jan 29, 2014 keyboardmag1·372 videos

"Alesis updates the Vortex with wireless MIDI capability. Reported range is 200 feet. Shiny black is now a color option as well."

NAMM 2018 - Alesis Vortex Wireless Midi Controller w/ Sliders & Trigger Pads

Published on Jan 27, 2018 Kraft Music

"Find exclusive Alesis deals at Kraft Music:
https://www.kraftmusic.com/brands/ale..."

Sequential Prophet-5 Toriaz AS-1 Keytar Madness Analog Synthesizer Rik Marston

video by Rik Marston Official

"The Sequential Prophet-5 & Pioneer DJ / Dave Smith Instruments Toriaz AS-1 layered via MIDI. I am playing the original Alesis Vortex Midi Keytar controller. Super awesome to layer two Prophet analogs at the same time. The Toriaz AS-1 has one voice from the Prophet-6 so these two are AMAZING when you play them as one!"

Rik's Links:
Ahnyxian Sound Design: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AhnyxianSou...
Music: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/rik-marston/

The April acid pattern

via Dylan:

"new acid pattern for April from http://soundcloud.com/ynohtna aka 'Low Brow Eye Ltd is Anthony Bowyer-Lowe's consultancy think tank dedicated to producing creative, cutting edge solutions to challenging problems through the synthesis of design, technology and artistry.' http://lowbroweye.com/


Aleph Null - Rocket 303 to Cosmos 808 [April Acid pattern] by ynohtna
Equipment used on the track is tb303 and tr808 and Alpha Juno (bass tones), Dark Energy (for filtering), 2x Lexicon Vortex, Lexicon Reflex, 2x Alesis Wedge, Ensoniq DP4, and tons of EQ and stuff.

Group trax are here
http://soundcloud.com/groups/the-acid-question/tracks"
The Monthly Acid Pattern

Gravitarium 2 - The first multiplayer particle visualizer

YouTube Uploaded by ststionion on Jun 19, 2011
Gravitarium2 - Robert Neagu - currently free

This one in via Silent Strike who composed the tracks for the app with a Clavia Nord Modular 1, Micron Alesis, Jomox Mbase, Reason 4 Propellerheads, M-audio Axiom 25, Elektron Drumachine (pic at the bottom of this post). The app does not allow you to manipulate sound, but I thought it was interesting to acknowledge some of the gear used to create the audio for this app. The Waldorf Blofeld and Yamaha AN200 pictured however were not used.

"Experience the magic in Gravitarium2! Go to http://www.gravitarium2.com/video/ (use the "App Support" button to jump right to the video).

Gravitarium 2 combines music, art and science in one relaxing experience. Use all your fingers to guide the star flow. You can create 10 different animations depending on the number of fingers touching the screen:

1 - Rocket, 2 - Sparkle, 3 - Energy flow, 4 - Atomic, 5 - 3D freeze, 6 - Circularium, 7 - Fish, 8 - Vortex, 9 - Lasers, 10 - Lightning.

Use different options to create spectacular drawings made of stars. You can load the "Drawing" preset from the "Options" screen.

You can even connect to random user (or a friend) and play together with the stars. You can always send a "Like" message to let the other player know you enjoy your connected game. There's a leaderboard available that lets you discover the best G2 players.

The soundtrack is amazing! 10 different tracks push you further away into a deep relaxation state. If you're connected to a remote user, you even share the same music ambiance.

Unleash your creativity and create unique masterpieces!

Features:

* Multitouch (upto 10 touch points in single mode, 20 in multiplayer mode)
* Thousands of particles animated at 60 frames per second
* Changing/manual colors
* Play/pause the animation
* Save snapshots to your Photo Library
* Original soundtrack (includes 10 relaxing tracks by Silent Strike)
* Multiple animation options (ex: speed, tail, size, opacity, etc.)
* Ability to save and load option presets
* Multiple play modes: default, drawing, tranquility and user defined
* Multiplayer over wifi/internet (auto-match or invite-a-friend)
* Ability to send "likes" and GameCenter friend requests
* Leaderboards: "like" count, overall time spent, overall time spent connected
* Syncronized options and soundtrack during multiplayer sessions

Note: Gravitarium 1 was the most downloaded entertainment app in may/june 2010 reaching the #2 spot in the TOP FREE section, after iBooks."

Gravitarium2 - Robert Neagu

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"26 tracks of ambient music by synth4ever, featuring one synth per track"

All tracks feature one synth, and one synth only (they are essentially my Youtube synth demos in .wav format).

The tracks grouped by synth:

ALESIS ANDROMEDA A6
01. Desert Solitude
07. Pendulum
14. Glorious
17. The Calling
21. Ascension
24. Liftoff
25. Fleeting Voyage

WALDORF Q
03. Riverflow
10. Sunken Ships
13. Ionic Atmosphere
19. Repeater
22. Water Drops

WALDORF MICROWAVE XT
02. Ocean Skies
04. Star Streaker
12. Electrical Vortex
15. Mystic Forest
20. Melancholy Machines
26. Rebirth

ROLAND JX-10
06. Longing To Return
09. Derelict
16. Enigma

YAMAHA AN1X
05. Release
08. Synaptic
11. Wavelengths
18. Through The Ether
23. Nebulous

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

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