Lumatone
The Next Generation Isomorphic Keyboard
It all started with the vision of Siemen Terpstra in the Netherlands. A new design for a centuries-old idea. 280 Hexagonal keys, locked together in symmetry, rising as the hand travels upwards for maximum playability. Its Isomorphic layout was to enable new ways of thinking about chords and scales and the intervals between notes, offering up an inspiring new kind of instrument for musicians of all disciplines to create with.
It would also give microtonalists and polychromatic composers the ability to properly visualize all of the “notes in between the notes” on tunings beyond the traditional “12-notes-per-octave” ethos.
It would also have to provide maximum programmability in the most simple way, allowing the musician to define the instrument’s tuning, not the other way around.
The design fell into the hands of Industrial Designer Dylan Horvath in Toronto, Canada, who immediately fell in love with the concept, and a passion project was born. Together with the help of fellow enthusiasts Garnet Willis, Bo Constantin, Joel Mandelbaum, and Johnny Reinhard, a successful Indiegogo campaign was launched. With the help of over thirty forward-thinking crowdfunding backers, two prototypes were built, and the Terpstra Generalized Keyboard became a reality. This keyboard had replaceable coloured key-caps, but the dream of illuminated colour-changing keys was still in Dylan’s sights.
Let There Be Light.
Fast forward to 2019, and the instrument has been readied for production, and has been given a new name — the Lumatone Isomorphic Keyboard. Along with a new name, it now features its defining feature: 280 colour-changing LED keys. A player can now easily map MIDI notes and channels to any key along with a corresponding colour — allowing infinite mapping possibilities — putting the associative power of colour at your fingertips. Moreover, the layout has been finessed and finalized based on the feedback of our backers and the requests of a growing community of thousands of enthusiasts. Beautiful pitch and mod wheels have been added as standard to all production keyboards. The keyboard is now fully capable of polyphonic aftertouch. Improved key action, an improved kickstand, the list goes on and on. Improvements have been made to every element of both the build quality and internal design. We now have an instrument built like a tank, ready to take on the world. Unveiled at the 2020 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Lumatone drew plenty of press and onlookers, with Music Radar declaring it “the coolest isomorphic keyboard we’ve ever seen.”
Pricing and Availability: Lumatone Ships in Fall 2020!
Despite some challenges presented by the global pandemic, we have made it through! We are on the cusp of opening orders for this beautiful instrument by the end of Summer 2020. We will be shipping an initial limited run of 200 Lumatone Keyboards, built and shipped in five batches throughout the fall and winter of 2020. Each batch will come with a significant discount off the eventual retail price of US$3,995. The first batch will have the deepest discount (priced at US$2,995) and will ship first, with each subsequent batch carrying a slightly smaller discount and a later shipping date. Specific details about discount tiers and shipping timelines will be released in August 2020 right before online ordering launches.
We are also pleased to announce that payment plans will become available in later batches for Americans through our partner Affirm.com. Payment plan options for other countries will not be available.
How to secure your Lumatone
Head to the Order Now page and place your order! Depending on which batch is current, you’ll save up to 15% by ordering sooner.
SPECIFICATIONS
LAYOUT AND CASE:
Isomorphic matrix, hexagonal
10 Large Mapping Preset Buttons with LED indicators
Pitch and Mod Wheels: Smooth, weighted, all metal construction (not yet pictured)
Premium anodized aluminium case
Removable kickstand with embedded screws for mounting
THE KEYS:
280 rising hexa-keys assignable to any MIDI note or channel
Illuminated, Coloured LEDs customizable to millions of colours
Velocity sensitive with customizable curves
Polyphonic Aftertouch for up to 15 keys simultaneously
Highly expressive with long key travel
Continuous Controller option on each key (for MIDI CC control)
Key Mechanics: torsion springs with counterbalanced keycaps
Sensing Mechanism: Non-Contact Hall-Effect Sensor
CONNECTIVITY:
MIDI:
5-pin DIN In/Thru/Out
USB Type B (USB over MIDI)
PEDALS:
1/4” Sustain Jack
1/4” Expression Jack
DC Power
USB Type A (for systems/diagnostic use)
RJ-45 (for systems/diagnostic use)
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Weight: 10.8 KG, or 11.4 KG w/ Kickstand (23.8 lbs, or 25.1 lbs with kickstand)
Dimensions: 92 x 35.5 x 4.6 cm (36.2” x 13.98” x 1.81”)
Height w/ Kickstand: 12.5 cm (4.92”) at its highest point
Kickstand Angle: 15°
Key Width: 21 mm (0.83”)
Key Diameter: 24mm (0.94”)
Key Spacing (Centre-to-Centre): 24.15 mm (0.95”)
POWER
5A at 12V (60W)
MAPPING/SETUP SOFTWARE
MAC and Windows Compatible
Save/recall mapping presets to and from the Lumatone file format
Save up to 10 mappings to preset buttons for recall on Lumatone without a computer
A growing, community-driven preset library on our website will be available at launch.
PER-KEY Settings:
Note/Channel MIDI Values
Key Colour (via preset colour palette or custom colour picker)
Toggle each key between note on/off mode or continuous controller mode. A continuous controller is a fader that controls MIDI CC values such as expression, filter cutoff, breath control, etc).
GLOBAL SETTINGS:
Polyphonic Aftertouch (Toggle on/off)
Velocity Sensitivity Curve
Continuous Controller Sensitivity Curve
Expression Pedal Sensitivity
Keystroke brightens key (Toggle on/off)