For MIDI:

http://stick.com/instruments/midi/

For travel:

http://www.techinsider.io/line-x-truck- ... ble-2016-7

Usually domestic US flights will be fine.
unfortunately the overheads are being changed on some planes and getting smaller. We are in a battle for space with folks who don't want to check there oversized bags. Closets are a great option. If available. JetBlue does not have closets. Most flight attendants are accommodating provided there's space.
Be nice, do some research on plane layout. Smaller planes are difficult

Steve A

Steve, I should be on bigger flights--no puddle jumpers this time, although I've been on more than a few of those small planes traveling out of Dallas to Texarkana on a 6-person prop plane (with a flight attendant!) In the rain. No thanks on that.

But to small MIDI controllers... It occurs to me that I could also take it to work and maybe spend my lunchtime rocking it out on my MACBOOKPRO, instead of defending the cause of liberalism against the forces of KRex (although that IS quite fun, and educational )...

This article was pretty good:
http://www.wirerealm.com/guides/best-sm ... controller


Maybe something like the M-Audio 32-key. Not very travel-friendly, in that it doesn't fold up, but if it fits in a backback and under the seat in front of me, I'm not too picky.

I could almost travel with this as my carryon, but that's a little crazy. But I could have used this back in the giggin days!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGeoMPttlZQ[/youtube]

Ever consider wireless keyboards? http://www.cme-pro.com/xkey-air/
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAJd_snhT80[/youtube]

I bought an irig keyboard with 29 keys. They are really small but it fits in my laptop bag. I use more for inputting notes in Sibelius. I was thinking of buying a pelican case. They make travel cases for rifles but I was going to check it the size was close to stick size. They look like you can drop them off the plane.

Polyphonic aftertouch! I didn't know they did that in a cheaper controller! Thanks for the rec!Rob, that's a great suggestion!

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigkeys/


I maybe should have posted this in the Equipment section, rather than the Chapman Stick section, but thanks for the ideas!

I'm very happy with the Ableton Push! It doesn't come for under $200 though, but IMHO is worth its price (you get what you're paying for and this thing is fantastic!). For a Stick player the Push is dirt simple to play since you already have wrapped your brain around 4ths and 5ths tuning. Tapping on rubber pads isn't very different than tapping on strings, as "the shapes" and left vs right hand multitasking are almost the same. And a Push fits together with a laptop into the allowed "laptop bag", which lets you take something else as your carry-on bag. With headphones, a simple sustain pedal (just the usual VC latching foot switch) and USB cable you can even rouck out on the laptop batteries at the airport café. The PXT-G software utility makes a Push compatible with any music production software besides Ableton Live: http://www.nativekontrol.com/PXT-General.html

For the sake of comparison , heres the case sizes side by side, the Alto case and the case that came recently with the Grand. I always board the aircraft early also, though the Alto has no real issues size wise, over my shoulder I doubt they even notice it behind me half the time.

Maybe spend more and buy the Linnstrument we discussed a while back. It's an utterly fantastic instrument and super satisfying to play. You'd want the Linnstrument, a small sustain pedal (the little square, flat type), a decent small audio interface (Focusrite interfaces work great with MacBook Pro), your DAW of choice and your soft synths/instruments. Loads of fun and the 4ths offset of the rows on the Linnstrument is instantly understood and playable. Nice and small for travel and no protruding parts to break (it's basically a monolith... in the Arthur C. Clarke sense of the word).

Karma