chromatone 312 key synth laughs in the face of 88 keys

August 9th, 2007 post a comment (52) stumble it! by: technabob

Here’s an interesting tidbit of recent history for any electronic musicians out there. A couple of years back, a strange little company called Chromatone thought it was time for an overhaul of the traditional 88 keys on pianos (or less on many synthesizers.)

Chromatone 312 Keyboard

The Chromatone CT-312 keyboard has literally hundreds of individual, unlabeled keys. The “312″ in the name is actually is because there are 312 keys, but I lost count. To me, the synthesizer looks more like a massive, nearly endless typewriter than a musical instrument.

click to view this video clip

The keyboard uses a obscure paradigm known as a Uniform keyboard. It’s based on a concept from the late 19th Century, known as the Jankó keyboard. Apparently, the idea behind the massive number of keys is to group multiple instances of the same notes across the keyboard, making it more likely that you can play a much wider range of notes without stretching across the keyboard.

click to view this video clip

I’m sure there’s a massive learning curve for this thing, especially if you’ve played a regular keyboard. This baffling chart attempts to explain how it all works, but all it does is leave me scratching my head. Still, that guy in the video clip above did manage to crank out the theme from Super Mario Brothers, which impressed me to no end. There are plenty more Chromatone clips out there on YouTube if you’d like to hear more.

From what I can tell, the company may still manufacture these, but I can’t figure out any place to purchase one. Let me know if you guys have any luck. [UPDATE: due to the demand this article stirred up, Chroma is offering a limited number of these keyboards for sale here. Prices start at $1575 USD + shipping]

August 9th, 2007 post a comment (52) stumble it! by: technabob

52 comments post a comment

1. the scholar | August 9th, 2007 at 11:46 pm

hmmm… does this have anything to do with the 5000 fingers of dr t?
2. Justin White | August 10th, 2007 at 1:28 am

This keyboard is the most logical and greatest idea to enter the word of keyboards.

Instead of learning 12 different chord shapes for each major chord you only have to learn 1. ONE! I tell you.

That no major musical instrument manufacturer has taken up the janko keyboard is a testament to the lack of foresight shown by electronic musical instrument manfacturers. Roland, Yamaha etc. take your head out of the sand and do something worthwhile ! MAKE THIS KEYBOARD!
3. imran | August 10th, 2007 at 10:08 am

would you say its almost like a guitar?
4. technabob | August 10th, 2007 at 11:21 am

Hrmm… I don’t really get a guitar vibe off of this. I didn’t think you could play the same notes with different fret positions on a guitar. Or can you?
5. bigbluealien | August 12th, 2007 at 4:19 pm

This keyboard layout is not new, a similar layout has been used on accordions because you can get many more notes in the same space as the traditional keyboard, but it is much harder to learn
6. Justin White | August 13th, 2007 at 2:35 am

The layout is called a janko layout and has been around for sometime, it is different to the accordian layout (wicki/Hayden layout) but shares some of the positive aspects of that layout. Consistent interval layout, or isomorphism.

Here is some info on DIY Janko keyboards
http://musicscienceguy.vox.com/library/post/building-a-better-keyboard.html
7. fie | August 13th, 2007 at 10:05 am

. technabob… Yes you can, of course, play the same not on different frets. In normal tuning the strings are 5 half steps apart except for the b-string which is 4 half steps from the g string. So the 5th fret on E is A, the 5th fret on A is D.. etc. Yeah
8. Will | August 13th, 2007 at 10:49 am

Although I’ve never seen one, and I don’t know if any examples still exist, there was at least one keyboard instrument created at the end of the 16th century which divided the octave into 32 keys (4 for each degree of the scale) to allow the performance of highly chromatic music in any tuning system (valotti, mean tone and suchlike). Carlo Gesualdo is known to have owned one, which must have suited his remarkable brand of composition. If you’ve never heard any of his music, check out the madrigal “Moro, lasso”.
9. ben | August 13th, 2007 at 10:56 am

Main product page http://www.chroma.jp/main.jsp
10. caleb | August 13th, 2007 at 11:05 am

This is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing this info.
11. ben | August 13th, 2007 at 11:11 am

My Japanese friend says their website says it hasn’t gone on sale yet.
12. Chris | August 13th, 2007 at 11:23 am

Their latest “What’s New” entry is from 7/29/04.

I sent an email to their sales address. Hopefully they
will respond.

