VAX77 MIDI Keyboard Controller Gets High Resolution Velocity MIDI & Pianoteq
Working together for the past year, Infinite Response and Modartt have adopted this new standard, recently approved by the MIDI Manufacturers Assoc. (MMA) Technical Standards Board & Assoc. of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI) MIDI Commitee. The purpose of the CC#88 Prefix is to improve Note On/Off Velocity resolution while maintaining compatibility with older instruments. The previous 127 levels of MIDI volume control are now read to an accuracy of three decimal points, resulting in 14,000 levels. Pianoteq’s physically modelled piano instruments are capable of accurately responding to this data, as the VAX77 now provides a player with a keyboard that reads these small, but important, nuances of the fingers. The result is the VAX77 and Pianoteq in tandem give a player unprecedented levels of expressiveness not yet experienced in the world of electronic music instruments.
An important aspect of the dynamic control a player gets with the VAX77 is the remarkable, patented key action that is being hailed as the fastest weighted-action ever created. The VAX77 doesn’t have mechanical switches under the keys -- instead, it uses magnets in the keys and magnetic (Hall) sensors underneath, and a high speed Digital Signal Processor analyzes key motion thousands of times per second so notes are played precisely at the right time and volume.
Additionally, the VAX77 can transmit true Polyphonic Aftertouch from its 77 brush-textured keys, and is built to last a lifetime. It’s housed in a lightweight magnesium chassis, and folds in half to fit neatly into its carrying case. Folded, it will fit into the overhead compartment of most airliners and is a breeze to handle on public transportation.