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The CX10 is a very sophisticated MIDI CONTROLLER that has the capability of helping new keyboardists play proficiently in an extremely rapid and accelerated time period (compared to the piano). Within DAYS one can be fairly proficient with this new musical instrument of the 90's, whereas at least a year or more is needed for "SIGHT-READING" proficiency with the Piano (let alone mastering THEORY! ...dread...). Don't expect to impress anyone too soon if you are beginning the piano...it'll be a few years... ;)
The Chordboard makes it much more difficult to make any mistakes (harmonically) because each key within a chord bank is mapped to one of the notes in the chord grouping. Most people play chords and their derivitives on the piano anyway! These notes within the chord groupings are dynamic depending on the chord structure selected (such as 5th, 7th, 11th, etc.) You'll be up to speed in no time, and expressing YOURSELF in a most unique way. TRUE expression. Not playing somebody elses' SAMPLE, or SEQUENCE, or WAVE file. That's BORING. You will be playing YOU. And that's the beauty of it.
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In many ways, Yes! However, it is designed with a much more user-friendly interface for accessing the SAME notes available on the Piano, but in a much more efficient way! Using computer technology to make it all possible, it is analogous to using a Mouse in a full-blown GUI compared with typing archaic commands at UNIX prompt... If you know what you're doing at the UNIX prompt, then more power to you! But it won't come quickly, and there IS a learning curve. But with a GUI you get Right to Work! So it is with the Chordboard.
Can you imagine typing in all of those HTTP URL codes BY HAND every time you wanted another page? -- UGGGH! -- Thank goodness for NETSCAPE. psst...Chordboard and Netscape have some user-friendliness in COMMON.
Get right to work. Play those awesome notes and chords in the same musical scales that you are accustomed to, yet access these notes "safely." In other words, you have to TRY to make an obvious mistake (oh, you might struggle a little with your rhythm and keeping "on the beat", but Hey!...It'll come...).
The Chordboard plays WHAT YOU PLAY. You play keys that play one note each. There is nothing "automatic" about it. It is a REAL musical instrument, comparable to a cross between the power of the piano, and the versatility of the guitar in improvising. Except this instrument is much more powerful, for it can do anything that these other two instruments can do for a musician and a whole lot more. A pianist will feel right at home, for the keys are the familiar element. Composing and improvising becomes a SNAP with the tools for chord structure etc., and the productivity and competence goes way high! Look out, because it is like grabbing a mouse and surfing the NET compared to watching text scroll by in a DOS TERMINAL! The Chordboard will make musical performances completely HUMAN, for every human element is there and is NEEDED to use the Chordboard. This ain't no "band in a box"!
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Absolutely! Did you know that 13th chords play every note in the musical scale
in this manner: C E G B D F# A over two octaves? Well, it does.
Because of this, with an OPTION key, the CX10 can also play a 13th chord structure and all keys will play notes arranged in this order C D E F# G A B! making it possible to play any scale or riff in any one of the every ready eight programmable chord banks. It's so easy with the Chordboard, yet there is no upper limit to how much skill one can put into their performance. Rhythm is so important. Guess what...YOU supply it. Hope you can master that. Just like a guitarist must develop skills in positioning fingers to play the chord, they must also develop skills in strumming and picking techniques to sound good. Leave that out, and you have a sorry performance. So it is also with the Chordboard. It is a REAL musical instrument. Nothing automatic going on here...EXCEPT...you leap right into the skill level of playing the right chord structure without having to take decades to master skilled hand positions required by the Piano...It's great! You can concentrate on RHYTHM, on TECHNIQUE in note selections within the chord, on chord structure without playing mental gymnastics while you play! Name that Chord! Really, WHO can do that stuff LIVE anyway? Who wants to?
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The CX10 is a VERY sophisticated MIDI controller. It makes no sound. It generates MIDI for your favorite SOUND MODULES which the CX10 can accept in TWO Rack-Mount slots available on the front of the machine. It also has external MIDI ports on the back so you can power ANYTHING with it. EACH Chord Bank is MIDI assignable...which means that you can have one chord playing strings, another two or three playing the PIANO sounds, and another mapped to your favorite MIDI Drum Kit. No limitations here. Total organized versatality. Or you may assign ALL banks to your favorite keyboard sound with multiple MIDI channels so that you can "layer" sound upon sound until you get that FAT sound. Imagine that! Playing the FATTEST sounds pumped through the FATTEST Chord structures, and YOU supply the rhythm and note choices! It's FUN! Relax, you'll have trouble making mistakes, for all your notes are mapped to harmonically correct notes within that chord bank. Just make sure you play the RIGHT chord bank, ok?
