John Type continues to push the boundaries of MidiTablism with his latest innovation: the Keyboard Fader, a cutting-edge setup that transforms the MIDI keyboard of a synthesizer into faders, unlocking a new way to perform melodic scratch techniques.
Description of the video performance
The setup in the video is entirely dawless, consisting of a MIDI turntable, an analog synthesizer, a MIDI keyboard, and a vinyl of “Watch Out Now” by The Beatnuts, with the flute sound at the beginning of the track manipulated using the Keyboard Fader to perform the melody of “The Andy Griffith Theme”.
How it Works
The operation is simpler than you might expect: the AUDIO signal from the turntable passes through a synthesizer, and when you press a key on the keyboard, you hear the sound of the record, just like opening the fader on a mixer.
Basic Requirements
To change the pitch of the vinyl via a keyboard, you’ll need a turntable with MIDI IN. To replicate a mixer fader cut with the keyboard, you’ll need a synth with AUDIO IN.
Turntable with MIDI IN
Synth with AUDIO IN
How to Set Up the Keyboard Fader
AUDIO Connection: Connect your turntable to a phono preamp. You can use your mixer or a dedicated preamp. From the preamp/mixer output, route the signal to the AUDIO IN of the synth.
MIDI Connection 1: If your synth includes a built-in keyboard, connect the synth’s MIDI OUT to the turntable’s MIDI IN.MIDI Connection 2: If your synth doesn’t have a keyboard (as in the video setup), use a standalone MIDI keyboard and a MIDI splitter. Connect the MIDI keyboard to the splitter, then route one MIDI OUT to the turntable and the other MIDI OUT to the synth.
Synth Settings
1. Turn off the OSCILLATORS by turning their volume all the way down.
2. Fully open the cutoff FILTER to deactivate it.
3. To replicate the sharp cut of a crossfader, set the ADSR envelope of the amplifier as follows:
Attack: 0
Decay: 0
Sustain: maximum
Release: 0
Settings on the Minitaur used in the video
Instruments Used in the Video
Turntable: Vestax PDX-3000
Phono Preamp: Behringer PP400
Synthesizer: Moog Minitaur
MIDI Keyboard: Roland PC-160
MIDI Splitter: Kenton MIDI Thru 5
Alternative Turntables with MIDI IN
Reloop RP-8000 MK2
Vestax Controller One
Alternative Synth with AUDIO IN*
Behringer Crave
Behringer MS-1 MKII
Korg Monologue
Korg MicroKORG
Novation Bass Station II
Arturia MiniBrute 2
*Since these products have not been tested, compatibility is not guaranteed.