Since the dawn of modern electronic music, keyboardists and
guitarists have vied for each
other's territory. Keyboard players
dream of being guitar heroes with distorted guitar samples, and guitarists
have expanded their sonic palette with
guitar synths. And both claim to play
the superior instrument (see "War of
the Worlds" in the February 1992 EM).
These rival families have come one
giant step closer to an amiable marriage with Starr Switch Company's Ztar.
At first glance, this guitar-shaped MIDI
controller looks like an instrument
from Mars. Instead of strings, it has
144 Velocity-sensitive keys arranged in
six lines of 24 keys along the "fret
board." These keys are long, thin bars
oriented along the direction of normal guitar strings and separated by 24
"frets." Pressing a key sends a Note On
message corresponding to the key's position on the fretboard. However, the
response time is pure keyboard. So, is
this instrument a guitar or a keyboard?
Ergonomically, the Ztar sports a clean layout. Sitting on top of the instrument's white, pentagonal body are six black rubber pads of various shapes. Along with several other performance "triggers" (discussed shortly), these pads are programmable controllers.
Around the instrument's perimeter are fourteen Control Panel Hot Keys, which are used for editing. Larger than the fret keys, these Hot Keys feel clumsy and don't foster much user confidence.
A 40 x 2 LCD is perched on the bottom edge of the Ztar (as played by a right-harder). This display provides a clear readout of the instrument's parameters. An optional knee rest ($35) attaches to the underside of the LCD to facilitate the standard, seated playing position. Next to the display is a solid, 4-pole joystick, which doubles as a controller and a mechanism for data entry.
On the body between the neck and control pads is a set of 24 keys (four keys for each "string"), which are called "Trigger Keys." In the Ztar's present incarnation, all four Trigger Keys in each "string" are hardwired together and behave identically. These sets of triggers can be assigned to perform different controller functions. (On other models of the Ztar, the triggers are replaced by long rubber bars or real strings. However, the strings don't extend into the fretboard, which always has keys to specify pitch. More about this concept later.)
On the side of the Ztar are MIDI In and Out ports, a reset control, and a pair of i/~-inch phone jacks for sustain and volume pedals. Unfortunately, none of these side ports are labeled as indicated in the manual. The pin-like, recessed reset control should be placed on the surface of the instrument as a button, because it is used to boot the instrument into the normal performance mode after power-up.
The Ztar has two primary modes, Edit and Live. As the name implies, Edit mode is used for altering the various parameters of the fretboard, pads, triggers, joystick, and pedals. In Live mode, the Ztar saves patches in 48 memory locations called "Songs." The first sixteen Songs are ROM-based presets, followed by 32 user-defined Songs. Among the ROM presets are several multizone setups, a left-handed configuration, a 4-channel layered setup, a 6-string zone setup, a 5-octave C tuning, and several unison drum tunings (more in a moment). Although these presets demonstrate some of the controller's possibilities, I would have
· ZTAR
preferred to see them in RAM instead of ROM.
Fortunately, you can flip between Edit and Live mode without losing any changes to the current Song, as long as you don't select a different Song in Live mode before you save your edits. This is nice, although a compare function would be great.
The Ztar can also be configured in Poly or Guitar
mode. In Guitar mode, only the highest note
played on each "string" sends a Note On. This makes the Ztar feel more like a guitar. In Poly mode, up to 24 notes per "string" can play at once, allowing 2-handed chords. Of course, Poly mode eats up more of your synthesizer's polyphony, but it comes in handy for layering sounds, sustaining notes, and improvising over a drone.
Programming is performed from the display or with the Hot Keys. Working from the LCD provides complete editing capabilities; the Hot Keys provide convenient access to the most used options, such as quickly saving the current Song and adjusting critical parameters during live performance.
The angled LCD uses eleven membrane-switch soft keys for editing. (Remember the membrane controls on the Oberheim Matrix-6 and Rhodes Chroma?) There are eight keys for parameter selection, two up and down keys for adjusting parameter values, and an edit key for page selection. The joystick can also adjust parameter values. The soft keys are a bit small and awkward, but they respond well to finger pressure. I prefer using the joystick for adjusting parameter values; its response is quick and accurate.
The Ztar's 2-octave fretboard is 22.5 inches long, which is a couple of inches longer than most electric guitars. Unlike standard guitars, all 24 fret areas have the same dimensions: 0.9 x 2.25 inches. In addition, the fingerboard's width doesn't change as you move up the Ztar's neck.
I found first-position fingerings a bit tight, but playing further up the fretboard was fine. One way around this dilemma is to tune the instrument down an octave and play in the upper positions. Tuning adjustments can be made on the Ztar or your synth. If your fingers are small, you might find the Ztar's fretboard a perfect fit. In any event, the neck and fret keys take some getting used to.
The Ztar can be split into a maximum of sixteen zones. Each zone can consist of one note, the entire fretboard, or any rectangular area. Zones can overlap and share qualities in the common areas. For example, you could set up one zone with a piano patch and another with a string patch. If you overlap both zones at the twelfth fret, both patches play at that location. When you create a new zone, it automatically defaults to the next consecutive MIDI channel. However., you can override the default and set the zone to any channel.
Zone note-ranges are defined going to the Zone Setup menu and playing the highest and lowest notes of the range. Because the Ztar's tuning function is global, zones cannot be separately tuned. However, transposition is supported and capoed tunings are easily created. You can even play above and below the capo. It would be great to be able to retune each zone separately. Imagine the possibilities for multiple fretboard tunings in different zones.
Speaking of tunings, the Ztar offers six presets, including fourths, fifths, open ninth chords for lap-steel work, open E major, and 6-string bass. You can also specify your own tunings, which are saved in Songs. In addition, zones can be set to Unison mode, which tunes all the notes in the zone to the same pitch. Unison mode is ideal for percussive work and quick drum rolls.
