update from Luc on Lippens Keyboard manufacturing

[William Croft]

Guys, here is a note from Luc Lippens on their current status.

Note that the price mentioned was being quoted directly to me. And may not apply to institutions or corporations. I think that same individual price would likely be available to any interested list members here. Note they are most interested in reaching out to those proficient in Janko usage so that more exposure results for the product.

This reply from Luc was kind of synchronistic. After Guitar Willy mentioned it a few days ago I went over the the Lippens site and looked around to see what was going on. I had been there in 2014. Then the email arrived a day later. I did not fill out any forms on the site recently.

Here are a few more comments from Luc, when I asked him if it was OK to post his update.

Please feel free to post my email but as “a reply you received from me”. The discount we will be offering is going to depend on a lot of things including what the user can afford (I would not discount to Donald Trump or Warren Buffett) as well as the exposure the user will be able to provide. We also can only do this for a limited number of keyboards as we would lose money on every sale. There’s been talk about a commercially available keyboard for decades but nobody seems to be willing to back that up with money. We are willing to do it but cannot go completely broke in the process.

 

You can also post that if anyone needs more information or needs to get in touch with us, that it’s best to contact us directly at in...@lippenskeyboard.com as we are not very active in any of the newsgroups or forums. We are just too busy to stay on top of it.

 

On a side note, we shipped a keyboard to France where people from that part of the world could eventually play-test the instrument by appointment.

While it's encouraging to see the progress that Lippens and Daskin are making, I'm still not quite flush enough to afford this price bracket. My current Janko usage is with the iPad app, Musix-Pro and a laser-cut hole pattern template (thin transparent plastic) that I place on the screen to give me tactile feedback.

Best regards,

William Croft

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lippens Keyboard <in...@lippenskeyboard.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 8:16 AM
Subject: RE: Lippens Keyboard: Contact Form
To: William Croft <cr...@lightfield.com>

Hello William,

 

I wanted to update you on the progress of the keyboard.

 

We are in the process of assembling 12 keyboards primarily for use at Universities and teaching institutions. Our first keyboard went to the Stevens Institute of technology in NJ. The idea is to have students evaluate and vet the keyboard. We plan on distributing to strategic locations throughout the US so that the general public could eventually preview our instrument prior to making a purchase. We did ship one to France for the European population.

 

The keyboards are currently handmade and as such, are quite expensive. Our current cost to produce a single keyboard is $4,500 and we will selectively sell a limited number to individuals at a loss based on what they can afford, their level of interest and their desire and/or inclination to provide videos and help promote the instrument. In order to drastically bring the cost down, we would need to produce these by the thousands which would cost millions of dollars. This cannot be done without a proven benefit of the design and demand for the product.

  

Below are a couple of videos you may find helpful:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXt0j_Va2G0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0LUtj9RQfE

 

If you are interested in purchasing a keyboard, please let us know if you could participate in making some simple videos and help promote the instrument so that we can work out a more affordable price for you. If you are located outside of the USA, we would also need to look into any import and/or VAT taxes that your country may impose and if there may be a work around as the instrument can still be considered a prototype or “sample”.

 

Regards,

 

Luc Lippens

 

 

From: William Croft [mailto:cr...@lightfield.com]
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2014 5:24 PM
To: in...@lippenskeyboard.com
Subject: Re: Lippens Keyboard: Contact Form

 

Luc, thanks.

 

On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 1:22 PM, Lippens Keyboard <in...@lippenskeyboard.com> wrote:

Hi William,

 

Our current model is built around the electronic boards in the Yamaha p-90 which prevents us from retailing the keyboard to the public. We are in talks with a company that can provide optical sensors which is a much more precise means of measuring key velocity. Once this is finalized, we will have a commercially available keyboard.

 

We may be able to provide you with a keyboard prior to our public launch but it would need to be under a “test” or “evaluation” program. It may be easier to discuss the details over the telephone.

 

Please feel free to call me directly on my cell phone. The number is (908) 902-9577. I am located on the east coast (Eastern standard time).

 

Regards,

 

Luc Lippens

 

 

From: William Croft [mailto:cr...@lightfield.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 7:43 PM
To: Lippens Keyboard
Subject: Lippens Keyboard: Contact Form

 

Form details below.
Name: William Croft
Email: cr...@lightfield.com
Topic: Sales
Message: Hi, I've been following Paul V.'s Daskin for some time. Could you add me to your email list for product announcements on your line of electronic keyboards. Or if you know any manufacturers using your touchpad designs. Thanks, William Croft