Published 22/6/08
Harmonic Table MIDI Controller
C-Thru Music first came to our attention at the Winter NAMM show in January 2007, where they were debuting their Axis 64 MIDI Controller. At the Summer NAMM show, they were showing the second Axis product, the Axis 49, a smaller and more budget-friendly version of their debut release.
The Axis products approach note layout in a seemingly unique way: they use the harmonic table and a grid of hexagonal buttons instead of piano keys. Because of the layout of the buttons, rules apply that make chord and melody creation far more logical than on a standard keyboard.
For example, no matter which button you press on the Axis 49, the button above and to the right of it will be a major third higher, while the button above and to the left will be a minor third above. The button directly above is always a perfect fifth higher. Using these rules, you can use shapes to make chords: a right-facing triangle is a major triad and a left-facing triangle is a minor triad. More complex shapes enable different chord types to be played, and many can be triggered with just one or two fingers. But they always remain the same wherever you play them on the grid.
The Axis 49 has the same velocity-sensitive buttons as its bigger brother, but doesn't feature pitch-bend or modulation wheels. Currently, it's still in its prototype stages, but C-Thru Music hope to get it into production by late October. They are expecting it to cost under $500.
For further information, check out C-Thru Music's web site and watch the video below.
www.c-thru-music.com
The Axis products approach note layout in a seemingly unique way: they use the harmonic table and a grid of hexagonal buttons instead of piano keys. Because of the layout of the buttons, rules apply that make chord and melody creation far more logical than on a standard keyboard.
For example, no matter which button you press on the Axis 49, the button above and to the right of it will be a major third higher, while the button above and to the left will be a minor third above. The button directly above is always a perfect fifth higher. Using these rules, you can use shapes to make chords: a right-facing triangle is a major triad and a left-facing triangle is a minor triad. More complex shapes enable different chord types to be played, and many can be triggered with just one or two fingers. But they always remain the same wherever you play them on the grid.
The Axis 49 has the same velocity-sensitive buttons as its bigger brother, but doesn't feature pitch-bend or modulation wheels. Currently, it's still in its prototype stages, but C-Thru Music hope to get it into production by late October. They are expecting it to cost under $500.
For further information, check out C-Thru Music's web site and watch the video below.
www.c-thru-music.com
