New Ztar MIDI Controller from Starr

(Click for a close-up)

The updated Ztar VRIII Diamond MIDI guitar is the newest and most fully configured in our line of high-speed performance controllers, marrying the features of guitar, keyboard and percussion into a single instrument.

The new VRIII offers all of the newest improvements to the patented Ztar Fingerboard, Triggers, hardware, and software. The instrument has a Flame Maple neck and body. The VRIII mounts six StringTriggers, velocity-sensing strings of any type or guage. A new optical pickup system, advanced preamp, and processing algorithm contribute to the fastest, most sensitive and reliable triggering system ever. The VRIII has a total of 18 programmable Expression Pads with the first six installed under your fingers just above the high E-string and six more Pads under the the right thumb just below the low E-string. These Expression Pads may be tapped to play notes/chords, trigger sequences, or send Program changes, or they may be pressed with varying pressure to send pitchbend or any other MIDI controller message. The unit shown has a 4-pole joystick mounted in the PalmWhammy configuration that allows dropping your wrist while picking to add pitchbend, modulations, crossfades or over 100 other programmable MIDI effects.

The computer-controlled fingerboard may be played like a traditional guitar or tapped like a keyboard with full dynamic velocity-range. It is also possible to play multiple notes per string allowing cluster voicings and fully independent two-handed performance. The fingerboard may be zoned, layered, and tuned in hundreds of different ways to suit your creative needs. A NeckSensor pressure-strip or Breath Controller is also available as a standard option to the VRIII. Individual custom orders allow a player to have any variety of pressure sensors, sliders, joysticks, ribbon controllers and rotary pots added to a new instrument design.

The VRIII also shows a new TPA-1 TriggerPad Assembly installed between the StringTriggers and the fingerboard. This expression controller has six programmable velocity/pressure-sensing Pads and a 5" position-sensing ribbon controller.

Because the Ztar uses keyboard technology, there are no glitching, tracking, or timing issues that are found with other guitar controllers based on pitch to MIDI technology.