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gTar iPhone guitar hands-on
When we first caught word of the gTar, it was a bit of a mystery, with an online presence amounting to little more than a low-res press shot, an enigmatic YouTube teaser and assorted specs coming out of South By Southwest and various investor sites. This week, however, brings TechCrunch Disrupt to town -- and Incident Technologies has braved some unseasonable New York City storms to come along for the ride. We managed to snag some time with the iPhone-docking instrument ahead of its debut on stage this afternoon. Details are still a little scarce -- but here's what we know: the company is looking for a summer release for the educational instrument. In the meantime, Incident has thrown up a Kickstarter page, so you can get in on the action. A limited number of investors can get their hands on a unit for the low, low donation price of $350, once it goes into production. That's $100 off the estimated $450 retail price point -- not cheap, sure, but there are a couple of things to note here. First, we played with the gTar for a bit and we can say, definitively, that this isn't just some cheap, plasticky toy -- this feels like a real, amateur-level electric guitar. Also, for whatever it's worth, that price also includes a backpack carrying case -- so that's something, right? Follow along after the break to get some fingers-on impressions.
Roland's Wireless Connect lets your iPhone and electronic instruments play nice sans cords
As if there weren't already enough devices out there for connecting musical instruments to iDevices, Roland's unveiled its latest entrant to the fray over at this year's Musikmesse. Combining a duo of iOS apps and a Netgear-sourced USB dongle, the company's created what's dubbed as the Wireless Connect system. Essentially, by plugging the USB stick into a select number of the company's electronic instruments, you'll be able to jam out using your iDevice as a cord-free aid. With its updated app version of V-Drums Friend Jam, drummers can work on their chops and share the results over the web (alternatively, the current computer variant requires a wired connection). Additionally, the Air Recorder app allows you to hook up with its Synths and V-Accordions to record your playing, jam along with songs from your iPhone or both at the same time. Notably, you likely won't get much use out of Wireless Connect at your next gig, though, as it requires a LAN connection with access to the internet for full functionality. While there's not word on a pricing just yet, Roland plans to have the system on store shelves by the end of spring. Interested musicians can glance at the press release and instrument compatibility details planted just past the break.
PatchWerk lets you control a monstrous modular synth with your browser (video)
The Paradiso Synthesizer at the MIT Museum might be the largest homemade instrument of its type. That fact alone does make it interesting but, what makes this room-sized collection of wooden cabinets connected by a web of cables really stand out is the fact that you can control it from the comfort of you home with nothing more than a browser. The web app, PatchWerk, lets individuals from around the world come together and commandeer Joe Paradiso's creation... at least in a limited form. As you turn dials and flip switches you can hear the soundscape change, and their real life counterparts react in kind on the museum floor. Hit up the source link to try it out for yourself and check out the video after the break to see the monstrosity you'll be hijacking.
Guitar apprentice hands-on (video)
You know the whole "why don't you learn to play a real guitar" backlash that comes with the release of every Guitar Hero title? Multiply that by a hundred, and you're about ready to get down with Guitar Apprentice. The iPad add-on from the folks who brought you the similarly named Piano Apprentice turns your Apple tablet into something roughly the shape of a Gibson SG. From afar, it does look like a guitar. It's a fair bit lighter though, the wood swapped out for plastic, which feels pretty hollow. The iPad sits in the body of the Guitar Apprentice. Right now, it just works with Garage Band, though the company tells us that its working on a proprietary app, so don't let the fact that the neck doesn't line up right now throw you too much. The neck is covered with small buttons, which light up and play as notes from their corresponding placement on the fretboard through a small speaker on the bottom of the guitar's body -- hold multiple down simultaneously and you'll get chord. The speaker on the thing is pretty quiet -- that can be adjusted with the single volume knob, though that, like a lot about the Guitar Apprentice, isn't quite ready. The company tells us that the device is still a ways off, which means that, at present, you still can't strum the thing. Still, it's actually kind of neat, if totally ridiculous. This could be a solid educational devices for parents who aren't quite ready to plunk down the cash for a guitar and amp. When it's released, the Guitar Apprentice will run around $100 -- plus the price of an iPad, naturally.