The Chord Effect is quite interesting. A chord can include up to eight notes, and different MIDI channels can be used for each note. If you select the joystick as the sensor, simply move it to the specified pole and the chord plays. You can also assign a different chord to each of the six sets of'Trigger Keys.
To take it one step further, you can assign up to two effects to each sensor. In this mode, each Effect can be sent on up to fottr channels (single Ef'fect assignments can be sent on up to eight channels). For example, you could assign Pitch Bend and Modulation to one sensor. Among the preset controller assignments is one in which the two horizontal poles of the joystick play two drum sounds while the two vertical poles trend the pitch up and down. This produces a great talking drum Effect.
Using the pads is quite an experience. Typically, one hand plays the fretboard while the other hand presses the pads to generate controller ef'fects. When using the pads as a chord trigger, there appears to be a very slight delay in response time. This is not the case
with the other sensors; chords play instantaneously. And the pads are very responsive to the other- controller Effects.
The Trigger Keys below the fretboard serve two functions. In one mode, they act as sensors, generating the assigned Effect. In this case, notes are played entirely from the fretboard keys. ln the other trigger mode, notes are activated from the Trigger Keys; any of' the four keys in a string grotlp generate the same note. In this case, the freboard
keys simply specify the pitches of' the notes. This feels a bit more like a guitar, although it's somewhat awkward.
In addition, you must play a note to activate the Hot Key Volume and Octave controls. It's also difficult to set an accurate volume with the Hot Keys. I found it best to do critical parameter editing from the LCD instead of' the Hot Keys. As for the Octave controls, there is no way to tell at a glance which octave you've specified.
The Volume controls are positioned beneath your arm, so it's easy to accidentally adjust the volume while playing. The Volume Hot Keys have no LED indicators, so there is no way to know what happened. This will probablv happen a few times before you figure out what's going on There is a Lock key, which locks all the Hot Keys to their current settings. This takes care of' the volume problem, but if you like to tweak parameters as you play, forget the Lock key.
In Guitar mode, the Trigger Keys
play the open strings if you don't press a f'retboard key as you would expect. In Poly mode however you must specifically program the Ztar to play open strings. One way is to assign to the Trigger Keys a l-note chord corresponding to each open string. The other possibility is to divide the fretboard into two zones. One zone includes the entire fretboard up to the twenty-third fret. The second zone is the twenty-fourth fret. Tune the second zone to the pitches that correspond to the open strings.
A Utility menu provides a variety of' functions. Among them is the ability to send and receive bulk dumps of the entire memory and SysEx messages that correspond to an individual edit. The Ztar cannot send and receive bulk clumps of individual Songs. (I'm told this is on the upgrade list.) A patch-location switcher swaps the memory locations of any two Songs which is handy for organizing a live-performance set list. In addition there are sixteen numbered global Velocity curves. According to the manufacturer "The higher the number the greater the response to a lighter touch." In all honesty I couldn't detect much difference between any of the settings. There is no explanation in the manual.
Speaking of which the owner's manual leaves much to be desired. At this price a 20-page manual with a couple of supplemental sheets just doesn't cult it. Pages ate printed off-center, key terms are not defined, many of the sentences don't make sense examples are not provided procedural directions are left out, features are not explained-you get the picture. There simply is not enough information. Fortunately this instrument is pretty straightforward and you can usually piece things together.
Every so often a piece of gear comes along that breaks the boundaries of tradition and the Ztar clearly fits that description. Unfortunately the bill comes to nearly $2,100 which is no small chunk of change by most musician's standards. But let's put things jn perspective. The Ztar is a custom-made instrument; Starr Switch isn't cranking out hundreds of these babies a day. Think about how much a custom guitar costs. A more comparable product is the Buchla Thunder controller at $1,990. Clearly it's all relative.
Is this Martian creature closer to a guitar or a keyhoard? Well it's kind of in between. The Ztar is an intriguing instrument that requires some new ways of thinking. Time will tell whether it can forge a lasting marriage between guitar and keyboard technology hut for now, it's as close as you can get. If you can handle the price, a bare-bones manual, and some minor idiosyncrasies you'll he pleasantly surprised with the Ztar. Most importantly this instrument is really fun to play. After all isn't that where it's at?
Ztar Model 624-D $2,065
Starr Switch Company
Ztar 624-DBy J. Arif Verner
This unique MIDI
controller combines guitar and
keyboord paradigms.OVERVIEW
A LA MODE
THE NITTY GRITTY
CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLERS
Within the Ztar's Sensor menu, the various on board controllers (called "sensors" in this context) can be assigned to procluce different "Ef'fects." These effccts include Chords, 'Pitch Bend, Volume. Velocity, Modulation, Aftertouch (Channel Pressure), and several user definable options. Sensors include the four joystick poles, pads, Trigger Keys, and pedal inputs. The pads and Trigger Keys are pressure-sensitive, so they can send continuous messages.WHAT'S WRONG
The Ztar is imbued with several idiosyncrasies. For example, if you sustain a note while switching Songs the note gets stuck. Starr Switch has conveniently included a Pnaic Button that sends All Notes Off'(ANO) and Reset All Controllers (RAC) messages on all channels. (It should, but doesn't, also send Note Off messages for all notes on all channels and individual default controller messages on all channels for synths that don't recognize the ANO and RAC messages.) However, the instrument should take care of this for you automatically when you sustain a note during a Song change.BOTTOM LINE
Starr Switch Company
1717 Fifth Ave. San Diego, CA 92101
tel. (619) 233-6715 fax (619) 233-1231