New Roland keytar/synth: AX-Synth
Submitted by SynthGear on September 1, 2009 – 12:02 pm 5 Comments
Do you want to be the center of attention and jump around at the front of the stage like your guitar player? Roland has just released the AX-Synth Shoulder Synthesizer – a combination keytar controller/synth.
The AX-Synth has multiple real-time controls such as a ribbon controller, Modulation Bar, Roland’s D-Beam, and aftertouch knob controllers.
The controller has 49 velocity-sensitive keys and has a generous 128-voice polyphonic sound engine. Sounds (generated by Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound engine …think Fantom-G) are all accessed from eight bank buttons.
Here it is in action:
The AX-Synth is now shipping with an MSRP of $1,349.00 and a street price of around $1100.
You can buy a AX-synth right here.
Related posts:
Man, I don’t need or want the synth… I just want a keytar midi controller. At one point, didn’t Roland make a keytar style controller, then discontinue it?
Man, will Roland EVER get the pitch and mod stuff together….
that ribbon is lame, and having to reach over to the d-beam for mod is even lamer.
Wanted to love it, but: FAIL
Better hold on to the ax-1′s and the ax-7 controllers,it’s back to hauling around a module and ax-7 for me. This ax synth is not alot better than a Korg poly-800 around 20 years ago. It’s not worth the money. Been a die hard with roland for many years they can do better than this! Maybe the next version will be better, for now keep your ax-1 and ax-7 till roland or studio logic or berhinger or some company will listen to the players.
If I was a Roland engineer or marketing director, I would never do a midi-only keytar no more. There’s no reason for that! For US$ 1.000,00 you have a great keytar midi controller PLUS a built in synth.
I was waiting for mine since January 2009. In October Roland launched the instrument in my country, and it was a huge success – sold out in hours… Thankfully the music instruments stores began to organize waiting lists for it, and then I could buy mine – without regrets at all.
This is a serious instrument. Impressive sounds, ergonomic design, good battery solution (I use 8 old Philips 2600 mAhs and it goes on nicely for 2.5 hours – maybe with new ones this time can reach 3,5 to 4 hours. Six hours only with higher mAh batteries, I think).
I had an AX1 a long time ago, and it came with a strap equipped with strap locks. I don’t know why the hell Roland decided to save costs cutting off the lockers… This comes with straps W/O security lockers…
Because of its size, it is difficult to find a stage stand for it.
I recently bought a guitar wireless system for it, and I kept myself looking for stopm boxes as a young guitar player would do…
Hi!
I’ve just bought an Ax-Synth!
Good instrument!
EC