Daily iPad App: Air Harp
The Air Harp is an interesting stringed instrument. It produces breath-taking sounds, yet it's relatively easy to play. It's so easy that many elementary schools use the instrument to teach children music. If you enjoy the sound of a harp and don't want to worry about tuning the strings, you should check out Air Harp, an iPad and iPhone version of the stringed instrument. You'll never replace the feel of the instrument with an iPad, but the Air Harp app does an excellent job reproducing the sound of a harp. The virtual harp has 15 strings representing two octaves of notes in G Major. You can tap the strings to create your own tune, or use sheet music to play a well-known song. The app includes several pieces of sheet music, and you can buy additional collections for 99-cents each. Playing the harp is easy, even for the musically-challenged individual. All you have to do is follow the notes on the sheet music. It helps if you have a basic understanding of music, but even if you don't know the difference between an eighth note and a quarter note, you can still play the harp. You just have to know the tune well enough to tap along. If you want to get a little crazy with the harp, the app lets you pluck or strum the strings without changing any settings. This tap-and-strum mode was a much-requested feature missing in previous versions of the app. Overall, Air Harp is enjoyable and relaxing for the music-oriented adult. Unlike other music apps which require you to tap falling dots on a screen, the app uses real notes and strings which makes it an excellent learning tool for children. Air Harp is a universal app and available from the App Store for $0.99.
New Rock Band 3 bundles from Mad Catz include 5 free DLC songs
Rock Band 3 is still alive and kicking, despite everything happening behind-the-scenes, and in an effort to rekindle the world's love for rhythm games and plastic instruments, Mad Catz Interactive has released 5 new instrument bundles for the Xbox 360. Each bundle includes the game, a DLC code for 5 different Red Hot Chili Peppers songs, and your choice of Fender Mustang Pro-Guitar ($150), normal Stratocaster controller($70), or normal Precision Bass controller ($80, available in three designer colors). Absent from these bundles, as you may have noticed, are the microphone and drum kit controllers known and loved by annoying college roommates the world over; a void the used market will undoubtably step in to fill.
23-foot-high theremin appears in Melbourne, begins to freak out passersby
It appeared out of nowhere. And it makes semi-disturbing, 50s era sci-fi movie sounds when you approach it. Over in Melbourne, artist Robin Fox has installed a seven meter (23 foot) high theremin instrument. Like the classic theremin design, the user doesn't have to physically touch it but just has to be within a certain range to activate it. Once initiated, you can expect to be aurally bombarded with retro movie sounds -- a cacophony of rubber monsters beating each other within an inch of their lives. The theremin will be present on the waterfront for the next three months as part of Melbourne Music Week, and you can click on through to hear its sounds as well as wonder when the ghost of Vincent Price will be showing up in the near future.
Kinect BeatWheel hack makes you do the windmill
Running out of avant garde ways of making music? Then perhaps this BeatWheel hack for Kinect, made at a recent Music Hackday in Boston, will give you some fresh ideas. Music samples are separated into eight segments, which encircle the user like a clockface. You then control which part plays by waving your hands around like a severely caffeinated Bernstein. Check out the shadowy BeatWheel demo after the break.
Ten things to do in Star Wars Galaxies before it's gone
When SOE announced that Star Wars Galaxies would be sunsetted by the end of the year, many players despaired. They gave up. They saw their long years (eight years!) of play turn to dust. But others looked on the impending closure as incentive to do all those things they'd been putting off, all the activities they just hadn't gotten around to. There hadn't been time. The game is too big for anyone to do it all. And that's precisely why Star Wars Galaxies is a legend among sandbox fans despite the NGE disaster. It's a living museum of great MMO ideas from the past, of player-driven economies, of open-world housing, of high-end, game-supported roleplay, of roaming in a game that lets you dictate the terms of your play. It's a rare relic you should see in the flesh, today, right now, before it's gone. You can pick up a weapon and fight in any MMO (excepting A Tale in the Desert, that is), but there are so many things you can do in Star Wars Galaxies that you can't do anywhere else with the same level of immersion. And I'm going to tell you which 10 you should do first... before it's too late.
Gibson's Firebird X robot guitar finally ready to ship after a very, very long delay
Like the Droid Bionic of the guitar world, the Firebird X was announced almost a year ago, packed with piles of impressive technology, and delayed so many times that practically everyone forgot it existed. Well, on September 30th the Firebird X will finally start filtering into retail channels for the rather excessive price of $5,570, in your choice of either Redolution of Bluevolution finishes. On board are a boatload of effects as well as an automated tuner, which we've come to expect from the so-called "robot guitar" series. The Pure-Analog sound processing engine is also open to developers, allowing owners to add on new effects and sounds down the road. But, enough with our ramblings. You know the drill, gallery below and PR after the break. %Gallery-135134%
Magnetic Cello almost makes it cool to play the cello (video)
Say hello to the Magnetic Cello, the perfect companion to your magnetic drum kit. Crafted by college student David Levi (AKA "Magnetovore"), the instrument vaguely represents a traditional cello in structure, but the similarities pretty much end right there. To play it, for example, musicians use not a horsehair bow, but a magnetic rod that produces a voltage within an attached coil (the "bridge," in this case). Its "strings," meanwhile, consist of resistive ribbons connected to a voltage-controlled oscillator, allowing users to manipulate volume with the magnet-bow. The result sounds surprisingly cello-like, though Levi says he's still tinkering with its tone and playability. Waltz past the break to see the beast in action for yourself, or find more details in Levi's provisional patent application at the link below.
