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Onyx Ashanti's beatjazz music machine does everything, looks good too (video)
Onyx Ashanti has sent us over a demo of his beatjazz controller, and we have to marvel at the direction he's taken with this custom electronic music machine following more modest efforts. Onyx's 3D-printed interface receives inputs from a voice / breath-operated synth in the headgear, while the two handheld controls incorporate accelerometers, joysticks and pressure-sensitive buttons. Using this kit and his own software, Onyx is able to create live digital music with an amount of control you would only expect from desktop-based production software. We've embedded two videos for your attention after the break -- a demo of his latest flashy build complete with lightsaber-like effects, and an earlier live performance that really shows what the beatjazz controller can do.
Found Footage: MIDI wind instrument controlled with the iPod touch's accelerometer
Onyx Ashanti is an American musician living in Berlin. He specializes in "beatjazz," which he describes as being built on "live looping, sound design, and jazz improvisation." Using a Yamaha MIDI wind controller (that looks like an electronic clarinet) and an iPod touch running the TouchOSC app (US$4.99), Ashanti has been able to create some pretty incredible sounds. In the above video, Ashanti has the iPod touch strapped to his right hand, and he's able to use the accelerometer in the touch to translate his hand motions into control inputs for PureData audio processing. You may not necessarily like beatjazz, but you've got to admit it's cool that musicians like Ashanti are pushing the edge with Apple technology. [via Engadget]