@Justin, thanks for the Janko link.
13. attila911 | August 13th, 2007 at 11:46 am

In regards to this keyboard being compared to the fretboard on a guitar……You have to remember one of the essential advantages to a stringed instrument. The finger control one has over the strings on a fret (or fretless) board is the abilty to STRECH the string! Also different forms of picking, pluckung, strumming, etc. These specific sounds can only be made on a guitar, Bass, Sitar, Banjo, etc. Incidently….The piano IS a stringed instrument and the strings can be streched and augmented with the foot pedals. But it’s just not the same control you have as when you actually FEEL the tension of the strings on a fretboard.
14. Mike | August 13th, 2007 at 11:53 am

As a veteran piano player of 17 years, I really can’t foresee this being popular. It’s very different than a tradition piano and would essentially require you to relearn it. I don’t know where you would even learn such an instrument. On top of that, I don’t think an acoustic version exists. Digital sound makes my ears shrivel in pain.

The size of the keys seems to be a huge limitation on the machine as well. In any given song, I probably use 3/4 of the key area on a piano.

It may be more versatile but I’m seeing the standard 88 keys to be more practical.
15. attila911 | August 13th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

Justin White,
I forwarded your posting and info on this keyboard to Yahama in Santa Ana Cali. and Roland in Murietta Ca.If I hear back from them, I’ll let you know!
P.S. I agree with you about these companies lack of foresight!
Respectfully,
Attila911
16. John | August 13th, 2007 at 12:17 pm

As a piano player of 15 years, I think you’re taking your traditions a little too seriously. If you’ve ever tried playing on some of the newer hammer action keyboards with Synthogy Ivory Grand Piano Software, you’d be surprised how good they sound. I won’t even say they are comparable as they are the “real” sampled tones of classic pianos, such as Steinway Ds, Bosendorfer 290 Imperial Grand, to name a few! Anyway, I think this is great that they are trying to evolve the piano to a new key layout. I imagine the transition to be like going from the harpischord to the modern hammer action piano, being no less a huge feat. I think the only impractical nature of this instrument would be the price and learning barrier to getting this instrument. My hands would certainly benefit from this as I am no Rachmaninoff when it comes to handspan.

Certainly this will be a huge learning curve for traditional piano players, but it is no different I think than learning to touch type, learning new software, or game key layouts for a video game. I just hope that I’m not so “ingrained” with what I have learned that I can’t adapt to this.
17. John | August 13th, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Actually… they could conceivably make this acoustic.. though with the number of keys, it would still have to have electronic parts. Just map all the keys of the same note/octave to a sensor that powers a hammer key. Depending on key push strength, the hammer would hit the string accordingly. Obviously, this would need some major fine tuning to sound remotely “human”
18. zzz | August 13th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

im in japan as we speak
ill try to find a place to test the sukker out
19. Piano Major | August 13th, 2007 at 3:31 pm

If you look closely at the action of the keys while they are being played in the viedos, and then look at the corresponding levers at the ‘top’ of the keyboard, you will notice that keys being depressed are in a line with the top lever. Thus, there is a lever that is subpositioned below the keys, to which the 3 keys representing the same note are glued. Not all that complex of a mechanism.

This mechanism could EASILY be adapted to any existing acoustic piano, by simply inserting a 264-key Janko keytray in place of a 88-key traditional layout. You could even try gluing small cylinders onto a traditional 88-key and it would work.

A typical 88-key piano consists of 36 ‘black’ keys and 52 ‘white’ keys.

On the chromatone, 312 buttons or ‘keys’, in 6 rows (The rounded ‘base’ of the lever, near the top of the keyboard, counts as the 6th row), form the keyboard. Since (36*3)+(52*3)= 264, the chromatone has an additional 48 ‘keys’; however if you divide these extra keys by three, it only has an additional octave (12) of levers represented. Overall, the keyboard has 100 levers, 88+12, similar to a Bosendorfer Imperial.