Some Assembly Required: Issue #4 -- Making music in LotRO
Music to my ears. The Sound of Music. It ain't over 'til the fat lady (er, Dwarf) sings. Time to face the music. Pay the piper. There is no way around it -- music is such an integral part of our lives and culture that there is almost no way to take a step without its influence showing in some part of our lives, be it an idiom, a movie, a popular catchphrase, or even just a tune stuck in our heads that we cannot escape. Music is so woven into the thread of our beings that it is surprising that more music cannot be found in the world of MMOs. Luckily for us, one world has embraced this connection to music and made it an involved part of the game. Unlike any other games, Lord of the Rings Online has moved beyond just adding a background score and a few canned clips of music to the game. In fact, it has introduced an entire system allowing players to not only play a variety of instruments in the game but compose original pieces and play together in bands as well. The musically inclined can either play live or convert popular music into ABC files, and the not-so-inclined can use said files files to play right along with their friends. When it comes to harnessing creativity, the music system in LotRO tops the charts. Want to see how you too can strike up the band and show off your creative prowess with the lute, the theorbo, the clarinet, or even the cowbell? Tune in past the cut for Some Assembly Required's look at the music industry in LotRO.
Griffin's StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go
Remember that Griffin-made StompBox we showed you back in January? Well, it's finally hit the market, so you can free up those virtuoso hands and get to pedal-pounding wicked sound effects. The four button foot controller works with Frontier Design's iShred LIVE app for iOS, connecting your instrument via an included GuitarConnect cable to a 1/4-inch jack. The device is "designed to work with... a guitar, bass guitar, electric violin and keyboard," so your virtual jam band session is all but guaranteed. This musical f/x dongle is available to order now for $99.99 online, or you can just head to one of Apple's boutiques to snag it. Sadly, the effects switcher doesn't come bundled with a copycat of Slash's hat, but that shouldn't stop your credit card from indulging in this latest bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
IK Multimedia reveals iRig MIDI, SampleTank for iOS
IK Multimedia, makers of the iRig Mic, iRig for guitar, Amplitube for iOS, and many other exciting music products, has announced the iRig MIDI: a standard Core MIDI (music instrument digital interface) adapter for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The yet-to-be-released adapter will connect your iOS device with any MIDI compatible device (keyboards or electric drums, for example) to control a whole host of Apple Core MIDI-compatible apps, like GarageBand. Likewise, you can use these apps to control external MIDI gear through the iRig MIDI. In addition to the standard IN and OUT ports found on current MIDI adapters, the iRig MIDI has a THRU input for more advanced MIDI applications. There's also a micro USB port to keep your device juiced up through those extra long performances. To compliment the iRig MIDI adapter, IK has created an iOS version of SampleTank, optimized for live performance. SampleTank for iOS has a 1 GB on-board sample library of 500 instruments, including samples from IK's Miroslav Philharmonik and SampleMoog. There's no word on a release date yet, but if you happen to be at the Summer NAMM Show, you can catch a glimpse of the new products there. The iRig MIDI is set to retails at US$69.99. SampleTank for iOS will be available free from the iOS App store with in-app purchasing for expansion. For all the details, click here.
Laser Pitch Detection system turns your axe into a luminous, latency-free MIDI machine (video)
Here's a fact you should remember about lasers: they make everything better. Even musical instruments. Anyone who has ever tried to use their trusty six-string as a MIDI controller knows the pain of the latency introduced by trying to convert string vibrations into digital signals. M3i's Laser Pitch Detection (LPD) system skirts this issue by running a laser beam under each string. Instead of detecting vibrations the optical pickup measures the distance between the diode and the depressed string, then converts that into a pitch. That not only means there's no delay, but also that no need to actually tune your instrument -- it combines all the laziness of Antares' ATG-6 with the class of Beamz. If you're curious, there's a demo video after the break.
Robot band covers Marilyn Manson, renders sullen teenagers obsolete (video)
Sure, we've seen robot bands before. But even when insecure and egotistical, they never quite capture the youthful disaffection we want from our mechanical pop stars. Until now. End of Life is a robot band consisting of a cello, and electric guitar, drums, and, for some reason, a flat-bed scanner -- maybe he's the cute one? The group recently covered Marilyn Manson's three-string anthem "The Beautiful People," and it sounds almost exactly like you'd expect: we'll call it "raw, visceral, and uncensored." We can't wait to see them sneer at Rock Band-playing robots too lazy to learn a real instrument. Catch them in the video after the break, and you can tell all your less-cool friends you knew them back before they sold out.
