HOBOscience MIDI Controller and Key_boardz

via HOBOscience
"This is an analog midi controller I made to control software built in MAX/MSP. It uses a MidiTron, a MIDI analog/digital I/O Interface connected to a computer with an M-audio Uno, a USB MIDI interface. This translates the analog messages to MIDI, readable by MAX/MSP.
This can be used to control any sort of MIDI device/program/message. I use it most to control a 8 step drum machine (below). It is set up as a glitch patch, the messages often getting crossed and the resulting audio having digital feedback and general unreliable glitchiness to it.

The controls on the instrument include 20 assignable potentiometers (knobs), 5 assignable photocells (at varying resistance), and a patch-bay allowing the user to decide which knobs or photocells are linked to which pin outs on the MidiTron (you can basically choose which knob (or light sensor) controls what function in your software, allowing you to change control over software parameters physically, without going into code.

Computers and programing can get a brother down, this is a physical answer to my digital pain."

Les Fradkin - Lift Off

YouTube via lfradkin. via fischek
"Les Fradkin, from the Original Cast of Beatlemania, presents "Lift Off" from his "One Link Between Them" CD.

This album has received wide acclaim in publications such as Keyboard Magazine and across the Internet.

Les, who is classically trained, is moving at Hyper speed. In this video, he's playing the Starr Labs Ztar MIDI Guitar in a Neo Classical Shred meets Bach influenced style on his own composition.

The Ztar can be strummed with string triggers or tapped with one or both hands as seen in this video.

The main lead sound is the Arturia Moog Modular V and the Logic ES2. Background sounds are from an M-Tron, Roland XV-5080 and Arturia Soft Synths. The sounds at the intro are made with Propellerhead Reason.

Take a Journey To The Stars!

MIDI Guitar.... as you've never seen it before!

Visit the Les Fradkin Official Website"

GForce M-Tron Pro

"The M-Tron Pro virtual instrument is a remarkable emulation of the classic Mellotron — the unique tape playback keyboard made famous by such luminaries as The Beatles, Yes, Led Zeppelin and The Moody Blues.

The 3.5GB sound library features over 200 tape banks (sample sets) including those from the M-Tron, 19 of which have been remastered at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios resulting in a warmth of tone surpassing the originals.

M-Tron Pro also delivers 45 brand-new tape banks and over 700 patches, many created by world-class recording artists and programmers. Utilise the patches or open the lid to access G:sampler’s easy editing controls for layers, splits, reverse, halfspeed and much more. It can be used in standalone mode (Mac/PC) or as a plug-in for most popular host applications.
A Virtual Classic... and Beyond
Dating back to the pre-digital 1960s, the Mellotron was one of the first sample-based keyboards. Artists such as The Moody Blues, Yes, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and later OMD, Radiohead and Oasis have used them to emulate strings, choirs and other orchestral instruments, while the BBC used them extensively for sound effects.

When pressed, each key engaged playback of a discrete strip of tape containing an eight-second recording of that note played on an instrument such as a violin. The tape rewound after key release. The lack of looping forced the player to adapt his playing style giving the instrument a unique playing characteristic in addition to its already distinct sound. The more commercial models featured the ability to switch between three different sound sets within the installed tape bank — and adventurous owners were able to physically swap tape banks with care and patience.

We first paid homage to this venerable keyboard with the M-Tron. Now M-Tron Pro goes far beyond — and is as much a labor of love as the Mellotron itself. As well as the aforementioned Abbey Road remasters, we're also supplying over 40 of the tape banks looped.

More Under the Hood
Lift the lid of the M-Tron Pro and you’ll discover a whole new set of easy yet powerful editing controls that take the Tron experience way beyond what the original inventors ever imagined.

Set up your own splits and layers, apply vintage ensemble and delay effects, and sculpt your sound with low-pass, band-pass and high-pass resonant filters. And that’s just the beginning. You’ll find tape reverse, tape half-speed and a slew of synth-type parameters—making the M-Tron Pro a remarkable source for unique signature sounds far beyond the basic tape banks sounds themselves.

Programmable MIDI CC control implementation with MIDI Learn lets you control it all from your MIDI controller and there’s dynamic keyboard control including filter aftertouch.
Standalone or Host Operation
You can use the M-Tron Pro by itself or as a plug-in for most popular host applications including Live, Cubase, Logic, GarageBand, SONAR, Digital Performer, ACID and Pro Tools|HD®, Pro Tools LE® and Pro Tools M-Powered™ software.

Compatible formats include VST 2.4 (Mac/PC including VSTi), RTAS® (Mac/PC), MAS (Mac) and Audio Units (Mac). In other words, it’s easy to integrate M-Tron Pro with the rest of your studio and use it just about any way you want."

Be sure to see this overview video by Sonic State.

How 2.0: Build a Digital Wall Harp

How 2.0: Build a Digital Wall Harp from My Home 2.0 DIY on Vimeo.
"The techno-gurus of tech makeover show My Home 2.0 made this digital wall harp using a MidiTron and infrared sensors that track your hand movements. To see complete instructions, more great DIY projects, and their latest state-of-the-art home makeovers, visit: 2pointhome.com/"

Eroktronix MIDITron and MIDITron Wireless

"MidiTronTM is a MIDI to real-world interface designed to simplify the process of creating sensor and robotics based electronic art projects. It is easily user configurable and provides 20 terminals of digital and analog inputs and outputs in any combination.

