ZIPI: Origins and Motivations
Keith A. McMillen · Computer Music Journal · 1994
The success of alternate controllers has been less than overwhelming the history of electronic music. The predominant controller for electronic music synthesizers has been the piano or organ keyboard. Besides the widespread availability of pianos and organs and the people who play them, the very nature of the keyboard makes it an ideal choice from an implementor's point of view. Keyboard-style instruments decouple the player from the sound-generating element. The strike of a finger on a key starts a chain of events that produces a sound. After a key is struck, the greatest creative choice left to the musician is when to release it. This series of key closures and releases is the simplest form of information that can be used to control a synthesizer. The early commercially available synthesizers (Moog's MiniMoog, the ARP Odyssey, and the EMS Putney VCS-3) were monophonic and non-dynamic. As the technology evolved, instruments became polyphonic and capable of wide dynamic response (e.g., the Yamaha DX7). The control information fed to the synthesis engine grew to include how fast the key was struck (the MIDI key velocity). Joysticks, modulation wheels, aftertouch, and foot pedals added the continuous element to keyboard control. Historically, this is not unfamiliar to keyboard players. Pipe organs are non-dynamic, but volume can be controlled by foot pedal. In many ways, the connection of keyboards to synthesizers resulted very little loss of familiarity of control with a large gain timbral choice. For musicians trained on other instruments, the option of synthesis has not been attractive. Woodwinds, bowed strings, and brass instruments all place the player direct physical contact with the vibrating element-reeds, strings, or columns of air. Instead of limited control of dozens of notes, these instruments offer subtle and intimate control over one or a few notes. Whether to trade in