I wonder about the size comparison between the Omega and Loom ribbons (and just the ribbons). The length of the Omega Keyboard’s ribbon is about double of the Loom 2-octaves. But the Loom’s ribbon width seems to be way larger. A bit less than double? It’s hard (for me) to estimate without an image showing them both side by side.
This probably doesn’t matter much for the X and Z gestures in real use for average players like me, but the Y axis… The Loom’s Strum mode is likely to be very different in the Omega if it’s there at all. The Drumkit mode probably needs to be adapted too, or leave it as different drum sounds in different notes and that’s it.
But yeah, probably the Loom will bring a lot of duplication to my setup if I’m enjoying the Omega Keyboard. Still, the Loom looks like a very interesting controller on its own and with that crowdfunding marketing and price I didn’t resist the temptation. In fact, I was quite sold before finishing the fist video.
Yes, I have seen that, but the Loom size corresponds to the whole device, not just the ribbon, and the Omega size only specifies the length, not the width. It’s ok, I can wait.
It is hard to judge. Did you look at the engineering drawings in this post ?
Hard to know exactly what’s what in the engineering drawing but the capacitive touch surface likely goes almost to the edge of those boards shown. The engineering drawings will be more current to the present working design.
ADDED : Looking back over the old posts, i found this :
And indeed the ribbon functionality got stretch goaled, and so the image we see is the prototype before the ribbon upgrade stretch goal. Doing the ribbon stretch goal brought on the discovery, and hence Loom. Also stretch goaled were things like improved sequencer, breath control, and CV interface, and extra buttons, etc.
So there is your explanation icaria36. /END ADDED
Of course other differences Loom to Omega are with the multicolor LEDs, and the black and white graphic decoration around the edge of the wood touch surface shown with the Loom. Not sure if that has changed. The decoration is slightly less of an issue with the Omega Keys as you have the keyboard as a guide, but the desktop sort of floats in space.
The colored feedback given by the LEDs, might be shown on the color display, i suppose, though that isn’t quite the same.
Both of the Omegas have a “Strum” mode, as described on the Indiegogo page, but how that works exactly has not been shown, in my ( admittedly flawed ) recollection.
I can too. For now the Omega Keys will likely give me everything i want. I can change my mind later.
Still, I asked. I also took measurements from pictures from these non-released products, as imperfect as they can be. The ribbons are clearly different. I’d say 29mm for the Omega and 43mm for the Loom, give or take.
Thanks icaria36, for pointing to the Loom Kickstarter comment section. Don’t know if this was your question, but someone asked :
Q : Will this ribbon also equip the omega keyboard (patiently awaited), and with the same functions?
Adoyo : the Loom ribbon is indeed the same as the Omega Ribbon (Omega Keyboard ribbon will be a 4 octaves)
This along with the answer Hurolura gave me earlier upthread, says to me the physical size ( apart from the length in octaves ) in the final products is likely to be very close, if not precisely the same.
We just don’t have a current photo of the Omegas at the moment. Other things will be different with it as well, like more buttons.
Us Omega owners ...
like the buttons, knobs, and doodads – or we’d better – ‘cuz we’re goin’ to get a lot of 'em.
As i pointed out earlier Aodyo is smart about reuse of design across their product line, so it makes engineering sense to reuse electronic and software design across product families when possible, like between the Looms and the Omegas.
When you have a continuous controller, the length doesn’t have to correspond to any particular range so long as there’s sufficient resolution that the discrete increments aren’t noticeable.
IE you can make your pitch bend wheel 1 semitone or two just fine.
Given the potential with the emphasis given by the development on the Loom, the relationship between OmegaKeyboard and Desktop is different now. The desktop version has gained a level of keyboard playing capability.
This also creates an opening for an “Explorer” level Omega, maybe even battery powered, and cost reduced. Early 2026!
I don’t see any room for a “Deluxe” level product though.
I saw this reply but I understood it as the technology is the same, not the dimensions. But you might be right, and the last Omega pictures are from probably deprecated prototypes. Those pictures show a rather thick bezel around the ribbon, but the Loom doesn’t have it… If Aodyo has found a way to embed in the Omegas a ribbon as wide as the Loom’s, that would be amazing.
I think that’s painted foam core, on a dropped in piece !
Jeanne point that out earlier.
It looks pretty good next to some protos i’ve made.
Remember last year when they did SFF and SB too, and the keyboard version mysteriously disappeared, and they showed only the desktop. I flashed back to shows i did with far less.
Today the Loom Kickstarter ends, and I hope that an Omega update will follow shortly. It’s been almost two months since the last update, hopefully the distribution of the first finished units will start in about two months, and it is time to hear how the project is doing.
Specifically, the hardware should be all done by now and it would be good to see pictures / videos of how the final product will look like. And yes, specifically specifically how the wooden ribbon will look like in the end, now that everyone has seen the Loom and its crowdfunding has ended successfully.
I suppose you mean the hardware design being done and frozen ? The hardware is clearly not “all done”.
I will posit that the hardware design is not even done. Something of this complexity will be fluid past an initial factory manufacturing run-through. ( Helps that the factory is “local” on this. ) There is also the temptation to squeeze in the last design change ideas until that point. There is considerable risk with this, difficult to justify, but it is an option.
I have been wondering as well about the things learned with the Loom, that make its way back into the Omega. I am thinking of a few things, but specifically the positional colored LEDs, that serve multiple functions, though as i noted earlier, that might appear on the display as well. Certainly software features will be abundant.
Would be nice to see a progress report, but i have no lack of trust.
Yeah. Actually the original project was the big one – ambitious – and that was apparent to us as crowdfunders, or should have been.
To be complete the only other crowdfund of the multiple you mention is the Loom ( thread ), and that has come out of the Omega development, and that furthers the Omega projects. Perhaps it adds some risk overall, but not much, and should improve the Omegas.
The Omega as well evolved from and gets benefit from the Phi which in turn benefitted from the Sylphyo.
I expect Aodyo to continue in this, there are other products wrapped up in the Omegas now as well, in years to come.
Today I was a bit melancholic thinking that we won’t see the Omega at Synthfest or Superbooth, and also wondering whether there has been any picture or video of the Omega shown since Superbooth. I couldn’t find any, but I found this video on Instagram where one can see in detail the ribbon and the surrounding bezel/frame which, yeah, could even be a cover of a work-in-progress. Still, I’m not sure a Loom-like surface fits there.
I also took measurements from pictures from these non-released products, as imperfect as they can be. The ribbons are clearly different. I’d say 29mm for the Omega and 43mm for the Loom, give or take.
thinking that we won’t see the Omega at Synthfest or Superbooth, and also wondering whether there has been any picture or video of the Omega shown since Superbooth. I couldn’t find any, but I found this video on Instagram where one can see in detail the ribbon and the surrounding bezel/frame which, yeah, could even be a cover of a work-in-progress. Still, I’m not sure a Loom-like surface fits there.