Soundgate concept electronically augments music rehearsal

If you don't want your kid(s) to give up on music practice, then you better cross your fingers in the hope that this concept product from an industrial designer called Nicolas Gonzalez Garrido becomes commercially available. The Soundgate concept is a tablet PC-esque device that features a 10-inch touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, and a variety of inputs and outputs to plug in speakers, microphones, and all kinds of musical instruments. The idea is that the Soundgate should augment practice time for musicians: the device could display interactive sheet music, it could display lyrics for songs, and do a variety of other functions that could help musicians improve their playing. Also envisaged is a separate stand that includes a video camera and a slide-out, human height projected display: this could allow people to train with other players, or even set up a virtual band. Seriously, we totally wouldn't have given up on our Trombone practice if we could have blasted it out in over the interwebs at three other people, multi videochat stylee. Check out more of the concept images and a video demonstrating the idea in more depth after the break.

[hellonico @ Mar 12th 2007 10:21AM]

Hello, I would like to mention that this was the result of team work.
Designers:
Alejandro Sanguinetti
Gustavo Fontana
Nicolas Gonzalez Garrido
Video edition: Esteban Orlandi
For further details please visit:
www.gustavofontana.com
www.hellonico.com

[hellonico @ Mar 12th 2007 11:55AM]

For those that want to know more, here is the full description of the project:

SoundGate provides musicians with tools for a new rich experience in individual learning, tutor instruction and live playing. The optimal user-experience has been designed taking in account the needs of musicians. The Tablet facilitates the creative process by recording playing sessions, recognizing and transcribing music, prompting sheet music and lyrics, generating electronic accompanist sound and displaying onscreen timing and metronome.

The SoundGate Tablet brings the computer to the music world. It inherits the compactness of portable computers and game consoles while maintaining the more inviting appearance of a vintage audiophile product. The MusicStand's slim profile is unpretentious, and almost invisible, leaving the center stage to the musicians themselves.

Music-recognition and electronic-accompanist software assists learning, practice and composition tasks. Heliodisplay ™ technology makes possible to have guest artists projected on thin-air. High capacity portable hard drives allow storage on entire music libraries and projects on a portable device. Increasing bandwidth of broadband, wireless connections and new music-data standards like Gibson's Magic ™ bring together the unprecedented opportunity to enhance the musical experience

The MusicStand cradles the Tablet via a connection bracket and provides sound output from a built-in array of speakers. The GuestArtist MusicStand has an articulated video camera and on the side has a folding arm with a helio display screen. These 2 features allow having live, full-size interaction with other musician on remote locations that also own a SoundGate system. The WirelessPedal is a battery-powered peripheral customizable to drive play/stop, volume up/down, etc.

SoundGate revolves around the experience and takes the focus out of the product, making it more difficult for other competitors to enter the market or gain market share. Our fast-pace life and many technical and logistic issues are in the way and don't allow many people to continue gathering to enjoy live music. A product that can address such issues has the potential to open the door for a whole set of products, accessories and services to a new market that is yet indifferent to the computer world

Scenario 1. My Music: Christine, a Classical and Jazz vocalist rehearses at home she uses the SoundGate Tablet to access digital sheet music, to record and playback to her phonetic exercises, and sing with an electronic piano-accompanist. She has voice coach lessons 1 hour a week thanks to her GuestArtist MusicStand. She's a new Mom too, so traveling to meet her teacher in person when they live 2 hours away from each other would have been impossible.

Scenario 2. Online Band: Toshi, a Japanese marketing Manager who lives in Tokyo, loves playing Flamenco with his classic guitar. He met Jose who lives in London on the SoundGate Forum; Jose sings new Flamenco and Cante Hondo, both popular styles in his homeland Spain. After enjoying each other's company for 2 years, Toshi has invited Jose to Japan where they'll take a 2 week tour to play live on 7 bars and hotels. Their SoundGate systems will be traveling with them.

Scenario 3. Play Guitar with Metallica: Josh loves playing guitar, his girlfriend gave him for Christmas the latest DVD-Audio of Metallica, which includes 5 songs in SoundGate format. He plays it on his Tablet and after examining the timing a few times, he decides to turn off Kirk Hammett's track and give him a shot himself with the rest of the group.

Scenario 4: Live Music Every Night: When Mark and Thomas from Nashville joined the Air Force they were deployed to Elmendorf Field, Alaska. Both love country music greatly and they missed it a lot. That's until they convince the local bar to test drive some GuestArtist MusicStand so they could watch remote live bands at the bar. It's been a huge success that brings more business to the local bar that they could have ever imagined.

Scenario 5: From Moscow to Vermont. Mr. Olikhovski teaches Violin at the Moscow Conservatory. He and his new student Angela have taken distant learning to a whole new level. Angela lives up in the mountains of Vermont, USA. When her parents saw Mr. Olikhosvski featured in the Outreach program of SoundGate, they contacted him inquiring an audition for Angela. The rest is history.

Credits:
Designers: Alejando Sanguinetti, Gustavo Fontana, Nicolas Gonzalez Garrido.
Video edition: Esteban Orlandi
http://www.gustavofontana.com
http://www.hellonico.com

[Big Al @ Mar 12th 2007 2:25PM]

This looks like a great concept. In fact, I was thinking about this type of system just the other day. The only part of the technology listed that seems unlikely in the near future is the holographic projection component. Maybe they could integrate a DLP projector that could be used to project the other virtual band members in a split screen mode onto a blank wall, allowing for life size images.

Awesome idea!