SNAMM03: Moog MIDIfies Your Piano

US Piano Bar scanner system from Don and Dr Bob 21/07/03

Piano gets MIDI and more

Moog throw a lovely party and it was somewhat enhanced by the wonderful piano player in the corner, but there was a bit of a difference to this gig, the pianist was also playing MIDI sounds alongside the boudoir grand, thanks to Moog's new Piano Bar. Designed by Don Buchla, the legendary synth designer responsible for one of the most sought after modulars (aside from the Moogs of course), the Moog PianoBar transforms virtually any 88-key acoustic piano into a MIDI controller in 5 minutes or less - without special tools or know how. What makes the PianoBar work is the revolutionary, patented Scanner Bar, which sits ever so slightly above the piano's keys leaving the touch and feel unaffected. The Scanner Bar is less than 1/2" thick and rests against the fall board out of the way of flying fingers. Infrared sensors detect the motion of each key. The Pedal Sensor rests underneath the piano's pedals to register their motion. The Scanner Bar and Pedal Sensor work together to capture the full range of your expressive touch - from resounding chords to delicate passages. The sensors feed the note and the velocity of the note to the Control Module where it is transformed into MIDI information and can be used to trigger over 300 built-in GM sounds. The configuration of MIDI is called a Setup. There are a total of 100 Setups in the Control Module; 20 can be stored on the portable Library Card. A Setup contains information about what sounds are played on the 16 MIDI channels, programmable zones, volume, velocity curves, and other functions. The Control Module's internal sound generator houses a large array of high quality sounds that can be played by the piano keys. These sounds, layered with the sound of the acoustic piano, can add a new dimension to the pianos sound and let you record MIDI sequences from a real piano. The PianoBar is portable and can be installed on virtually any 88-key piano and comes in a carrying case for easy transport. Ships September at $1199
Watch this space for coming video demo

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