Specifications
- LAYOUT: matrix, hexagonal
- KEYS: 280 (5×56) or 56, velocity sensitive, each at a different height; each key is a highly expressive continuous controller with deep travel
- KEY MECHANICS: torsion springs with counterbalanced keycaps
- SENSING MECHANISM: non-contact Hall-effect sensor
- FUNCTION BUTTONS: 10, with activity LEDs
- ADDITIONAL FEATURES: color changing RGB LED key-caps, expansion panel
- CASE: anodized aluminium
- CONNECTIVITY: 1/4″ input jacks for foot switch and volume pedal, MIDI, USB, LAN, HDMI & WiFi*
* Available as USB Dongle expansion, using one of the extra USB slots in the expansion panel.
Dylan Horvath:
Hey guys! I’m very excited to get working on this project again. I actually came across my original logbook from 2005 that had all of my original development notes in it. I can’t believe how much I pulled off back then; we are in such a better spot now in terms of our ability to pull off a project of this complexity, and the Open Source community has exploded since then as well. Thanks for your support so far and I look forward to talking with all of you more as we move forward!
The History
The Terpstra Keyboard began as an American Festival of Microtonal Music production made with initial support from the Maldeb Foundation. It was then supplementally co-funded by Garnet Willis who provided majority prototype development funding through a successful Canada Council arts grant.
The keyboard layout follows a design proposed by Siemen Terpstra; all of the detailed engineering was done by Dylan Horvath from Cortex Design, in collaboration with artistic director Garnet Willis, advisor Joel Mandelbaum and executive director Johnny Reinhard of the AFMM.
Only two prototypes were ever built and we’re raising money to bring this project back to life – improved and packed with amazing new features.
It’s Time for Advancement
The 7-white/5-black classical keyboard, together with the tuning system based on 12 equal divisions of the octave became standards after Europe came out of the Middle Ages. Since then, there has been continuous progress and advancement in all areas – except music – where evolution has stalled. But not for everyone.
The Terpstra Keyboard represents the apex of musical keyboard development. It integrates all of the major historical breakthroughs in design, since the standardization of the classical piano-style keyboard.
Most important, this isomorphic instrument is incredibly easy to learn and play, because any passage, chord, or combination of any kind, has exactly the same form under the fingers in whatever key it is played. If you are new to music theory and don’t know what we’re talking about, think of it this way: if it would take 12 years to learn to play the piano, it will take you just 1 with the Terpstra.
- notes an octave apart are always on the same horizontal axis –
And if 12 notes per octave sounds boring to you, the Terpstra Keyboard has been built with Xen (Microtonality) in mind. It has enough keys to do practically any layout that’s ever been advocated. 
The Vision Behind Funding
The Terpstra has been originally designed as a MIDI controller, with key mechanics capable of unprecedented expressivity. We have decided to redesign the PCBs and upgrade connectivity to USB and wireless OSC (Open Sound Control) in addition to standard MIDI and to add RGB LED keycaps that would change color according to layout changes.
Making these a reality would open up the door to many other possibilities. Depending on the on-board computer’s DSP capabilities, the controller could generate and send visuals through HDMI output, by creating patterns based on the harmonic relationships between the notes played. Wireless connectivity would allow a hand-held device like a smart-phone or tablet to control the settings on the keyboard by changing tunings, creating presets and even become a real-time synthesizer for the controller.
In order to program the Terpstra, we first have to build some prototypes, but they are cost prohibitive to make in a limited quantity. The only way to reduce costs is to build at least 20. This way, people interested in giving us a hand will get a completely functional prototype, though limited regarding extra features, until further development.
In other words, help us fund this project and take home one of the available keyboards, at a fraction of the market price. As we continue with development, you will receive free updates that will activate functions like continuous controller keys, OSC, interactive learning games using the RGB LED keycaps or whatever new idea we might come up with – provided the hardware can handle it. You could of course program it based on your specific needs, or join the other campaign supporters to create an open-source software community around the Terpstra. 
Still Under Development
You can help not just by funding; you can be part of the brainstorming team and decide together with us which development platform to choose and which features should be implemented.
No matter the software improvements we might program in the future, THE TERPSTRA KEYBOARD PROTOTYPE YOU GET BY FUNDING THIS CAMPAIGN IS 100% HARDWARE CAPABLE AND WILL BE ABLE TO SEND MIDI DATA RIGHT FROM THE START.
THIS MEANS THAT IT CAN BE USED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CONTROLLER, AND WITH THE HELP OF THIRD PARTY FREE SOFTWARE / HARDWARE (synth, retuning, mapping) IT WILL RUN, ON WHATEVER LAYOUT, IN WHATEVER TONALITY YOU WISH, RIGHT OUT-OF-THE-BOX.
What You Get:
Detailed Description of the Perks
Your Name on the Website
Get your name published on Terpstra’s official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “The People Who Made This Possible”. This list is going to be kept as long as the Terpstra Keyboard and the website will exist.
Thank You Postcard
We’ll send you a personalized, hand written postcard featuring beautiful images with the scale model Siemen Terpstra originally built out of cardboard. On top of that, your name will be published on the official homepage.
