MidiInstrument
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Griffin's MIDIConnect now available at $80 to make beautiful music with your iDevice (video)
Inspiration can strike from anywhere, and now you can use a proper musical instrument to channel it with MIDIConnect, available from Griffin Technology for $80. The unit allows you to twang, pluck or tickle a MIDI instrument on the go directly into GarageBand and other iOS music apps, and also reverses the flow -- allowing your Cupertino device to send a MIDI signal and become keys, drums or a guitar itself. For hygiene's sake, however, we probably wouldn't take our portable composing quite as far as the video below the break shows.
Pulse Surface Controller System: bangs the drum, desk, window
The Pulse Surface Controller is a vibration-based musical instrument that finally puts those years of air drumming to use. It's a small, piezo-based MIDI controller that lets you turn pretty much any surface into a musical instrument. The device has a built-in suction cup, comes with velcro straps and plugs into your computer's microphone port. The fun really starts with the dedicated controller software, that converts your percussive punches to your virtual instrument of choice. You're not limited to drums either, as you can map your taps to a velocity sensitive melodic generator to create musical tones and scales. Luckily you won't have to sit on your hands to get one of these either, as the Pulse Surface Controller System is available now for $59, or you can tap-tap-tap the video after the break for a demo.
FielDrum magnetic drummer frees you from the tyranny of learning your instrument
You've heard the old saw "fake it 'til you make it," right? This is an instrument that takes those words to heart. Developed by the Magnetic Musical Training project, FielDrum sees a pretty standard percussion instrument fitted with a series of electromagnets. Placed beneath the drum head, the magnets can either be told to "attract" or "repel" via-MIDI, creating some kick-ass paradiddles as the new drum student holds his or her sticks over the instrument. Sure, this all sounds like fun, but this is the kind of research that could have serious ramifications: How do people learn things involving "complex physical gestures?" Can people "learn-by-feel?" How does this approach compare to traditional motor training? We're dying to find out the answers -- but mostly we're dying to get out hands on one of these drums for our robot marching band. Video after the break.[Via Make]