Based on the Janko Whole-Tone key chart from the link further up in comments, the system was made to allow for easier reach of notes, and to make interval relationships more intuitive, as whenever you make the same “motion” on the keyboard, it will always result in the same interval sounding, if tuned for equal-temperament.
20. Piano Major | August 13th, 2007 at 3:40 pm

I forgot to mention, regarding the claim that you can get greater reach to make larger intervals, such as 10ths and 12ths, The distance between C3 and C4 is about the distance between C3 and Bb3, shortening the octave reach by approximately two ‘traditional’ keys.
21. Jake | August 13th, 2007 at 5:05 pm

Better be a MIDI controller!
22. Guitar Guy | August 13th, 2007 at 6:26 pm

You can play the same note with different fret positions on the guitar, you just have to move laterally relative to the guitar string in addition to a different fret position to do it. The more I look at this the more it makes sense. Less stress on the hands than a standard keyboard, too.
23. Guitar Guy | August 13th, 2007 at 6:34 pm

Correction from guitar guy: To get the same note on a fret board you have to move perpendicular relative to the lateral orientation of the string, plus a different fret position.

More Cow Bell!
24. technabob | August 13th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

More Cowbell indeed.
25. Chris | August 14th, 2007 at 1:09 pm

@Jake, pretty sure it’s a MIDI controller too. One of their product photos shows MIDI jacks on the back. The caption below it has a “MIDI” section, but the rest is Japanese.

Also, I got a reply back from chromatone:

> > Do you have information in English about the Chromatone 312?
> >
> > How much does the Chromatone 312 cost in US Dollars?
> >
> > Do you accept Visa, or Paypal?
> >
> > Do you ship to the United States (Texas)?
> >
> > Regards,

Dear Chris

Thank you for inquiring.

It becomes a schedule that will be sold in ebay in a few days though
it is possible to buy only in Japan now.
Thereport is presented with mail when sales begin with ebay, and
pleasewait for a while till then.

Best Regards,
26. whytheam | August 14th, 2007 at 1:36 pm

@Chris any word on exact date?
27. Chris | August 15th, 2007 at 10:33 am

@whytheam,

I didn’t ask. Go ahead and email them. sales at chroma dot jp. The more inquiries they get, the better, IMO. If you find out anything, let us know.
28. Jeremiah | August 15th, 2007 at 6:00 pm

I think something like this is much more interesting if you’re scale shifting and playing with the tonal relationships at the same time as the keyboard layout. 12-tones is great on 88, but I’d like a chance to experiment with different tone groups without having to re-map my mental relationship with the keyboard.
29. Justin White | August 19th, 2007 at 11:45 pm

@ Mike

Here is a page of Janko keyboards (mostly acoustic pianos)

http://www.red-bean.com/~noel/uniform-keyboard/

You could go for larger keys and give up the greater reach that the janko arrangement facilitates
30. Richard | August 20th, 2007 at 3:03 am

Dear Sir

Pls email me the list of names of keys of piano keyboard eg B# etc if possible

Regards
Richard
31. whytheam | August 21st, 2007 at 6:41 am

I e-mailed them and they said:

Thank you for contacting us.
We are making the English pages right now.
We will show up the site as soon as possible.
We will e-mail you when the site is complete.
Of couse we are going to transfer to overseas!

Best regards.
32. Kathryn | August 22nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm

I’m pumped, and hoping to get one of these as soon as they’re available in the USA. I emailed as well, asking for a specific date, price, and time of launch in the USA.
33. whytheam | August 26th, 2007 at 8:06 am

$us 1,575

http://chroma.jp/shop/e/
34. whytheam | August 26th, 2007 at 12:24 pm

sorry there’s also a $774 shipping charge (to the US)
35. technabob | August 26th, 2007 at 12:29 pm

Wow, that’s some expensive shipping!
36. whytheam | August 28th, 2007 at 9:28 pm

shipping has be reduced to $280 US
37. Preston | August 30th, 2007 at 10:01 am

We ship robotic lawn mowers over to Europe all the time and it runs about $800 for a 97 pound box. I would imagine this thing is going to weigh 30-40 pounds so that is not to bad when you ship them one at a time. Buy in bulk you can get the shipping cost way down.
38. Imported\Geek&hellip | August 31st, 2007 at 12:38 pm

If I Could Build The Gadget Of My Dreams, Yamaha’s Tenori-On Would Be It….

The Yamaha Tenori-On is the most amazing piece of hardware that I’ve seen this year. Don’t brush this off as just another synth toy for house music geeks. This musical gadget has so many options and configurations that it makes the Chromato…
39. Justin White | September 12th, 2007 at 8:29 pm

Awesome! I just put in an order for one!
40. Chris | September 18th, 2007 at 4:13 pm

I got my Chromatone CT-312 today, WOOHOO!

About 8 of those bony-looking key covers in the top row,
and one of the round key covers were loose inside the
packaging. I fit them all snugly back into place in
seconds with no worries.