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If you are normal, you should be up to speed in just ONE DAY. But wait a minute...you won't be THAT good. Give it a couple of weeks to be pretty good. How long did it take you to learn that MOUSE? Do you still hate it? Or love it? Either way, no one can deny the BENEFIT it provides in manipulating graphics as well as windows and menus. The Chordboard brings it all into focus. Music becomes accessible to more than just the intellectual elite who have spent decades to get where they are. They will NOT like the Chordboard, no doubt. It takes away their POWER. And gives it to the masses. Too bad.
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About the size of your professional keyboard: 49" long, 16" deep, 2"-4" high. Your basic size. Perfect size.
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You can contact the Chordboard.Com EMAIL Address at the bottom of this page, and request this information. Be sure to include your zip code so that the appropriate information can be sent to you. Just think, you will be making history.
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· LITTLE CHILDREN who can bypass the learning curve of the piano, much like using a mouse to access a computer bypasses using the keyboard with archaic commands...
· ADULTS who are intimidated by the piano and keyboards because they will invariably make too many mistakes to be appreciated
· COMPOSERS who have great difficulty "finding" their songs on a strict piano interface will be much more proficient in a fraction of the time
· KEYBOARDISTS/PIANISTS who want to start playing something in addition to the typical "5ths and 7ths" (and their derivitives) for a fresh change. The CX10 introduces 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, and Quartal Chords to the musician with the same interface!
· SCHOOLS/EDUCATION where teaching music theory can be fun, intuitive, and completely interactive a way that computer programs can't, and where "live" experimentation in chord structure and quality is unlimited
· DRUMMERS who want a much friendlier/sophisticated interface for MIDI drum control and organization: A bank for each drum set or group, etc.
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Well, actually, there ARE! They are just recolored to WHITE Keys. In fact, because the Chordboard is PROGRAMMABLE, they can play like black keys. Just select the G flat chord and choose 13th, and wallah! You have INSTANT black keys (except they are white...oh well). But you'll find out more about that when you get into PLAYING the Chordboard. It is Sooo versatile. You will be an instant HIT, and everybody will see YOUR HANDS doing EVERYTHING! Your fingers pressing all the notes. Take all the pride in what you play, because YOU PLAY IT. you own it. It's yours. Not some band in a box.
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This keyboard IS MIDI equipment. It is the Supreme MIDI controller. It will drive your MIDI equipment in ways that you never thought of, and couldn't do with your existing controller if you wanted to. Like OVER-LAPPING MIDI zones and channels. Try that on your existing controller. You now have the ability to assign each chord bank to any MIDI channel (which may be the same MIDI channel on another chord bank). No limits. It is POWERFUL.
..See the MIDI Control Center!
The Chordboard musical instrument is the product of evolving ideas that stemmed downward from a DREAM of musical technology that society is not ready to approach yet. In the dream was envisioned an instrument of major futuristic proportions...much like the concepts we now imagine in science fiction. Society will not make a leap THAT large too quickly. It takes time. It took over 10 years for WINDOWS to catch on. Now Windows functionality is seen in most software platforms...It's all over the place. The Chordboard of today is "scaled back" to technology that society can accept... (Read the Journal Entry re: dream...)
When the CAR was invented nearly 100 years ago, it was a MAJOR LEAP in technology. But since we already had horse drawn buggies too it was a no-brainer to accept one with a MOTOR. --- It'll be a LONG time until we can get our hands on the Chordboard of the DREAM. Consider that the 1990's Chordboard is to the Piano as the motor was to the horse-drawn buggy.
A MAJOR improvement in musical technology coming to pass.
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LCD's provide all of the FEEDBACK so that playing the Chordboard is Easier. Each LCD reports the current Chord ROOT, the TYPE of Chord Structure (such as 7th, Augmented, Major, etc) and MIDI channel. This information helps the musician minimize on mistakes and confusion. It helps you find the right chord fast, and KNOW what you are playing. It can even be educational.
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These keys play in the same manner as a Piano key. There is vertical motion similar to the piano or keyboard...velocity control, dynamics! Each key is mapped to ONLY ONE NOTE. But if you really want to play a chord, you need to play more than one of the keys. One note for each key. Yet harmonically "correct" notes for each key played. And fully adjustable...pitch bend, transpose, instant octaves, etc.
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The CX10 is in prototype development stage. Cost for high-end CX10 model, around $1,000, plus additional for sound module options.
Less expensive models planned for subsequent release.
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Yes.
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More is sometimes better! And especially in this case. The alternative is accessing one of those blasted ALT keys and going into SUB MENUS...and we have all grown to disdain that "engineering" approach. Are we musicians or what? We need to be FREE for expression, not HAND-CUFFED by a lack of flexibility. These modern keyboards have turned a lot of us into computer techies... -- Besides, the PIANO has 88 keys! Talk about your redundant instrument! ;)
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