Portable keyboards

[guitarron]

adding a pick up to a melodica

http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/Attaching-a-Pickup-to-a-Melodica.php


or

http://www.melodicas.com/melodica_pickup.htm

i'll take a midi version of that

[beleg]

Looks like there was a midi model made by Suzuki, but it is not made any more (if any of you find one and want to sell it, let me know)

So it looks like you will need make it your self, here is how:

How to make a MIDI Melodica:  (from: http://www.melodicas.com/melodica_is_a_wind_instrument_cr.htm)

There are two devices out on the market today allowing adventurous keyboard players the ability to hybrid your your favorite MIDI keyboard into a electric melodica. Aside from different sounds this also allows you an extended octave range. You will need a  YAMAHA BC Mouthpiece, a small device you blow into. Yamaha is currently selling the BC3, but the earlier model BC2 & BC1 will work also. Several Yamaha & Kurzweil synthesizers have input jacks supporting this device already built into the synthesizer. For the synthesizers that do not have this built in interface, the  BC Mouthpiece requires a Midi solutions Breath Controller, a small MIDI interface box  that converts voltage input to a MIDI output into your synthesizer. This controller is very powerful and allows one to program a variety of MIDI control messages. It can be used with most MIDI synthesizers. You can set it up as when you play keys on your synthesizer nothing happens till you blow into the mouthpiece controlling volume, like a melodica. Most  synthesizers can be set up like this giving you a great Electric MIDI Melodica.  I have sampled my Hohner melodica on my Yamaha EX5 and play it  with the breath controller. This gives me an extended range, allows me to use on board effects, use controllers and defeat the purpose of having a real melodica. Other devices that support the BC3 include the ancient YAMAHA MCS2 or some Kurzweil products.

[Tony]

This is just an update for those who offered suggestions earlier.  After hearing Nigel's version of Debussy on the Kaosillator this morning, I thought, 'Sod it, I'm going for one of those.'  I rang the shop and they had one in stock and a demo model.  I thought I would at least have a play.  Hopped on the train.  On the way to the shop I passed a pawn shop and popped in because, like all of us, one day I'm going to find an L series Strat in there for $50.  No strats today.  But they did have this:

http://www.synthman.com/roland/Html/Images/308600.jpg

Roland PMA-5: It's like a stylophone on steroids.  Backing tracks, midi, bells, whistles and it makes the sound, that is you don't have to connect to a computer for actual sound.  And it records what you play.  Baby, I'm in love.  30 minutes on the train travelling home and I already have tunes to mess with.  This is one serious unit and it cost about half the price of the Kaosillator.

If you see one of these, think carefully before you pass it by.  They are discontinued now but if I can find one then they won't be that rare.

[SenhorLampada]

You can probably get by just fine with an old Casio (the mini key kind w/ probably 3 octaves)

I'd agree with that
I have one of these oldies! Although not so portable (it's bigger than a melodica), it takes batteries... Mine is a Casio Mt-76, i guess, don't remember the exact model.

But once a friend who's a pro musician, and a hell of a piano player just took it and started playing a really nice jazz piece... I was in AWE!

[Ferryman_1957]

Roland PMA-5: It's like a stylophone on steroids.  Backing tracks, midi, bells, whistles and it makes the sound, that is you don't have to connect to a computer for actual sound.  And it records what you play.  Baby, I'm in love.  30 minutes on the train travelling home and I already have tunes to mess with.  This is one serious unit and it cost about half the price of the Kaosillator.

If you see one of these, think carefully before you pass it by.  They are discontinued now but if I can find one then they won't be that rare.

Tony, thanks for this. It sounds really interesting and this one passed me by, I don't remember it in the mid 90s (but I wasn't playing much music then). I really like the sound of this (although I haven't actually heard one yet), so would love to hear something posted by you done on this.

I have been carefully preserving my Yamaha DX-100 form the 1980s, which is pretty small, but sadly when I tried to use it a few weeks back it was totally dead. So something like this could be really cool. The Kaossilator is great but playing tunes on it is quite hard and time consuming.

Watching e-bay now.....

Cheers,

Nigel

[Tony]

I have played with the Kaosillator in the shop and I think it has some fantastic things.  The x/y pad allows for things (pitches and velocities) to be moved around very quickly.  The PMA-5 is keyboard based (via a screen keyboard and stylus, although you can use it as a touch screen) and that gets over the problem of finding scales that are possibly to play, as you mentioned with the Debussy piece.  But it isn't as fluid. Rather than scales, you have to find sounds that sound good when they are slurred.

The other good thing is that it records 20 songs and each song can have 8 tracks (4xmelody tracks and 4xharmony tracks).  I still like the look of the Kaosillator but I'm working on something with this PMA-5.  Hopefully I'll get to make my first ever post on the forum soon.  (I played keys on something a long time ago but that doesn't count.)

I was always concerned that the Kaosillator would not do recognisable instruments very cleanly but you've shown that not to be the case.

[Davo]

Casio  SK-1!!! I picked one up and its been a creativity catalyst.
Yesterday I ran it through a Big muff pi, and it sounded awesome!

[Tony]

Nigel,

Is it possible to connect a small midi keyboard controller to the Kaosillator?  I've been looking at the M-Audio Oxygen 25 key controller as a way to play the PMA-5 when I'm at home.  One problem is that I know nothing about MIDI (except that it was the size of a beer when I lived in Perth).  My PMA-5 is so old that it doesn't have usb but it does have a 5 pin midi input.

I looked at the Kaosillator web page but couldn't find the relevant info there.

[Migs]

I just went for a walk and saw a Korg Micro Synth in the window. I will watch it for a while and see how much the price goes down.

[Ferryman_1957]

Nigel,

Is it possible to connect a small midi keyboard controller to the Kaosillator?  I've been looking at the M-Audio Oxygen 25 key controller as a way to play the PMA-5 when I'm at home.  One problem is that I know nothing about MIDI (except that it was the size of a beer when I lived in Perth).  My PMA-5 is so old that it doesn't have usb but it does have a 5 pin midi input.

I looked at the Kaosillator web page but couldn't find the relevant info there.

No, you can't connect anything like a keyboard or midi device to the Kaossilator. It has no midi support. It's entirely standalone, although you can chain it to a Kaoss pad or other effects through its output like a normal instrument.

I guess it's really intended for DJs as a beat generator for live performances. Leaving out midi has kept the cost and size down. Lots of the web comment is that folks would like a midi enabled version.

Cheers,

Nigel