From: bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Preston)
Subject: Re: SynthAxe Drumitar?
Reply-To: bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Preston)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 04:41:13 GMT


In a previous article, tynor@prism.gatech.EDU (STEVE TYNOR) says:

>What is it?  "Future Man", the drummer for Bela Fleck and the
>Flecktones, uses it exclusively on on the latest album (Flight of the
>Cosmic Hippo).  The liner notes imply that it generates all the drum
>sounds on the album and that it was recorded 'live' without overdubbing
>or sequencing.  From the glimpse of the Drumitar from the photos on the
>liner, it looks like a (psychedelically painted) portable keyboard
>controller.

  The SynthAxe is a vaguely guitar-shaped MIDI controller which was
once produced by a team of British inventors; I hear that the company
has since gone out of business. The "Drumitar" is actually a SynthAxe
body which has been modified by placing velocity-sensitive pads on it
in strategic locations. How much (or how little) of the original SynthAxe
circuitry is used in it I do not know, but I suspect there's not much
of the sensory gear in use in the Drumitar -- Roy Wooten sticks to 
hitting the obviously non-stock pads on the beast.
  The SynthAxe was designed to of primary use to guitarists looking
for a better way to control a synthesizer. Most of the units which had
come before it used a technique called pitch-to-voltage conversion, 
which has some inherent drawbacks causing the guitarist to adjust his
playing technique due to the time lag involved in the conversion  
(especially in the lower registers). P-to-V is still used today in
the majority of affordable guitar-synth units. The complexity of the
sensors and software involved in bringing something like the SynthAxe
to market probably led to the company's demise; in other words, they
were sometimes plagued with nasty bugs, and the technology and support
for the device were not cheap. Allan Holdsworth no longer uses them in
live performance, citing the expense of maintaining it, and the unreliable
nature of it.

>Is it also a sampler, or are the drum sounds handled by a remote drum
>machine or sampler?  The drumming is _incredibly_ acoustic sounding! I
>find it really hard to believe that "Future Man" is not using an
>acoustic kit!

  From someone who has seen them live, please believe it -- it's true.

  As I understand it, the SynthAxe was comprised of two units: the actual
controller, and a "translator/CPU" which could supply MIDI data to any
MIDI-equipped sound module or synth. It in itself made no sound of its
own. With the modifications Wooten had performed on his SynthAxe, the
translator/CPU may not be necessary; with an Alesis D4 drum module and
some contact microphones (piezo mics are great for this, so I'm told),
one could turn a piece of plywood into a "Drumitar," however unattractive.
Having seen Roy's rack from about 12 feet, I'd say he's got quite an 
a few drum modules, synth modules and a sampler or two in there... it's
packed pretty tightly.
  There is reportedly a magazine article describing Wooten's SynthAxe
mods, and why they chose to go this route instead of having him play a
real set (of course, he *is* a drummer... was there any doubt??). I
haven't seen the article in question.
  Oh and, btw, _Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo_ is not the latest album.
_UFO Tofu_ was released about two weeks ago on Warner Bros. (9 45016-2).
Good stuff.

  Jeff
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