The CT-312 powered up with a random 12V DC power adapter I had laying around. It appeared to be the
same shape and diameter power plug you’d use
on a BOSS guitar effects pedal.
41. technabob | October 14th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

Just came across this similar keyboard and thought you guys might be interested:

http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/terpstra-keyboard-a-versatile-device-for-microtonal-music/
42. Jovan | November 19th, 2007 at 6:41 pm

Only inflexible minds, or people with vested interests in trditional keyboards, can not see the HUGE advantage of those keyboards. By the way, you do not need 6 rows of keys to take advantage of this keyboard; 4 rows would still give you 98% (or so) of the advantages and would be much less “frightening” to the traditionalists… Once few hundred
of people buy it, it will catch on and start to rival the traditional keyboards—->I do not have extra money to blaze the trail but am almost tempted to buy one, just to shame and irritate the traditionalists…
43. Tom | December 24th, 2007 at 6:53 am

I’m considering to build a midi controller with two manuals of chromatic keyboards. I’ve finally realized how good the chromatic keyboard is and how lousy the traditional piano keyboard is. In fact, I hate the traditional keyboards so much that I could wreck all grand pianos with a sledge hammer if they have they’re built with the traditional piano keyboard. I need to get my hands on a design for the chromatic keyboards. I’m not prepared to pay over 1500$ for a plastic synth just because it’s built in a smart way. I’m also only intrested in the midi part of it. I want a two manual midi controller.
44. Johannes K. Drinda | January 6th, 2008 at 10:07 am

I wait until I’m getting old or until the prices come down…

In the meantime I play my self-made Janko keyboard. Here’s my DIY instruction (w/o the girl): http://www.live-styler.de/home/Janko%20Project.pdf
45. Tom | February 10th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

My dream Janko keyboard would look like this, http://www.carmi.se/misterstarshine/img/test2.png

The width and feel of the keys would be similar to regular piano keys rather that plastic cheapo feel.
46. Robsuke Daisuke | February 27th, 2008 at 12:01 am

Very early in the discussion Mike said: “On top of that, I don’t think an acoustic version exists. Digital sound makes my ears shrivel in pain.”

I believe this page features some acoustic variations of “Jankó keyboards”, including grand pianos… Interesting, although I play no keyboards at all myself (I used to, but that was 17 ears ago and I was 11 years old…)
47. Robsuke Daisuke | February 27th, 2008 at 12:02 am

And then I forget the page url itself:
http://www.red-bean.com/~noel/uniform-keyboard/
48. Johannes K. Drinda | March 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 am

Only last month I discovered that the in 1896 by Kaspar Wicki invented keyboard layout is by far the easiest to learn and play keyboard layout of them all !!
Thus far, only the innovative Thummer and Jammer people have taken it up and I heard it’s going to cost less than a third of Chromatone’s costs !
For me it’s clear >>> Thummer in and Chromatone out !
What a shame that it took me 66 years to get there… but better late than never…
I.e. if you want/ can, please learn from my mistake and investigate my claim (made above, in the first sentence).
49. logrythmic | May 30th, 2008 at 9:42 pm

Steep learning curve? That would be a standard piano, actually. Isomorphic keyboards are the easiest instruments to learn because every musical structure has the same shape in every key; learn a chord progression, scale, or chord in C and you can play it in D-flat or G or F-sharp or whatever you want just by sliding over a few keys. Standard keyboards force the hand and mind to conform to the limitations of a physical instrument, and trade clarity of thought for economy of design. Search youtube for chromatic button accordians if you don’t believe me.
50. Johannes K. Drinda | June 16th, 2008 at 11:10 am

I like Nr.45 Tom’s vision of an ideal Janko keyboard look. The only thing to be left to improve would be that the edges of the key should be nicely round as to allow the finger to easier slide over the keys.
51. player pianos | August 19th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Hi,
The Chromatone CT-312 keyboard has literally hundreds of individual, unlabeled keys.This is really different and more flexible, this is an electronic machine you can buy it at cheapest price.
52. Johannes K. Drinda | August 19th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

“The Chromatone CT-312 keyboard has literally hundreds of individual, unlabeled keys.This is really different and more flexible, this is an electronic machine you can buy it at cheapest price.”

Sounds to good to be true! For, you can get a much better sounding Kbd for the same price or even cheaper, such as Yamaha’ Tyros 2
I wished they would have rather created a Janko adapter, which adapts to any Kbd. That would sell like hot cakes!