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Jamstik Studio is the MIDI guitar you might actually want to use
Guitar MIDI controllers are usually giant disappointments. But Jamstik seems to have broken the code. The Studio MIDI Guitar has fast and accurate pitch detection, and even does an impressive job of recreating bends, hammer-ons and to a lesser degree slides. MIDI wasn’t designed with stringed instruments in mind, so it’s never going to be perfect, and the $800 asking price is steep. But, this is probably the best guitar-style MIDI controller on the market right now. Plus, it’s actually a guitar.
Engadget giveaway: Win a Jamstik+ smart guitar courtesy of Zivix!
If you've always wanted to learn guitar, but never seemed to make it past the first few bars of 'Stairway to Heaven', this week's giveaway could be of help. The Jamstik+ is a Bluetooth-connectable instrument that boasts real strings and frets, and works alongside the company's app to help train first timers and provide portable freedom for impromptu jam sessions. The fretboard includes infrared sensors to gauge your finger placement, which allows the app's virtual tutor to track your progress in real time. There's also an arcade mode to add a gaming angle to the learning process. Until recently, the experience was limited to Mac and iOS, but now you can download the app for verified devices running Android 6.0. To help celebrate this launch, Zivix has given us a pair of Jamstik+ smart guitars and carrying cases for two lucky winners. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. If you're looking to pick one up now, just use the code "androidweek30" for $30 off. Winners: Congratulations to Akash V. of Merced, CA and Greg K. of Youngstown, OH!
AirJamz is a wristband that turns air guitar into wear guitar
The tagline reads: "AirJamz is the wearable Air Guitar that you have to see to believe." To be fair, you probably can believe it, especially if you're familiar with Zivix. The company is best known for Jamstik, a small wireless guitar that helps you learn to shred, or play more than just axe-sounds, with your iPhone and iPad. AirJamz is for those that want to forego the whole playing part altogether, and just pretend they're slaying. Imagine Guitar Hero boiled down into a $50 wristband with an accelerometer and an app that "plays" guitar if you strum along in time and you've basically got it. We got to see it in action at SXSW, demoed by some of the world's finest fictional fretboard aficionados.
Engadget giveaway: win a Jamstik and SOL Republic speaker courtesy of Zivix!
There's a new generation of MIDI-connected interface tools to help your creative juices flow without being tethered to a computer or lugging around a full kit. The Jamstik smartguitar is a mobile instrument for the digital age, whether you're a seasoned guitar player or just looking to learn a few chords. It's a lightweight, 16-inch guitar interface that uses WiFi to connect to Macs, PCs and iOS 7+ devices. The Jamstik works with hundreds of apps including GarageBand and Ableton Live, letting you play guitar, synth, drums or anything else simply by plucking the strings. There's also a Kickstarter for the new Jamstik+, which adds Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and a focus on musical education. What's more, for every 15 Jamstik+ devices that are backed, Zivix will give one to a non-profit educational organization, opening up the world of music to tomorrow's musicians. To help give you a taste, the company has given us two Jamstiks, along with a set of SOL Republic Deck Bluetooth speakers for a pair of lucky Engadget readers this week. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget for up to three chances at winning. Winners: congratulations to Jeremiah N. of Moscow, ID. and Jeremy M. of Southington, CT!
Jamstik+ is a backpack-friendly 'smart guitar'
The first time I encountered Jamstik, a guitar controller for Mac and iOS, was at CES 2013. Zivix -- the team behind the product -- came to our trailer and gave us a demo. That was a prototype, which eventually got crowdfunded and did pretty well as history tells it. Now there's Jamstik+ with a few significant improvements, and once again, the company's looking to you to fund it (spoiler: It's already met its goal). While the original Jamstik won people over, concerns over latency left some users wanting. Has version 2.0 cracked it?
Jamstik portable MIDI guitar lets you play and learn on the iPad wirelessly
We heard from our friends over at TechCrunch (thanks, John Biggs!) that a company called Zivix has been showing off a cool little MIDI guitar at CES, so here it is! Dubbed the Jamstik, this digital instrument serves the same purpose as the already-available You Rock, except this one comes with real guitar strings, works wirelessly over WiFi, features a lower latency (under 10ms instead of about 20ms, according to Zivix's lab test), and it also has a shorter neck plus a much smaller body for the sake of portability -- even for some casual plucking on the plane. The Jamstik also supports string bending thanks to the way it detects finger movement on the neck -- the rows of infrared lights and sensors under the strings make the magic happen. Of course, you'd need a PC or an iOS device (with CoreMIDI-compatible apps like GarageBand and Animoog) to get the audio, and for the latter, Zivix will be offering three apps: JamTutor guitar teaching suite, JamHero game (very much like Guitar Hero and Rock Band) and Jam Live music remixer. We had a go using a wired prototype Jamstik, and apart from the slight delay between our strumming and the audio output (which will be further fine-tuned before going retail), we had a lot of fun with it. Check out the demo videos after the break, and expect to see the Jamstik hit the market this summer for somewhere around $249 to $299.
