"Oh, two-fingered guru."

December 1, 2004 1:26 PM

"The Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee is a [computer] keyboard MIDI controller of my own invention based on changes of pitch, rather than fixed pitches. This scheme gives the performer the ability to perform extremely quick, rhapsodical lines." Perfect for the music nerd on your Christmas list. Complete with "instructional" video (53MB .mov) and mp3s. I'm on a Mac so I can't try out the freeware version.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment (17 comments total)

I am completely biased because I know the inventor and remember when he was first coming up with this wonderful PepsiBlue thing, but it is really pretty cool in action (especially when one hears it live onstage with Vernon Reid, DJ Logic, and the rest of the Yohimbe Brothers band).
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:40 PM on December 1, 2004

thanks a million for this link!
posted by 31d1 at 1:45 PM on December 1, 2004

Ehh? I guess the concept is interesting, but my christ that thing is fongly. Also, I don't know any musician, given the choice to shape a MIDI interface that would say, "Make it like a computer keyboard, but more awkward." I mean, I'm sure it's great for this guy, but mass-production seems like a mistake.

Also, I'm fairly limited in my MIDI knowledge, but I'd imagine that the kind of things that this thing does (semi-random note assignment by interval rather than key) is pretty easily accomplished thru programming and a standard controller if you've got a little know-how.
posted by Swampjazz! at 1:53 PM on December 1, 2004

"Small children seem to like touching it", the controller, that is.
[ducks]
posted by fatbaq at 1:57 PM on December 1, 2004

Also, I don't know any musician, given the choice to shape a MIDI interface that would say, "Make it like a computer keyboard, but more awkward."

Neither do I, but I imagine there are a million kids who grew up in front of a computer keyboard, but would completely panic if you sat them in front of a Korg.
posted by jpoulos at 1:57 PM on December 1, 2004

True. But I'd wager that this is neither intended for encouraging kids to start making tunes nor a cost-effective way to do so. And I'd also imagine that those kids now, if they have musical inclination, are already knee-deep in cubase or acid or live or a MPC or etc..
posted by Swampjazz! at 2:11 PM on December 1, 2004

also, maybe they'd panic because a Korg sounds much scarier. stick w/a kurtzweil, perhaps
posted by Swampjazz! at 2:12 PM on December 1, 2004

And what a catchy name!
posted by fungible at 2:27 PM on December 1, 2004

It hurts my wrists just looking at it.
posted by TwelveTwo at 2:51 PM on December 1, 2004

I've always been tempted to use the ShuttleXpress as a MIDI controller.
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:51 PM on December 1, 2004

Hey, that's a Kinesis keyboard! Same thing I'm typing on right now, as a matter of fact... except mine would only look like that after ten years of eating lunch off of it.
posted by xil at 3:12 PM on December 1, 2004

Forget about the fact that it's a PC keyboard; the interesting idea here is the notion of relative positioning. As far as I can see, you pick a scale, then jump around by intervals on that scale. You don't play C, D, F, G; you pick C-major, then play up-second, up-third, up-second. This is an interesting conceptual shift; I can see how it would be great for improvisation. I've been a keyboardist for years, and learning guitar has stretched out my point of view; it suggests a different way of thinking about music, based much more on chords and intervals than on notes and accidentals. You think about what key you're in a lot less. I can see this keyboard gadget as a step further down that road.

Too bad it looks so ugly and has such a silly name.
posted by Mars Saxman at 3:18 PM on December 1, 2004

The name is stupid on purpose, according to the inventor.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:38 PM on December 1, 2004

He seems to have a fun sense of humor. If anybody does try out the software version I will be curious to hear about (or hear) the results.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 3:57 PM on December 1, 2004

Hey, I heard about this guy like a year ago and promptly forgot his name. When I got a MIDI keyboard I ended up implementing a rough version of this using Reaktor. Maybe I'll study this and use it to improve my version... or perhaps buy his. Either way, thanks!
posted by squidlarkin at 7:57 PM on December 1, 2004

I'm curious to know what any trained and/or pro musicians think about this device. I've personally never really enjoyed verbose, technically-difficult solos on any instrument.... but that seems to be what this 'instrument' is designed for. It, in a way, lessens the importance of being able to play such solos without this device.

I can envision interesting new compositions created with this a few years down the road, once the performers get sick of the ease with which it makes everything sound like a complicated solo....
posted by miragliuolo at 12:54 AM on December 2, 2004

I think Mars Saxman nailed it describing it as a conceptual shift. I am a guitar player, piano player and recorder player and I studied music and make my living teaching and printing the stuff. The obvious sales pitch is to get flashy and show the extremes of any instument, but as a composer this "instrument" intrigues me by what it suggests by its range and minimal physical demands. Watching him play "Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring" was enlightening. That is a tricksy melody that depends on the key you are in to lie well on a given instrument. The deep pool of constructed scales still has a lot of room to swim around in and the way this works is physically quite unique, more like an autoharp or something. And I like the microtonal possibilities. Made me smile, anyway. :-)
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 6:24 AM on December 2, 2004