Are there any new synths in existence that have true poly-key pressure?

May 27, 2008 2:16 PM

HardwareSynthFilter: Is there a synthesizer available today, new, out there somewhere, that has poly-key pressure (like the Ensoniq VFX series had)?

Poly-key pressure was(is?) the ultimate, to me, in expressive control for synths, because unlike aftertouch (also called 'channel pressure'), you basically had aftertouch for each individual key. Pressing a single key after hitting it would cause a change in the sound, but would not also affect all the other keys you also have depressed at the same time.

To my knowledge, such a thing has not existed since then. But of course I could be wrong.

I loved my VFX... but I sold it because even with the internal mod I did to hold that puppy together, the thing was poorly built and intermittently freaked out for no reason while it was on.

posted by bitterkitten to media & arts (4 comments total)

I'm pretty sure the Korg Tritons, from it's first model to current, unessecerry models have all key aftertouch.

Play a chord, lay in to and off of a finger and only that note varies, that what you mean?
posted by mnology at 2:38 PM on May 27, 2008

I'm pretty sure the Tritons don't have poly-pressure. I can't find anything indicating that they do -- and that's a rare enough feature that you can be sure it would be in the spec list.

Supposedly the Vax 77 will have poly pressure, but who knows if or when it will ever ship. It's worth reading the linked messages from John Bowen.
posted by xil at 2:49 PM on May 27, 2008

xil - Thanks. That looks pretty cool...

Now, if they could just do that to say, a Nord Stage and decrease the price by half, I'd really be stoked.
posted by bitterkitten at 3:00 PM on May 27, 2008

Such a pity that Ensoniq was such crap. So fitting a marriage between them and Creative.

Thanks for asking this, I'm amazed that poly-pressure has not become the norm in these 20+ years since the VFX.
posted by Goofyy at 5:47 AM on May 29, 2008