How many days must we wait for some news
of what this new device will be able to do?
And how many ways will it work with our gear
while we craft many crazy tunes.

The answer is blowing in the w....

.-) This was one of the first songs I learnt to play on the piano from melody+harmony, previously being tied to classic notation, and no room for improvisation. Getting nostalgic now...

http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=iq9.jpg&via=tfrog

from the Twitter updates!

yeah..saw that today as well. Interesting stuff for sure.

Hi guys, I'm new on here, and very interested in all the Chimera Synthesis products. Just got this reply from BC in response to my question about custom fingerings for the X-Wind:

"Yes. We have built (sadly windoze XP/Vista, not mac at this time) a piece
of software that allows you to programme your own fingerings and change all
manor of other things (timings, CC/NRPN controller numbers, mountpiece
illumination, octave selection). There is a USB port on the bottom, but
this will not do USB MIDI - I'm against USB MIDI as it is not electrically
isolated like MIDI....

BC"

Actually a poor picture of the XWIND. It was going to be released as soon as we got the first SM16 & bCX's delivered. But that has been put back a little bit by a change to the construction (in fact the XWIND is a good example of the construction around the edges of the SM16).

The XWIND is fairly simple and very very flexiable, as well as MIDI it has real CV outputs for modulars.


_________________
BC, Chimera Synthesis

(Hohner HM-901 -which I own one of, among other wind instruments, reeded of various methods, as well as whistled in nature.)

I actually used to own a fagerström GHB/Smallpipes "technopipes" unit. 9 notes with adjustable contact sensitivity, and MIDI out. I just recently sold that however, and used the money to buy a Korg KP3. it's my first KP, and I would take the kaoss pad over a wind type device any time (ofcourse, I also own two sets of actual bagpipes. a set of Scottish smallpipes in the key of D (custom built for me, in 3 months, with much metal work, in nickle, and brass, as well as amboyna burl, and blackwood, throughout. by maker Brian McKay of London. then I have a set of Swedish pipes, known as a säckpipa, [in A/E] to those who know a thing or two about ancient music. and traditional Swedish tunes. (the säckpipa was also custom built for me, by the little known maker Seth Hamon. fair to say, I have a wide, and genuine interest in music ;-)

can you believe that the bagpipes was once recognized as the national instrument of Sweden, a loooooooong time ago....along with the nyckelharpa, that is ;-) the nyckelharpa now holds the distinguished title, of national instrument (next in line is probably the Nord Lead...lol)


_________________
Jakeez /Crushed Bits

www.jakeez.com

www.skprecordings.com

Interesting post Jakeez; I love electronic music & analogue synthesis and I've played whistles and low whistles for many years too. I also had a practice set of Uillean Pipes built for me by the late great Dave Williams, sold them a couple of years ago, as I didn't have the time to practice - I regret it now! Always been curious about the Säckpipa, Hummelchen and Leicestershire Smallpipes, as I gather these are closest in fingering to the whistle or Irish flute? Been following the development of the vPipes for a few years, almost given up hope of them producing a vWhistle version, which they had talked about. The idea of a midi wind controller which uses continuous sensor technology for the finger holes excites me - essential for all those expressive slides and half holed notes which ethnic, and Irish flute/Whistle players use. I'd love to have a go at the Nyckelharpa too ;-)

X-Wind certainly interests me because of the proposed custom fingerings and the CV out. Would be fun to try it as an analogue synth controller, as well as with the Wivi stuff. My bagpipe fetish is currently being satisfied by the Soundbytes Bagpipes Vsti, controlled by my electric solid body midi mandolin - it wouldn't fool a piper but sounds great for messing about. The X-Wind dimensions mentioned on the Chimera Synths Twitter page, also make it one of the most compact midi wind controllers available. I'd love a little portable setup with X-Wind, the BC16, and a Netbook with a couple of decent Vsti's.

rcf wrote:

Interesting post Jakeez; I love electronic music & analogue synthesis and I've played whistles and low whistles for many years too. I also had a practice set of Uillean Pipes built for me by the late great Dave Williams, sold them a couple of years ago, as I didn't have the time to practice - I regret it now! Always been curious about the Säckpipa, Hummelchen and Leicestershire Smallpipes, as I gather these are closest in fingering to the whistle or Irish flute? Been following the development of the vPipes for a few years, almost given up hope of them producing a vWhistle version, which they had talked about. The idea of a midi wind controller which uses continuous sensor technology for the finger holes excites me - essential for all those expressive slides and half holed notes which ethnic, and Irish flute/Whistle players use. I'd love to have a go at the Nyckelharpa too ;-)

X-Wind certainly interests me because of the proposed custom fingerings and the CV out. Would be fun to try it as an analogue synth controller, as well as with the Wivi stuff. My bagpipe fetish is currently being satisfied by the Soundbytes Bagpipes Vsti, controlled by my electric solid body midi mandolin - it wouldn't fool a piper but sounds great for messing about. The X-Wind dimensions mentioned on the Chimera Synths Twitter page, also make it one of the most compact midi wind controllers available. I'd love a little portable setup with X-Wind, the BC16, and a Netbook with a couple of decent Vsti's.

you know, I would like to have a nyckelharpa -but I would like to have a complex hurdy gurdy more! ;-) I was using the technopipes, as a means of playing the bagpipes vst for a little while there. problem is, the MIDI isn't quite right for the vst. the bagpipes vst is designed to be played with a standard keyboard. the technopipes MIDI spec is somewhat different than a standard keyboard. I really ended up just carrying the technopipes around with me, to play on my lunch hour, etc, for a bit. after long, I realized I could live without them, since i have a couple real sets of pipes:





I had a major influence in the design of both instruments, personally. and you will probably not ever find an instrument quite like the Scottish smallpipes in D above. the design was my idea, and I named them "piob burn" after the many small streams that course through Scotland. ;-)


_________________
Jakeez /Crushed Bits

www.jakeez.com

www.skprecordings.com

Jakeez,

Thanks for your +ve contribution. I looked at the technopipes and pretty much everything else, the XWIND was designed to be a kind 'platform' which could be easily adapted to various fingerings and different outputs.

All input very welcome.


_________________
BC, Chimera Synthesis

Hmm... looking at that picture of the xwind... are those push-down buttons or electric touch contacts?

Contacts, the bottom of the unit has a laser cut stainless steel plate which acts as ground. Very fast to play.


_________________
BC, Chimera Synthesis

We need a video of this !

Agreed. Sounds very cool. I'd love to see a video of this.