Roland keytars
The Roland Corporation has manufactured several keytars.
List of Roland keytars
AXIS
Roland's first keytar was the AXIS. It was produced between 1985 and 1987, and is notable for being a significantly different design than later Roland keytars. It features a 45-note keyboard that is sensitive to both velocity and aftertouch; aftertouch sensitivity was removed on the AX-1 and not restored to any Roland keytar until the AX-Edge in 2018. It uses three conventional wheels for pitch bend, modulation, and volume, rather than the pitch ribbon and modulation pressure bar on later designs. It is AC-powered with no battery option – a proprietary multipin cable connects the AXIS to a Power Supply Unit on the floor. The PSU has non-slip rubber sides and features a power cable, power switch, multipin cable input, and MIDI output, as well as a footswitch for sustain while playing.AX-1
The Roland AX-1 was produced between 1992 and 1994. Like the AXIS, it does not produce sounds, but controls other devices via MIDI.The industrial design of the Roland AX-1 was done in a basement studio in London, U.K. by two designers, David Sherriff and Andrew Leggo, who ran a small design studio called Space Logic. The electronic design and engineering was done by Roland Europe, Italy.
AX-7
The Roland AX-7 was manufactured from 2001 to 2007. This modern instrument contains many more advanced features than early keytars such as its predecessor, the Roland AX-1, and the Yamaha SHS-10. It runs on 6 AA batteries or an external power source. It has 45 velocity sensitive keys, and a 3-character LED display. Several features aimed towards stage performance are present, such as a pitch bend ribbon, touchpad-like expression bar, sustain switch, and volume control knob, all on the upper neck of the instrument. There is also a proprietary "D-Beam" interface, made up of infrared sensors that detect nearby motion.In 2007 the Roland AX-7 was discontinued and was succeeded by the AX-Synth in 2009, followed by the AX-Edge in 2018.