18/06/2021
OnYX is a highly versatile and ergonomic MIDI controller that combines the functionalities of wind controllers, pad controllers, and gesture controllers.
It consists of 4 pieces:
- the mouthpiece: includes an air pressure sensor with which we control the Velocity, Breath Controller (CC2), Volume (CC7) and Expression (CC11).
- the left handpiece: includes 4 touch sensors for the thumb and 5 more for the rest of the fingers, and a gyroscope to detect the inclination of the hand in the Y and X axes.
- the right handpiece: also includes 4 touch sensors for the thumb and 5 for the rest of the fingers, and a gyroscope to detect the inclination of the hand in the Y and X axes.
- the transducer: connects to the USB port of the computer and receives and translates the information from the mouthpiece and the handpieces into MIDI.
OnYX has been designed as a complete and versatile wind controller, allowing you to control everything that other keyboard-type controllers have allowed for years by including k***s, faders, joysticks and pads.
In this sense, the main functions of OnYX include:
- Playing notes as if it was a traditional wind controller, with saxophone / flute type fingerings, and with up to 6 octaves of register (4 of them using the octave buttons on the left thumb, and 2 more using very intuitive and easy-to-master alternate fingerings).
- Quickly switch MIDI channels, allowing you to switch sounds or control between different MIDI instruments seamlessly.
- Activate and deactivate effects and functions using Control Changes.
- Control continuous parameters such as pitch bend, modulation, volume, pan by tilting your hands to mimic the k***s and faders of other controllers.
- With the appropriate program, it allows us to make chords and individually control up to 5 different notes, allowing us total control of the voicings with a freedom similar to that offered by a keyboard or guitar.
- Control drums and / or samplers as if each touch sensor was a pad, facilitating that more percussive and rhythmic control.
OnYX is a Plug & Play instrument that works with any DAW: playing notes, playing drums with pads, pitch bend, modulation... However, to get the most out of it you should make sure that your DAW allows MIDI mapping and configure all the functions to your liking within the program itself.
OnYX is strongly inspired by the “Beat Jazz” and "Exovoice" created by Onyx Ashanti and presented in 2011 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0v7m... ). However, he is no longer working on that concept, and his instrument was evolving in a very different direction. Furthermore, the Beat Jazz was an instrument that only worked with Linux and its own program (programmed in Pure Data).
We have retaken that concept, and we have turned it into a MIDI controller compatible with any DAW and operating system, and totally reconfigurable thanks to MIDI mapping to adapt to the needs of each one.
We chose the name OnYX with two intentions:
- Honor to the creator of the original idea, Onyx Ashanti.
- Point out the most characteristic element of this controller, the gyroscopes: “Turn On the Y and X axes”
More information:
If you want to know more details and follow the evolution of this project, we invite you to follow us on Instagram, Youtube and Facebook:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onyxmidiins...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onyxmidiinst...
Video recorded at Aladid Studios:
🌐 WEB: https://www.aladidstudios.com
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💌 MAIL: [email protected]
