Sonar Axe theremin-guitar hybrid

With its Hal-like red eye and green-lit aluminum rods, the Sonar Axe doesn't look like any guitar we've ever seen — and we suspect it doesn't sound like one either. About the only thing it has in common with a guitar is that you can play notes by moving your fingers up and down the "neck" — however, that part of the instrument is actually the space between those two rods, where you play, theremin-like, by moving your fingers in the air. At $425 with a lifetime warranty, it may be just the thing to add a groovy space-age sound to your band.

[Via Music Thing]

[Jason Windsor @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

A band called MuteMath uses this thing live. I was just wondering out loud what it was yesterday, and none of my friends seemed to know. You can see a video of the band using it at www.mutemath.com .

[MUTEMATT @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

You can check this thing out in action on these video clips. It's a band called MUTE MATH and they are awesome.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3204454&blogID=59825526

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3204454&blogID=60218486

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3204454&blogID=58272048

[Robert Brodrecht @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Expect Nine Inch Nails to have one of these when they tour for their next album... assuming Trent can get it done in the next decade.

[Bible and Apologetics Teacher @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Interesting shape for a synthesizer.... it reminds me of an old Radio Shack project called "music from a pencil." The pitch of the sound from a circuit would depend on the relative position of two wires touching a graphite line.

[Edwin Avalos @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Ohhh wonder what Jimmy Page would do with this he used one for Whole lotta love live it sounds pretty awsome :D

[eskimo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

"Rock on, rock on, Will Robinson!"
Looks like something you'd see in Battlestar Gallactica or Lost in Space back in the day.

[gadjitfreek @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Neat gadget!! Here's another...check out http://www.themusicpole.com for info about another! I have one on order...it's a musical keyboard wrapped around a pole, based on the circle of fifths, so each key's scale is in vertical alignment on the pole, making transposition a cinch! It's a polyphonic MIDI controller that you play with your thumbs. Wrapped around your thumbs are "thumbletz" made of conductive fabric to trigger the contacts. I hope to have mine within the next two weeks.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

if you are really into the therimin, then consider renting a movie adaptation of "bartelby" with crispin glover...the entire soundtrack is therimin, and the dvd has a special featurette that explains how it was played for the movie...

however, what you've got above ain't a traditional therimin by any stretch of the imagination...

[midimouth @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This stick is sick! Check out the vids.
http://www.stick.com/method/

[richard @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Paul from MuteMath says they call it the Atari. I'm not sure if it's just a nickname or a different model. The one he plays has what looks like a guitar fretboard, minus the frets.. not a big empty space in between 2 metal rods, as in the pic above.

[Bryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

MuteMath plays an early model of the Space Axe by Electrokraft. Basically it is based on the same chip as was used in Space Invaders. It is not midi based, like Sonar Axe.