Creative Prodikeys DM is a 'Must-Have' For Every Home and Sc

[Mr.Tweak]

SYDNEY - November 12, 2003 - Creative Labs Pty Ltd, a local subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for PC users, today announced Creative Prodikeys DM - sequel to the award-winning Creative Prodikeys, the world's first music-and-PC dual keyboard. The new Prodikeys DM features a new form factor design, which integrates a high velocity-sensitive 37-key MIDI keyboard, electronic music control - such as Sustain, Octave Shift buttons and Pitch Bend wheels - onto an ergonomically-designed multimedia PC keyboard with multimedia and programmable hot keys.

Creative Prodikeys DM comes with an easy-to-use music software, featuring different play modes for users to learn, play and compose music on the PC. The user can choose to enjoy playing a tune right away using the FunTunes and PentaTunes modes, or learn to play any selected song on his own in five simple guided lessons. He can also do simple sequencing and record his own composition in MP3 format to share his own music on the Internet. It works as a MIDI controller and can be installed easily to any desktop PC via the standard PS/2 connection port. When used with Creative's award-winning range Sound Blaster. audio cards, users can experience excellent, high-quality realism of a wide range of musical instruments and effects.

"By now, the first Creative Prodikeys has already gained much recognition through highly-acclaimed awards and positive feedback from reviewers and users. Now with the new Prodikeys DM, we're ready to expand the market further into every school and home," said Sim Wong Hoo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Creative Technology Ltd.

"Prodikeys DM is a smart and convenient desktop music solution. It fits nicely onto any desktop setup, which is perfect for home studios, as well as computer music lab in schools. Everyone can appreciate the well designed and easy-to-use software. It has made music learning and creation simple for everyone - whether you are a novice or professional musicians. Now everyone can be a musician and even publish his own music." said Lim Kok Liang, Director, Creative Music Initiative, Creative Technology Ltd.

Features & Benefits
' Works with any desktop PC via standard PS/2 port ' Dual PC-and-Music keyboard for playing, learning and producing music easily on desktop PC ' Ergonomic PC keyboard with multimedia, internet and programmable hot keys ' 37-key velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard with Sustain buttons, Octave Shift buttons and Pitch Bend Wheel ' Includes Prodikeys DM software designed with six play modes for learning and playing music easily: PentaTunes, FunTunes, Learn, IntelligentChord, FixedChord, Perform ' Up to 128 different realistic instrument sounds - ranging from Piano, Organ, Brass, Wind, Drums etc.
' Up to 100 rhythms for accompaniment from various categories such as Ballad, Pop, Dance, Rock & Roll, Latin, Jazz, Waltz and Folk.
' PentaTunes mode lets you play a tune easily with the pre-programmed scale type (5-Tone, Standard, Diatonic, Jazz, and Chromatic) and the complementary rhythm, effects and fill-ins.
' FunTunes mode is pre-programmed with DJ music loops, which let you create your own music mix instantly just by holding down the music keys.
' Learn mode lets you learn to play any song in simple guided lessons with automatic grading.
' IntelligentChord mode lets you play impressively with a full orchestral accompaniment using just one hand.
' FixedChord mode lets you jam and play ab-lib to a progressive chord accompaniment.
' Perform mode lets you import your own music files for accompaniment and customize the performance settings.
' Sequence, record and save music creation in WAV, MIDI or MP3 format.
' Works as a MIDI controller with other music software for advanced music editing and production.
' Additional content, such as PentaTunes, FunTunes, Learnable Songs, Rhythms, is available for download from www.prodikeys.com

Pricing & Availability
Prodikeys DM will be available at an estimated street price of AUD$199.99 inc GST. It is available from selected retailers from November 2003 onwards. Contact Creative Labs Pty Ltd on (02) 9021 9800 for a list of selected resellers. Also available in Beige and Black. For more information, please visit www.australia.creative.com About Creative Labs Pty Ltd Creative Labs Pty Ltd started operating in Australia back in February 2000 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd. Just recently, Creative Labs expanded its operation to a new showroom and office situated on busy Parramatta Road in Sydney. The new address is Shop 3-5, 524 Parramatta Rd, Petersham NSW. Telephone: (02) 9021 9800.


About Creative
Creative Technology Ltd. is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for PC users. Famous for its Sound BlasterR sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment on the PC platform with products like its highly acclaimed NOMAD Jukebox. Creative's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services leverage the Internet, enabling consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment -- anytime, anywhere.

[luvmykidz22]

Creative Prodikeys DM: USING w? CUBASE and/or E-MU cards

Hello folks,

While I hate the limitations and have since hooked in our MicroKorg as a midi controller, I still missed the bass guitar sounds preprogrammed in the Prodikeys keyboard (especially when layered) and some of the synth sounds (when layered and tweaked). I just got a working recording but it stays in the default mid-octave range no matter how far down or up you tweak the range at the time of recording. It plays through the wave channel of patchmix(?) even though you use the "midi synth" control in the volume panel to turn it up or down(?!).

Here's how to use it: open a host program and use "Creative Prodikeys" as the midi "in" and Microsoft Midi Mapper or or GS Wavetable (E-DSP wont work) as the "out", you will hear what you recorded in piano at first. You then scroll through the channels ("chn:" in Cubase) and the sounds change accordingly just as they are laid out in the Prodikeys host program (8 sounds per instrument). It's pretty worthless until you get to the drumkit sounds (121-128) and it get's pretty interesting. I recorded a bassline and it played out okay but two octaves higher than I played it. When it started playing the notes over various drumsets and bells, etc. it sounded cool.

With a click track you could make some pretty cool lo-fi drum tracks or even fills by playing a melody and then scrolling through the drum channels 113-120 or even the FX channels (121-128), 121 is birds tweeting and that get's pretty fun.

As a midi controller it's still somewhat useless for Proteus, etc. (Crackling + popping) If you're running an Audigy and using Reason or even FL Studio it makes a great controller for synth notes and drums. The only control is pitch bending. The microkorg makes for a great controller (THANKS JEN).

I hope this helps as it may add that weird touch some may not be able to find elsewhere.