The evo is a pure keyboard controller that is connected to a computer via an Ethernet interface, and that communicates via Midi, OSC or our own in-house protocol with synthesizers, sequencers or similar. The keys are the special feature here. Every single key is equipped with a sensor that allows evo to read the finger position on a certain area of the key surface. Thus, every key offers, in addition to pitch and velocity, an additional level of polyphonic data input that can be used for continuous control of independent notes.

Every key is a fader, controller, a pitch-wheel, a mod-wheel or a button. Think about a precise, continuous control of polyphone properties. Everything that previously affected notes equally using controllers and buttons can now be executed with simple moves of the finger on the keys for each individual note. In the future you will play chords and move one finger to emphasize one single note by changing the acoustic pattern, or to change the pitch regardless of the other notes. Additionally, the function of every single key can be defined so that you can reproduce the MIDI controller on every key. This way, entire octaves can be used for the control of channel strips. However you decide, with evo everything is possible. We made sure of that!

Since this concept cannot be achieved on standard keyboards, we realized at the start of the development phase that we would need to design numerous components, such as the actual sensors, specifically for this purpose. As a result, evo isn’t just a keyboard like any other from a purely conceptual standpoint. Each individual component is also one of our very own developments. This is something we are very proud of.

Although not completely 16 bits, your finger’s movement on the surface of a key is still twice as high as the bandwidth allocated for this in a MIDI interface. This means that each key is able to define the movement with 8-bit precision. When you keep in mind that the surface of the sensor is 4 cm long, this gives you precision < 0.2 mm! That should be enough. At first!

We are frequently asked about the playability of our keys. One question pertains to using the active key surface. We often hear concerns from people who are worried about having to carefully concentrate on where they place their fingers to avoid accidentally changing a value. Our playing modes offer the solution to this potential problem. You can switch between absolute and relative values for the finger position. The latter offers the following advantage: No matter where you hit the key with your finger, the sound will only change when you actually move your finger on the surface of the key. It’s like the touch pad on a Notebook. The mouse cursor only moves when your finger moves. Unless that’s not what you want.

Electronics is the key that leads to a successful use of our technology. For integrating an independently working sensor into every key, an enormous quantity of electronics is necessary. Especially the interaction of all sensors, i.e. the synchronization of all sensors, into one smooth working unit is not possible without the use of modern electronics. Therefore, eight high performing processors alone work simultaneously, querying all sensors that can be synchronized by another, ninth, processor. Therefore evo is not simply a keyboard with keys that magically react to being touched. By using modern electronics the surface of the board becomes over 2500 cm2.

In conjunction with the fact that even though the evo sensors run at a resolution that cannot be processed by a MIDI interface and that we still wanted to choose a communication process that did not require any type of configuration, the decision to use an Ethernet interface was made after careful deliberation. But unlike other manufacturers, all we ask you to do is connect the cables. Evo takes care of the configuration for you.

And you will certainly be convinced by the time we start talking about speed. The network interface is the top choice and is ten times faster than a MIDI interface.

Earlier this year, we showed you what an evo-customized synthesizer with NI’s Reaktor 5 might look like. With this basis and a little help from Max/MSP, we made a synthesizer that is able to maximize the potential of evo and that is also available for Windows and Mac OS free of charge.

The evo is a product that is installed completely by hand. Depending on when the order is received, this process can take up to 4 weeks. We will give you an immediate update about the time that will be needed to build your evo after we receive your order.

Every evo is assembled by hand. Every screw, the whole wiring, all the boards and finally the housing are put together piece by piece. It is the only way to guarantee the evo‘s high quality, to discover any faults which might arise and to eliminate them. It is not just quality „made in Germany“, it is „handmade in Germany“.