new malletSTATION (uniform keyboard) for vibraphone / marimba players

[William Croft]

http://pearldrum.com/products/kits/electronics/malletstation/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST0hIbsfUeQ

The hardware layout is completely isometric / uniform.

However they (currently) use (piano layout) diatonic "dead key" overlays, which can be moved, so the diatonic scale starts on any note. Their "software editor" sets the start note, then the dead key overlays drop onto the key tops by hand.

I asked customer service if the firmware could support uniform keyboard layout directly. Current answer is no. BUT... their next revision will have the ability to send arbitrary MIDI key codes from the "dead key" notes. Meaning that you could write a MIDI key mapper that would give you uniform. Here is his reply:

At this point, this layout will not be possible with our software editor. However, the "dead notes" WILL be able to be configured to send note information (intended for triggering sounds on other channels, primarily, so those notes and channels are assignable), but there's no reason you couldn't use those in combination with the regular keyboard to remap the notes in something like Logic Pro X/Mainstage with the Chord Trigger MIDI plugin. You could then print an adhesive vinyl sticker to colorize the bars--that solution would do what you'd need it to do. 

Hope this helps! 

Your Pearl Corporation Team,

Matt Jordan

Concert Percussion Marketing Manager

Pearl Corporation/Adams Musical Instruments

549 Metroplex Drive

Nashville, TN 37211

Office 615-833-4477 x3117

Direct: 615-866-1148

Cell: 615-585-6976

Roy Pertchik, developer of the tri-chromatic vibraphone layout, has this info now. And I hope will followup with Pearl to outreach to those interested in duplicating the tri-chromatic inexpensively.

http://musicnotation.org/wiki/instruments/tri-chromatic-keyboard-layout/

If Pearl gets enough interested, they may be motivated to include the uniform layout directly in their firmware, rather than this remapping hack. But there are various MIDI remappers out there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=remap+midi+notes

Regards,

William Croft

[Dominique Waller]

Hi William,  

I remember we corresponded several years ago because you commented on my website  http://www.le-nouveau-clavier.fr/

The problem is I've changed my computer this year, so I've lost a lot of my old mails. Now, I wanted to put your commentaries on the blog page of the website, if you agree.

I wondered if maybe you could find them back in your own archive ?

Thank you very much in advance

Dominique Waller, France 

My email d.wa...@orange.fr