Music Thing: Monome Controller
By Ryan Block 
posted Apr 14th 2006 1:47PM
posted Apr 14th 2006 1:47PM
Each week Tom Whitwell of Music Thing highlights the best of the new
music gear that's coming out, as well as noteworthy vintage equipment:
"The
wonderful thing about this device is that is doesn't do anything really," say the developers of the Monome, a minimalist-but-clever button-covered box. "It wasn't intended for any
specific application. We'll make several applications, and others will make more. We hope to share as many of these as
possible. Drum machines, loopers, 1-bit video transformers, physics models, virtual sliders, math games,
etc."
Like all the best new interfaces, it’s pretty much impossible to describe, but once you watch the demo video, it seems to be surprisingly flexible and fast to use. I can’t help thinking that something this (or the similar, but different, Tenori On box developed for Yamaha) has huge commercial potential as a cheap and funky sound toy. At the moment, though, it’s a tool for high-end supergeeks, like the wonderful Jazz Mutant Lemur (which is now in production and sells for $2,495).
A year ago, the Monome was the Bitbox, a crude wooden box
covered in illuminated momentary push-button switches. It had some early software developed in MAX/MSP which triggered
a different sample on each row. Now, there are a range of interesting applications using OSC and MIDI, and the box is
going into small-time production.
In February, the Philly-based development team bought 13,000 diodes from Digikey, and they’re currently building the first batch of 200 units, 8 x 8 grids which will sell for $500 with a USB interface and a bundle of open-source software.
Like all the best new interfaces, it’s pretty much impossible to describe, but once you watch the demo video, it seems to be surprisingly flexible and fast to use. I can’t help thinking that something this (or the similar, but different, Tenori On box developed for Yamaha) has huge commercial potential as a cheap and funky sound toy. At the moment, though, it’s a tool for high-end supergeeks, like the wonderful Jazz Mutant Lemur (which is now in production and sells for $2,495).
In February, the Philly-based development team bought 13,000 diodes from Digikey, and they’re currently building the first batch of 200 units, 8 x 8 grids which will sell for $500 with a USB interface and a bundle of open-source software.
sweet.
I couldn't see the video (QT makes my machine very unhappy) but it's hard to get what the appeal is in the button covered box.
"You will push the buttons".
huh?
"Push he buttons!"
Yes, yes I must push the buttons.
It's hard, glacia00, because you are an unimaginitive uncreative automaton.
Please go back to work.
And get your machine's QT problems looked at.
The video is intriguing, and unless you see it, commenting on the product is very difficult.
You'll want to watch the video and once you realize that the music in the video is really part of the demonstration, you'll want to watch it again.
Thats freaking awesome. Made my day.
I've seen better... made with Griffin Powermates. Check out the video and photos at http://www.Flight404.com
Very neat. I want one, even though I wouldn't have the time for it.
Looks great, I've seen plenty of 4x4 midi control pads... but not 8x8 and they never light up. They've gotta bring that price down though... A legal copy of Reason costs something like $250. I'm guessing M-audio or someone will rip this off in a year.
That Griffin powermate link also seems cool, if they took it a step further and made it a midi controller. From what I gathered they're using it more as a display than anything else.
All in all slick!
that is freakin' slick.
i have to get one of those. ...so long as it interfaces with Reason, that is.
oh, and #6, what the hell is the point of the powermate grid? that's just a pointless use of powermates as far as i can tell... they're just being used as LEDs with no other point. this thing actually DOES SOMETHING. watch the video.
I'm gonna buy one right now!
wow, its like kraftwerk had sex with a sleestak and out came the heavyweight champion of gay. seriously, what is that, a litebright?
I don't think the price is that steep for a hand built, presumably limited edition instrument. You would pay many times that for a solid hand built acoustic instrument.
If you look at their website, the machine is "local, domestic production. sustainable, lasting materials. open source". According to the website it also allows for hacking and extending the 40h with any sorts of sensors through built in ADCs that are just not on the outside of the box.
It seems like a good way of making money off of open source development and design and keep independent instrument building alive.
And it supports OSC? YES. Must. Kill. MIDI. (yes, even though i write some how-to's including MIDI).
In all seriousness, I would build my own, but a LEMUR I would buy.
cheers,
fbz
I'd agree $500 seems like a lot, but yeah, this isn't something slapped together by the 10,000s in China.
Compare it to the high-end, signature, handmade guitars you can easily drop ten times that on, and it's really a pretty good deal for the discriminating electronica artist / DJ.
Very nice. $500 is quite a price but I can totaly appreciate it, so it's worth it. don't even need to see the video. 64 toggle buttons to do anything you want. if you can't think of a dozend games, tools and gimicks to do with this in no time you should never ever again call yourself creative.
I hope you can also control the buttons from the pc (so, not just by actually pressing one) and that it reacts rather fast. but I'll see ...
damn, i just saw the video. you can control the leds via the softtware, and reaction times seem to be fine.
if it's sturdy enough, i'll build my little boy some cool toy :)
he's a little over 9 months, so he is very much into pressing any button he finds.
1. An 8x8 grid of powermates is much more expensive.
2. An 8x8 grid of powermates has many more degrees of freedom for both input and output.
3. This device isn't worth $500, but the device and the included drivers is worth that and then some.
What was that track that was being mixed at te end called ? Or where is it from. I recognize it, but I can't remember where from, and it's really starting to bother me -_-
an 8x8 monochrome touchscreen. wow.
#19 "an 8x8 monochrome touchscreen"
Indeed. Lets see your touchscreen give tacticle feedback or allow simultaneous input. The real thing cannot be emulated. Sorry.
On a different note: Who here wants this thing to play Tiger Electronics highly addictive "Lights Out"? *product placement*
I like it, its different oh and weird now thats cool. Its kinda bit pricey for a gadget that doees something but then not really anything, strange. and thats why i like it.
Seriously cool. The more real-world interfaces likt this and the Lemur that make it to the music market, the better.