ZTARS

The ZTAR MIDI Guitar controller and its various models are broad tools for creative and musical expression through the medium of electronics. This digital guitar controller is comprised of a 6-string by twenty-four fret keyboard or "stringless fingerboard", a right-hand Trigger array, an on-board drum pad array with "Chord Capture" feature and Pressure Effect Utilities, a 4-way joystick, Sustain and Volume Pedals, and various options such as Breath and Ribbon controllers, Rotary pots and additional Expression Pads. Complete 2-dimensional zoning of the fingerboard with independent Channel/Voice, Transposition, Volume and extensive Tuning options are provided.



Available Models

Baby-Z Mini-Z
M3 Z6
Z7-S

 

MIDI OUT and MIDI IN are the standard interface and now USB guitar and an On Board Synth module are available as options. Starr Labs offers several versions of the Ztar guitar/keyboard MIDI controller which couples a lightweight wooden or composite body to a six-"string" by twenty-four fret touch-sensitive keyboard on the neck. The Ztar is not only completely glitch-free, but offers a number of performance features not available on any other musical instrument.

For the picking or triggering hand, either keys or strings may be installed as velocity-sensitive Note Triggers. The Key Triggers can send after-touch and continuous pressure information as well, which can be useful for Continuous Controller effects such as Modulation and many others in various combinations. Also, notes may be triggered either by the picking hand or the fretting hand. Quite a variety of triggering options are available with the on-board software to create different musical styles and effects.

For the fretting hand, the fingerboard is a 6-string by 24-fret array of touch-sensitive keys, designed to feel like an electric guitar neck with a very light action. The fingerboard may be mapped into 32 independent zones, a Zone being a user-definable rectangle of keys... each with separate channel, patch number, transposition and tuning parameters. The fingerboard may play either one-note-per-string like a guitar or multiple-notes-per-string (all the notes, anywhere, anytime) like a keyboard... or rather six keyboards. In this mode with all the notes available, close-voiced chords are easy to reach and you can still play a line on top with the other hand, just like a piano player does! The possibilities for playing fully sustained notes, independently with two hands, and with no limitation of one-note-per-string opens a vast new area of exploration for guitarists. The same chords, scales, and shapes apply, but now more notes are available to be heard!

Each Zone may also be programmed to have its own Triggering-mode so that you can have both Tapping-Zones and Strumming Zones on the fingerboard at the same time. Where a Tapping-Zone and a Strumming-Zone are made to overlap, it's possible that you could tap a given note, then pick it to play an entirely different note!

Any Zone may be given a tuning from a list of standard preset tunings, or the "open-strings" may be tuned directly just as with a real guitar to give any tuning you like. And the strings may be tuned with offsets an Octave or more which would break the strings of an ordinary guitar! If more flexibility is needed, each fingerboard-key may be tuned separately so that one could break away from the chromatic nature of a real string. This is useful for Drum Mapping and tunings for diatonic instruments like the folk harp, zither, and dulcimer.

Sensors:

In addition to the fingerboard a Ztar may be fitted with a variety of Sensors depending on the performance requirements. Expression Pads: 1" Square Pads are both Velocity- and Pressure-sensitive for playing notes as well as MIDI CC effects. Joystick: 4-way programmable joystick is standard on most Ztars.

NeckStrip:

A pressure-sensing strip mounted to the edge of the fingerboard can be assigned to various aftertouch effects so that you can perform pitchbends, volume fades, etc. with either thumb. It's a really "handy" feature!

Breath Controller:

A flexible windpipe and an air-pressure module is mounted to the Ztar and may be programmed for Volume and other effects to add expression to wind instruments and other voices.

Ribbon Controller:

a 5" flat strip mounts to the top surface of the Ztar and acts as a position-sensor for Whammy-like effects, slides, modulation, etc.

TCA-1 Trigger Cap Assembly:

6 Velocity-and pressure-sensing TriggerPads are mounted over the String Pickup on String-Triggered Ztars. Used for Drums, single-Pad Chords, Sequence and Loop control, Groups of Program changes, and other exotic MIDI controls.

Pedals:

Common keyboard Sustain pedals and Volume/Expression pedals are supported in the basic hardware of the Ztar

Each of the Pads, each of the six Triggers, each of the four directions of the Joystick, The Breath, Neckstrip, and Ribbon controllers, and each of the pedals (together these are the Sensor subsystem) may be assigned to up to eight simultaneous MIDI messages, including Notes, MIDI CC effects (these include Pitch bend, ModWheel, Volume, Sustain, After touch, etc.) Program Changes, Sequencer transport controls and a host of other options. A huge variety of effect setups can be created with this system. For example, a single pad could fade down four channels and at the same time fade up four channels in an eight-channel layer to create an 8-channel crossfade. Or, one pole of the Joystick could be used to bend four channels up and sustain them while a musical line is played with the other hand on the fingerboard. Alternatively, an 8-note chord or sequence across 8 different channels may be assigned to a single Sensor. The Chord may be entered through the Menu system in the Display-Programmer, captured on-the-fly from the fingerboard during performance, or created by the onboard Chord generator, all saved to battery-backed RAM. On-board sequence control is included as well as latched Note-on control for running looped samples... both as accompaniment to the full use of the fingerboard.

A separate bank of "Hot" keys gives quick access to important performance features. The Z6-S weighs less than eight pounds and it's only required connection is a standard MIDI cable. The Z6-S is featured in natural maple with a clear satin finish or any custom color. ZTARs are available direct from the factory for from $1495 to $3395.00 depending on the model and installed options.

All Ztar controllers are built with Bolt-On neck construction. If an instrument ever requires service or an upgrade is made available, it's simple to ship either the neck or the body/electronics assembly to the factory. It is not necessary to send the entire guitar which saves dramatically on shipping expense.

MIDI programming is done by means of an OnBoard programming system which uses a 2 x 40 LCD character display. We also offer a PC-based Ztar Patch Editor which allows programming the instrument from a persona computer.

I/O connections:

MIDI In, MIDI Out are standard. USB and a second MIDI In/Out port are available on request. When the USB options is ordered, the Ztar may be powered by any USB 2.0 compliant port.

Ztar Optional Accessories:

Options available for most Ztars:
  • AirPower Wireless
  • Z7S External Joystick: $150
  • Breath Controller: $150
  • NeckStrip: $95
  • USB/MAC: $110
  • MIDI Wireless: $250
  • Battery Pack Assembly: $110
  • Spare Battery Pack: $45
  • SoundCard with Headphone preamp: $400
  • Battery Charger: $35
  • PC Patch Editor: $25 (Free with instrument purchase.)
  • Leg rest: $30
Options: USB, Sound Card, Neck-bender strip, Breath control, PC patch editor, leg rest, custom paint. For the Z7S some options configurations may not be possible to install due to space limitations. Please call with any custom requests.