It’s a wooden beauty, expensive and unique like a modern art sculpture. The Zen Riffer Solo Axe seems to be the new “must have” piece of gear but, please, don’t call it a “keytar”.Here we are with Charles Tentindo, creator of The Zen Riffer Solo Axe, which kindly answered some questions about his creation.

L.C.: Hello Charles and welcome on Progsounds.
C.T.: Grazti! Grazti!

L.C.: The first question is perhaps the most obvious but, you know, i’m a curious guy as well our readers. How did you come up with the idea of the Zen Riffer and what is the concept behind it?

Charles Tentindo in Long Beach, CA studio

C.T.: I was planning my audition for Cirque de Soleil and was filling out the paperwork and thought to myself that this is a VERY visual show and thus, it would be quite stunning to have a beautifully designed keyboard that would add to the overall aesthetic of the show. I began with simple drawings and came up with the concept of a VERTICAL style of playing. VERTICALITY is elegant. When I look at a stand-up jazz bass, I often think that is the most beautiful instrument in the world. Why? Because it is ELEGANT and it is VERTICAL and when you play it, you take on an elegance as well. It is stunning to look at. After about a thousand drawings I came up with a vertical design but first I had to figure out if I could psychologically deal with the verticality of the keyboard. It took a very short time to know that I could do it, especially considering that I would be designing this instrument as a Solo Axe; (my new term to replacing that dirty 6 letter word in english KEYTAR which I see you using in this interview!! LOL)

L.C.: Why is it different from other “keytars”? I mean, yours is masterly handcrafted and looks like a modern art sculpture, but what should a potential buyer know about the Zen Riffer and why would they prefer it over standard “keytars”?

Jordan Rudess on the Zen Riffer
Photo by Robert Dorion, Keyboard Programmer

C.T.: Again, it is not KEYTAR. It is a Solo Axe and as far as I know, there are no “keytars” behind produced presently. The Zen Riffer is a handcrafted, wireless, vertical keyboard that can be played, sitting, standing, or like a guitar. It is the ONLY convertible keyboard that can be switched to play in any of these modes in less than 2 seconds. It is the first and only wireless MIDI enabled keyboard. The six foot instrument is suited to each player and the leg comes off instantly, giving you another way to play it. As I watched keyboard master Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater play it live to a sold out concert to thousands at the Los Angeles Universal Amphitheater, I was able to clearly see that this is also “stage art.” It gives people something beautiful to look. Jordan walked up to the musical “sculpture” and snagged the upper piece and started into one of the most rocking solo’s I have ever HEARD and SEEN. The crowd lost their minds! Again I point out that my experience was that we got to SEE him perform in a way that most people have not seen him do before. He now has much more interaction with the other musicians and the audience itself. Just ask John Petrucci. This is a dream come true for the Zen Riffer and I think this will open the door to those that want a cool, slick instrument that is classy as well as utilitarian. To make them affordable for everyone is currently the challenge because they are made individually by hand with quality being the most important aspect.

L.C.: Somebody can be hesitant to buy a controller with only two octaves. You state, on your site, that with the Total Ergonomic Control you can easily play it as a full 88 key keyboard. Can you explain this feature?
C.T.: As Jordan demonstrates, all controls have been ergonomically placed and you are able to fly up and down the keyboard and still SEE where you are playing! It takes a short time to get it down. The pitch bend and modulation wheels are also totally expressive where they are placed. I made one for Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5 who wanted his controls a little higher on the horn of the Zen Riffer to feel more like a guitar to him. I’ve put 6 years into working this out and it performs flawlessly. There is a good possibility of going to 37 keys in the future.

L.C.: The Zen Riffer also comes with Wireless MIDI which is a blessing for a lot of keyboardists around the world. Do you mind competitors following your intuition implementing such hardware on their controllers?
C.T.: The Zen Riffer is the first keyboard controller with built in wireless MIDI. It is obvious to me that this is where we need to be with most instruments in general.

L.C.: About future developments, there are there plans?
C.T.: Yes, lots of different designs, different materials, a possible 37 key version, possible on-board sounds that top artists have created and much more are currently in development.

L.C.: It’s been great meeting you on Progsounds. Thank you very much for your time.
C.T.: It was my pleasure and remember… The Zen Riffer is not a keytar, it is a beautiful Solo Axe that takes your solo to a whole new level.
Please visit my website at www.zenriffer.com.
Graztii!

Jordan Rudess soloing on Zen Riffer