MidiTron is bi-directional. Sensor inputs are converted to MIDI output messages, and MIDI input messages are converted to terminal output voltages.

MidiTronTM Features
* Small (2.5" x 3" x 1.5"): can be embedded in your project
* Powered from a 9v battery
* Economical
* Menu-driven program provided for easy configuration of inputs and outputs (Mac OS9/Mac OSX/Windows XP)
* Stores configuration in flash memory: can run stand-alone, without computer
* MIDI input and output: no special drivers required
* Up to 20 digital inputs/digital outputs/analog (PWM) outputs
* Up to 10 analog (ADC) inputs
* Input devices: switches, pots, sensors (bend, pressure, photo, magnetic, touch, temperature, accelleration, etc.) and more
* Outputs: LEDs, motors, relays, solenoids and more
* High-resolution mode (10 bits) for analog inputs
* Use for music controllers, VJ controllers, MIDI instruments, dance triggers, interactive installations, driving LEDs, motors, solenoids, relays and other robotic devices, and more..."

"MidiTronTM Wireless is a wireless sensor-to-MIDI interface. It consists of a compact sensor interface/transmitter unit and a corresponding receiver/output unit which interfaces via USB or MIDI. It provides 20 inputs in any combination of up to 10 analog inputs and 20 digital inputs.

MidiTron™ Wireless is uni-directional. Sensor inputs are converted and sent wirelessly to a receiver unit, which outputs MIDI messages. It is designed to be a small, flexible, robust, long-range solution for creating wireless sensor controllers for real-time use in performance, installations and other scenarios.

MidiTron™ Wireless Features
* Small transmitter (2 5/8” x 1 1/2” x 1 1/2”); encloses internal antenna and 9v battery
* Can be worn on body
* 1000 foot range under ideal conditions; several hundred foot range possible even with obstructions
* Uses 900 MHz frequency band for less interference than the increasingly crowded 2.4 GHz band
* Uses highly reliable RF chip set proven in live performance situations
* Eight selectable channels allow eight units to be used simultaneously or channel switching if interference is encountered
* Continuous re-transmit of sensor values virtually eliminates drop-out or lost data
* Very low latency transmit (maximum 7 ms with all sensors enabled)
* Very low latency USB and MIDI output (actual latency system dependent)
* Normal (7-bit) and high (10-bit) resolution analog modes available
* Easily configured with menu-driven programming patch
* No network configuration required as with Bluetooth or WiFi
* Standard MIDI and USB-MIDI input/output ports
* With USB, appears on computer as a standard MIDI device with no special drivers required
* Once configured, can be used as a standalone MIDI device without a computer
* Several interchangeable styles of connector boards allow flexibility in making sensor connections
* Three-pin style connector board allows direct interfacing of popular sensors available from other manufacturers"

http://eroktronix.com/index.html

Synergy DK

via this auction.

Update via the comments regarding the details that follow: "It was a Crumar GDS that was used on Carlos' TRON soundtrack, not a Synergy. Also, I'm not aware of that Larry Fast ever used a Synergy. That was just his artist name."

Details:
"Here is your chance to own one of the rarest keyboards in existence (there are reportedly only about 100 working models left in the world!) as used by Wendy Carlos (Tron and "Beauty in the Beast") and Larry Fast. This particular model has the MIDI in/out/thru on it, and looking inside, seems to have been done by a skilled technician (or perhaps the factory). This means it is the II+ model. The sounds are very digital in nature, but have a nice warm tone to them. There are plenty of electric pianos and strings, as well as some neat digital drum sounds. The keyboards velocity sensitivity drastically change the sounds, and this is part of the nature of the Synergy's programming.

I also have 14 original sound cartridges with this, 4 of which seem to be blank. The cartridges include: VCART 1-3 "Voices", CARLOS WC-1 "ORCH-PLUS", CARLOS WC-2 "Bells and Whistles", CARLOS WC-3 "Missing Links", DEMO "Demonstration of internal voices" and TCART1 "Processor and Panel Tests" and TCART2 "Oscillator and D/A tests"... These are included in the auction.

From the web: The Synergy is a Phase Modulation/Additive synthesizer and has lots of DX type FM sounds. The Phase Modulation algorithms are user defined with up to 16 oscillators available.
The envelopes have up to 16 stages/per osc, and are loopable. Program/sounds consists of 2 'boundaries' which are 2 separate timbres. The keyboardist can morph between these timbres via velocity and key number. The DK SYNERGY II synthesizer originally retailed for around Six Thousand 6$k (Thanks matrixsynth.com!)

Also from the web:

http://users.ece.gatech.edu/lanterma/synergy/
http://www.synthmuseum.com/synergy/index.html
http://www.synthony.com/vintage/dkigds.html

The rear of the Synergy has 1/4" unbalanced outputs 1 and 2, and balanced XLR outputs 1 and 2. There is also RS-232 output for interfacing to a Kaypro computer for programming. The knobs on the front offer user control of the sounds, but in order to really dive into this synthesizer, you need the Kaypro."

The Other Lemur - The Slime-o-tron MIDI Controller

A couple of shots via pt's flickr set. You can see the MIDItron interface on MAKE:. The set also has the pretty cool looking controller(last shot below). There's no info there, but I'm guessing it's a multi-ribbon controller?