Caption Contest: A heaping helping of wearable music
Is this the new musical Power Glove? Imogen Heap thinks so. The Grammy winner rocked the stylish hand warmers at a TEDGlobal 2011 event in Edinburgh, Scotland, creating gesture-based music during a four-minute demonstration, with the gloves wirelessly connected to a nearby laptop. Could this be the death of the theremin as we know it, or just another good excuse to do a caption contest? Brian: "Imogen there's no heaven." Terrence: "Ms. Heap hard at work on a sequel to the NES "classic" Bad Street Brawler, tentatively titled Street Corner Complainer." Darren: "Seriously? Wires?" Brad: "Now if only I could find some oven mitts that would magically bake cookies for me, I'd be set!" Jon: "Force enhancing gloves allow Imogen to one up Luke, raise X-Wing." Tim: "Do I look intense enough now? Too pensive? What if I tilt my head up a bit further?" Amar: "And then they handed me the Grammy and I grabbed it like this and then -- oh, have I already told you this story?" Dante: "What do you mean they aren't cashmere?!?!" Joseph: "So I was holding Bjork's leg up like this, but she still couldn't get over Madonna's gate." Sean: "To sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there's the rub..." Christopher: "Please sir, I beg you -- don't take my Flowbee away." Richard Lai: "Ceiling cat, come to momma." [Image credit: University of the West of England]
Antares ATG-6 brings auto-tune to the guitar, can't retroactively save Lil' Wayne's SNL solo
Antares ain't the first company to provide individual control to each string on a guitar (hello, Roland!), but the outfit's new ATG-6 technology takes things one step closer to being acceptable by the mainstream. Rather than forcing users to process separate string signals via an external device, this here rendition aims to tuck everything within the body. In the demo just past the break, a Seymour Duncan HEX pickup is used, and while it's connected via a MIDI cable, it's most certainly not a MIDI guitar -- that's strictly used for control. It's also worth pointing out a key quote from Antares product manager Max Mobley -- he's using a $99 guitar "with about $40,000 worth of technology inside of it," giving us the impression that this is nowhere near mass commercialization. Rather than using auto-tune to utterly destroy the genuineness of music (and produce one of the most hilarious Bud Light commercials to date), these axes are hoping to provide legitimate guitarists with added functionality; things like flawless intonation and bolstered tonal flexibility. The system is reportedly capable of constantly monitoring the pitch of each individual string to ensure that every riff and lick is in tune, but it's smart enough to back off when you want to manually manipulate things. We're told to hang tight for more details, but for now, we'd invite you to have a glance at the company's current progress (and a brutal flashback from 2008) below.
Airpiano on sale now, conduct a symphony of soft synths with the wave of a hand (video)
When last we saw the Airpiano way back in 2008 (ah, the halcyon days when people still cared about Spore) it was just a proof of concept, hacked together by interface design student Omer Yosha. Now you can finally order your own online for €1,099 (about $1,607) if you're in Europe, or €1,149 (about $1,680) if you dwell anywhere else on this little, blue marble we call Earth. The theremin-like Airpiano doesn't actually produce any sounds itself, instead it uses proximity sensors to feed MIDI and OSC (open sound control) signals to a computer over USB, allowing musicians and non-musicians alike to command soft synths with only the majestic wave of a hand. It may land you some confused stares from people who still play instruments with strings and keys (you know, Luddites), but it's certainly more dignified than planting yourself in front of a Beamz laser harp. A trio of videos awaits after the break.
Otomata sequencer creates generative music for the melodically challenged (video)
It won't bring you the success or adoration that Brian Eno's enjoyed, but the Otomata sequencer could have you making noise like the Roxy Music alum in seconds. Way back in 1996, Eno espoused the idea of generative music, which is a non-repetitive form of music created, in this case, anyway, by a piece of software. Otomata takes that idea and puts it to use in a cellular automaton, consisting of a simple grid of cells in different states. With Otomata, each selected cell has four states: up, down, left, and right. When activated, the cells move in the direction of their given state, and when they encounter an obstacle, like a wall, a pitched sound is created. After each collision, the cells turn around and head in the opposite direction until they hit another obstacle, and the process continues indefinitely. The result is a chaotic but somehow lulling symphony of electronic sounds, a la Mr. Eno, that anyone with a mouse can muster. Head on past the break to see for yourself.
