Alternative (isomorphic) keyboards: Anyone have experience with a C-Thru Axis 49?

[Rpeg]

C-Thru Music is going under, and this thing is on sale for $250:

 

http://www.c-thru-music.com/cgi/

 

I've been curious about alternative note layouts, and I'm considering it now that this keyboard is at least plausibly purchasable. Has anyone played one before?

 

I figure we can open the discussion to other keyboards with unusual layouts/formats, too.

[modey]

I tried out a Thummer many years ago when it was still in development:

 

It was alright, and I picked up the note patterns fairly easily, but it seemed a little pointless. Polyphonic aftertouch on the keys was pretty cool though.

A quick search shows that the company never actually went anywhere, which is a bit unfortunate.

[mcbpete]

The magical Suzuki Omnichord -

 

 

Sounds as cheap as anything, but the cheapness is uttely charming:

 

Check out this rather terrifying instructional video for it -

 

[chim]

Oh man, that looks just great. That battery capacity + bluegrass mode would make you king of the festival.

[MisterE]

my grandma had one of those omnichords, i think actually a couple of them, when i was a kid. i've thought about asking her if she still does. i guess the sound they put out is digital in the newer ones but hers were analog, and i remember they sounded kinda cool but are a bit of a one trick pony kinda thing

[ryancolecreate]

I'd love to play around on one honestly. I'd be really tempted at that price too.

[cloudbreaker]

The omnichord is pretty moddable, if nothing else ;)

 

http://folktek.com/instruments/symbiotic/omnichord-om250

 

edit: I actually really like playing keys on a grid interface (ie: monome, launchpad) – allows you to quantize notes in different fashions as well.

Edited October 22, 2014 by cloudbreaker

[Braintree]

One of my teachers in college was really into using a motion wand & pad to control his compositions in C sound.

 

It was an interesting process, but the music was highly jejune.

[th555]

Closest I got is the chord buttons on my bontempi:

They're laid out so that the two buttons next to each other are continuations of each other, so to the right of C-E-G is G-B-D and to the right of that is D-F-A etcetera. I suppose that's cool.

 

But a hex thingy like in the OP would be great.

Edited October 26, 2014 by th555