Ive seen several people looking for something along these lines recently.
Specs:
36 chord buttons and up to 84 chords combinations
3 synth control knobs (waveform, release, volume)
1 strumplate with 21 capacitive touch pads
1 audio jack 3.5mm output
1 usb c port (for MIDI and power)
20 voices polyphonic synthesizer
1 speaker
Dimensions (mm): L299 x W157 x D28
Background:
It’s currently fully (triple the goal) funded on kickstarter. Price is revealed to be around $371 usd or €350 euro. Estimated delivery is June 2025, kickstarter link is on their page I only intend to share the information not to promote them.
Would be better with at least a single TRS midi but the cost is pretty reasonable and it looks as though they intend to deliver.
That’s terrible, did this fire have to do with synthfest France or unrelated?
I found the link. Apartment fire.
Very sad. RIP and hopefully this small pioneering venture can endure in the aftermath. Best wishes to them and condolences to the family of the musician / Napkey founder.
We will hear more during Superbooth in a week. I expect they will have a tribute to him then at the show, and people will step forth to fulfill his nearly completed inspiration.
On the project side of things, just looked at the latest KS update of April 9th, and it sounds like it’s mostly ready to go and manufacture is lined up and ready. Being that the manufacture is being done in France is definitely of benefit. Benjamin had a collaborator, Ghost in Translation, to help with the technical side of this project, as well as bringing in an engineer to deal with a sound bug, both of these factors to the good.
As far as the show, i’d bet there is a dozen or so people at the show that would happily step up and cover 2 - 3 hours each at the booth. There will no doubt be a few issues to be worked out, but we’ll hope those all will be worked through. Long term plans are another matter, but things are probably complete enough to flow on their own for a while.
Extremely sad circumstances. It would be good to see what he has begun able to continue on, in some form or other.
Another issue is the transfer of physical and intellectual property passes to whom? Depends on French business law probably, which I’m not informed enough about to comment on. If they are incorporated and it’s uncontested, then I guess to whomever is also on the board of trustees. If this is still mostly a personal venture, then it gets a bit messy, especially when transferring contracts with outside parties, parts sources and manufacturing facilities.
Also, whether a startup company who was going to rely heavily on the creator for support going forward can afford to employ a full-time expert who can deal with that side of things may be outside of the company’s current financial well. I have to assume he intended to do most of final assembly and quality assurance himself, as well as to support the product and manage shipping and sales. These are all huge responsibilities in and of themselves.
It remains to be seen and there are many questions to be answered, but I think it’s best to wait and see how it plays out and just send prayers and positivity to their team and the family of the deceased. Far more important to acknowledge the human aspect of the loss and it’s really tragic and poor timing for him to get so close to achieving his dream and not be given the opportunity to see it through.
A will, if there is one, would cover ownership. The business relationship with Ghost in Translation is potentially part of this too. There needs to be someone with authority to sign checks and money in the bank. My guess is the manufacturer will cover all build issues and can handle QA, and likely boxing, at least to an acceptable level. There will be work to ship to the KS customers and handle that end of things, but that is largely just someone doing a job.
I believe KS could still accept contributions toward this too.
A tragedy.
Far beyond the spiritual side of things though, people live on, in the memories of their families and all those around them and that knew them, and also in this case that listened to them. Finding the way, with others being a part of this, for this part of his life to live on too, is a very worthy thing.
"Le NapkeyChord est né d’un rêve, celui du projet Napkey. Un duo que je formais avec Benjamin, qui est parti rejoindre les étoiles. Ensemble, nous vous embarquions dans un univers électro-onirique. Notre musique, façonnée au fil du temps avec les sonorités du NapkeyChord, portait la volonté de Benjamin : la faire voyager et partager au plus grand nombre. Son rêve de voir le NapkeyChord dans tous les studios et les salons était en train de devenir réalité. Et nous comptons bien faire perdurer cet élan : comme Benjamin l’aurait voulu, nous poursuivons ce projet qui anime nos jours et nos nuits. L’équipe est soudée, résolue, et portée par votre soutien. C’est pourquoi nous serons présents au SuperBooth de Berlin pour vous dévoiler notre produit abouti, le fruit de longs mois de travail, enrichi par les échanges avec des musiciens venus des quatre coins de la planète. À Berlin, nous rendrons hommage à l’engagement de son créateur en vous présentant cet instrument unique : le NapkeyChord.
Rendez-vous le 08/05 à 10h00 au SuperBooth.
Justine"
That is from Justine Rousseau co-member of the band Napkey.
Tears in my eyes reading this. The bands music will also stand in tribute as well with Benjamin’s voice such a prominent part of their music. This instrument is also in a way a result of that music as well.
Yes. Very nice team and nothing extra I can add to what has already been said - I asked if they have plans after this device launch and they do. The plan is for something that will work nicely with monophonic sequence generation if I understood correctly. Think bass lines etc.
Justine plays bass ( among many other roles ) with the band. While their style of music isn’t bass heavy, nor does it front solo performance – her playing is brilliant, when featured.