Design Specifications
This is a paper written by Siemen Terpstra consisting of 3 pages text, 2 diagrams and 4 color pictures with the cardboard scale model he built. You will receive a copy of it in your physical mail box. The paper is about the motivation behind and specifications of Siemen’s design, and it contains one secret – the other half of the story, known only by the owners of this document. Additionally, your name will be published on the official homepage.
Original Study of Temperaments
You’ll receive by snail mail a copy of Siemen Terpstra’s original study of 80 historic keyboard tunings, titled “Irregular Temperaments and the Division of the Ditonic Comma”. This paper of 60 pages text and 109 pages with hand drawn diagrams and tables was characterized by Johnny Reinhard as the best paper ever written on temperaments. Besides being a study of a few historical temperaments and many others discovered by Siemen, this paper explains how everyone could devise their own tunings. In order to hear them, any keyboard could theoretically be used. Additionally, your name will be published on the official homepage.
Upgradeable Terpstra 56
Get the one “octave” version of the Terpstra Keyboard, that can be upgraded with the color changing keycaps (sold separately). We think this 56 key version is best suited for DJ’s, VJ’s or anyone that could take advantage mostly of the continuous controllers and RGB LED keycaps on every key. Keep in mind that shipping will be charged separately at the moment of dispatch, and you will have to pay the import charges / customs fees / VAT according to the legislation of your country. The keyboards will be shipped from Toronto, Canada. Your name and website will be published on the official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “Proud Owners of the First Batch of Prototypes”.
Original Terpstra 280
Get the full 5 “octave” standard version of the Terpstra Keyboard. This is the original, 280 keys version, 12 times easier to learn than the standard piano keyboard for beginners, and the best microtonal tool for advanced users. Although the PCBs are redesigned, the backlighting components are left unpopulated, so this version won’t be able to support color changing keys. Keep in mind that shipping will be charged separately at the moment of dispatch, and you will have to pay the import charges / customs fees / VAT according to the legislation of your country. The keyboards will be shipped from Toronto, Canada. Your name and website will be published on the official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “Proud Owners of the First Batch of Prototypes”.
Terpstra 280 & Einklang bundle
Get the full 5 “octave” version of the Cortex Design Terpstra Keyboard plus Einklang – a synthesizer following a complete new paradigm of sound generation. This is a unique opportunity to get Einklang at almost half the street price (44,5% to be more precise). Currently, Einklang supports only 12EDO – the standard tuning, but it can be retuned just like any other soft synth, with the help of 3rd party (free) software sending real time pitch bend changes. In the future, Einklang could recognize the attached Terpstra and offer a special pull-down menu for different tunings etc. Future updates will be free for anyone purchasing now. Keep in mind that shipping the Terpstra will be charged separately at the moment of dispatch, and you will have to pay the import charges / customs fees / VAT according to the legislation of your country. The keyboards will be sent from Toronto, Canada. Your name and website will be published on the official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “Proud Owners of the First Batch of Prototypes”.
More info about Einklang: http://eisenberg-audio.de/einklang – Official Homepage
http://igg.me/p/215638/x/1633808 – Successful Indiegogo Campaign
Upgradeable Terpstra 280
Get the full 5 “octave” version of the Terpstra Keyboard, that can be upgraded with the color changing keycaps (sold separately). The PCBs are redesigned and the backlighting components are populated on all boards, so this version will be able to support color changing keys. Keep in mind that shipping will be charged separately at the moment of dispatch, and you will have to pay the import charges / customs fees / VAT according to the legislation of your country. The keyboards will be shipped from Toronto, Canada. Your name and website will be published on the official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “Proud Owners of the First Batch of Prototypes”.
Upgradeable Terpstra 280 & Einklang bundle
Get the full 5 “octave” version of the Upgradeable Terpstra Keyboard that will support color changing keys plus Einklang – a synthesizer following a complete new paradigm of sound generation. This is a unique opportunity to get Einklang at almost half the street price (44,5% to be more precise). Currently, Einklang supports only 12EDO – the standard tuning, but it can be retuned just like any other soft synth, with the help of 3rd party (free) software sending real time pitch bend changes. In the future, Einklang could recognize the attached Terpstra and offer a special pull-down menu for different tunings etc. Future updates will be free for anyone purchasing now. Keep in mind that shipping the Terpstra will be charged separately at the moment of dispatch, and you will have to pay the import charges / customs fees / VAT according to the legislation of your country. The keyboards will be sent from Toronto, Canada. Your name and website will be published on the official homepage, immortalized on the “About” section, under the title “Proud Owners of the First Batch of Prototypes”.
More info about Einklang: http://eisenberg-audio.de/einklang – Official Homepage
http://igg.me/p/215638/x/1633808 – Successful Indiegogo Campaign
About Shipping and Other Fees
We have thoroughly discussed all possibilities and variants and still haven’t found a way to include shipping costs with the purchase. Thank you for understanding.
Shipping is estimated at around few hundred US Dollars, depending on the corner of the world it’s going to be sent. The departure point is Toronto, Canada. You will be contacted and given an invoice prior the estimated shipping date.
Customs tax, import fees and/or VAT is something we can’t control. These fees will be charged to you by the shipping agent, at the moment of delivery. Depending on the country you live in, the total amount will vary, but be ready for a consistent amount.
We strongly encourage you to check with your local tax authorities prior to taking any decision.