QKB Keyboard Controllers

The QKB keyboard controllers are designed with special features to be the perfect fit for your modular synthesizer. This is not your typical store-bought keyboard. Picture shown with optional walnut top.

Available in 3-octave (37-key) and 5-octave (61-key) configurations utilizing a high-quality Fatar semi-weighted keyboard, a rugged metal frame and solid wooden ends. Removable shelves on the back and a standardized hole-pattern provide mounting points for addition controllers such as ribbons and thumb switches. The MIDI interface provides a host of interesting features including velocity On and Off, splits, and channel pressure. Two channels of merged MIDI input daisy-chain to other controllers such as Wheels, Expression Blocks and Whammy Bars.

Keybed
These are not your typical economy, mass-produced, light-weight keybeds found on most modern keyboard controllers - these are quality Fatar units with semi-weighted diving-board style keys providing a solid feel, quick response and professional durability.

Enclosure
The all-metal enclosure is very rugged and capped with solid walnut side panels. The QKB-series keyboards provide our standard mounting-hole pattern on the front and a series of removable shelves in the back. These holes provide mounting points for controllers of your choosing. Shelves on the back have the same mounting-holes and can be replaced with a Box1 cabinet to house a controller module such as a Wheel, Expression Block or Whammy Bar. Single and Dual keyboard side panels are available. Keyboard controllers will fit in our Studio Garage, even with a Box4 Cabinet attached and even when stacked with dual sides.

MIDI
The QKB scanning circuitry produces monophonic and full polyphonic MIDI note On/Off messages along with Velocity On and Velocity Off messages (a little-known and ignored part of the MIDI specification). Two MIDI inputs are provided which are merged with the keyboard messages then sent to the MIDI output. This allows additional controllers and keyboards to use one MIDI cable. This MIDI signal can then be patched to a Q174 MIDI interface module to produce one or two channels of Pitch and Gate voltages from keyboards, or voltages from other types of controllers.

Splits
The keyboard can be programmed to split into two sections with separate MIDI channels. These two MIDI signals can be decoded by a Q174 MIDI interface to produce two separate Pitch/Gate signals. This second channel of pitch voltages can be used to transpose the first using the Q174's Add Input, or simply used as a second channel for another synthesizer voice. Splits, MIDI channel number, velocity curves, transposing and other features are programmed through special key sequences.

Pressure
QKB keyboard controllers also provide a Channel Pressure signal (sometimes erroneously called Aftertouch). Channel pressure is produced when applying pressure to a key at the bottom of travel. There is one Channel Pressure signal for the entire keyboard. The Q174 MIDI interface module produces a voltage from this signal which can then be used for pitch bending, changing filter parameters, amplitude control, or any other synthesizer parameter.

Power
The QKB uses our standard DC power connector to connect to our QPS4 or QPS5 power supplies, or to share power from a synthesizer cabinet via a QIC cable. If you do not have a system or a source for power, use the QPS4 power supply. A power output connector is also provided to daisy-chain the power to additional keyboards, or controllers mounted in Box cabinets.