[sdiy] Keyboards with Initial Touch?

[Glen]

I've noticed that Yamaha is advertising their Motif ES synth as having
"Initial Touch/Aftertouch" keyboards. What the heck is Initial Touch? Is
this just a marketing department's euphemism for MIDI velocity sensitivity?

I've been thinking lately that it would be nice if there were some
additional control parameters added to keyboards, such as the ability to
sense the precise moment that a finger initially touches a key--before the
key is actually depressed. To me, that would truly be "Initial Touch", but
I really don't know if Yamaha has actually built something like that. (I
doubt it.)

Heck, I'd like to experiment with "Pre-Touch", where each key of the
keyboard senses when your finger is *near* a key, and also determine how
far away it is. Just imagine 61 mini-theremin controllers built into your
keyboard! That could certainly get interesting. Maybe we could even use
several of the new Motorola MC33794 chips to help with the sensing.

Anyway, I'd really like to know what Initial Touch is.


thanks,
Glen