Overview
Do you ever dream about building your perfect synth? You know, a synth that had just the right components and did exactly what you wanted it to do and as your needs changed, it could too… Well, you’re in luck because that’s exactly the path we’ve sent you on with NiftyKEYZ.
Some time ago when we first got started making stuff we were shocked that the eurorack world wasn’t jam-packed with keyboard cases. I mean, who wouldn’t want to build your own lego-style dream synth? We felt we absolutely had to do this, and so we did and it was epic. Great origin story right?
Anyway, NiftyKEYZ is pretty ridiculously packed with capabilities over and beyond being an awesome case with a keyboard on it.
Continue reading more of our nonsense below and watch the videos to learn more.
Power & space - friends with benefits for your modules
More than just a full-sized 49 key keyboard (with aftertouch), NiftyKEYZ has a whole load of space for a pile of whatever eurorack format modules you want to toss into it. All told, NiftyKEYZ has 112hp of available module space and its newly designed power supply provides 1500mA +12v, 1000mA -12v, and 1000mA +5v power. Stuff NiftyKEYZ with modules and you’ll have a franken-synth that’s only limit is the bounds of your imagination (or lack thereof).
Four voices of CV + Gate
Polysynth, monosynth, or how about 4 mono synths? Or wait, wanna mix of both? All is possible with NiftyKEYZ! You can split the keyboard into up to 4 zones and assign any combination of its 4 CV + gates to them. Play chords up high and bass down low, or whatever go for 2 duophonic zones, it’s all doable and then some… Follow your imagination and make it happen.
Modes, modes, and more modes
So having 4 voices that you can assign willy nilly in your own Frankensynth is super cool, but we thought you wouldn’t want us to stop there! NiftyKEYZ also has a multi-mode arpeggiator that syncs to an external clock as well as NiftyKEYZ’s internal clock.
Speaking of clock, NiftyKEYZ can easily divide incoming clock to your heart’s content, as well as generate its own kicking pulse. Perfect as the center of your system or just being a part of it.
Pretty Mod right? Speaking of Mod, NiftyKEYZ’s modwheel can send constant voltage, allowing you to modulate like a mad person. Additionally, you can toggle the modwheel into LFO mode where now the modwheel will control the depth of clock-synced LFO with 5 fantastic user-selectable shapes.
We’ve only begun to scratch the surface. We haven’t even started to go on about the autochord, sequencing, expression I/O, velocity, and oh yea, there’s aftertouch too!
Mults and outs, oh my
Nice words about the two fantastic buffered mults that are in the top of NiftyKEYZ go here. We know people really like mults and we should come up with something nice to say that will give them the warm feeling that we care for them because we do. They need to know that we made these especially for them so they can split whatever signal they put into them and send them wherever they want. Hopefully they have active imaginations and come up with wondrous ways to split whatever they come up with out of these mults.
We also shouldn’t forget to talk about the outs and headphone outs. People will love the dedicated headphone outs with their own dedicated control. Plus, the main 2 pairs of 1/4” and 3.5 outs that multiple sources can be summed into and then attenuated will knock their socks off (or at least their shoes).
Did someone say MIDI?
We’re kinda famous for being MIDI fanatics despite making voltage controllable stuff. We don’t know if it’s just the word MIDI, or the fact that practically everything else in our studios have MIDI in, on, or somehow associated with it. Because of this, we found it absolutely necessary for NiftyKEYZ to have deep MIDI implementation.
All of NiftyKEYZ’s I/O can be controlled via external MIDI from either its 5 pin MIDI Din in and/or its USB MIDI class-compliant connection. No drivers are needed! Feel free to connect NiftyKEYZ to your computer’s DAW etc. or any external MIDI devices and go to town.
Additionally, NiftyKEYZ is a full-functioning MIDI controller for your computer and or other external MIDI devices. No need for additional MIDI controllers. Use NiftyKEYZ as the one controller to rule it all…
Features
- Full size 49 key synth-action keybed with aftertouch
- 4x CV + gate outs - can be split by keyboard zone and used polyphonic or monophonic modes
- Useable case area = 112hp for eurorack modules
- Power output for modules
- +12V - 1500mA
- -12V - 1000mA
- +5V - 1000mA
- Multi-mode arpeggiator
- Auto-chord function
- Transpose function
- Glide control
- Swing control
- Multi-mode LFO
- Clock - internal and external with divider
- 2x buffered mults
- Sustain pedal input controls MIDI and gates
- Range of cv outs 1 through 4 = 0-10V
- Voltage output gates 1 through 4 - off = 0 on = 5（off = 0 on = 4.65）
- Voltage output modwheel/LFO = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
- Voltage output pitchwheel = 1-10V
- Voltage output expression = 1-10V
- Voltage output velocity = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
- Voltage output aftertouch = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
- Voltage output clock - off = 0 on = 5
- Input voltage range of oscillator = 0-10V
- Two volume controllable 1/4” ts mono outputs on its rear (mirrored 3.5mm outs on top)
- Dedicated control for headphone out with 1/4” headphone jack on its rear
- USB MIDI class-compliant - no drivers needed
- MIDI in via USB and 5 pin Din
- MIDI thru via 5 Pin Din and USB
- Dimensions = 70cm x 36cm x 13cm
- Included in the box
- NiftyKEYZ
- NiftyKEYZ switching power supply with blades for NA, EU, UK, and AU
